Finding Home was shot on an island off the coast of Maine and the photography is superb. The music is also terrific. A young woman inherits her Grandmother's coastal inn and must decide whether to keep it or sell it. Along the way she unlocks a mystery from the past. While the plot and acting are interesting enough, the pacing is slow and the dialog trite. Some scenes become repetitious and at least 20 minutes should be cut. But Finding Home captures the elusive beauty of a remote New England island summer vacation that more famous films never did (A Summer Place, Cider House Rules, The Whales of August.) I'm guessing this will go straight to video... where it will become popular with people who love that romantic "downeast" coastal mystique. (I want that pristine modified lobster boat used to ferry people to the island! )
36 Reviews
A Hallmark reject?
xredgarnetx3 November 2007
Lis Brenner stars as a young woman who inherits her grandmother's rustic inn in Maine and a mystery to along with it. She encounters the longtime housekeeper played by Gen Bujold and the housekeeper's nephew, an artist, whom Brenner knew as a child. Louis Fletcher plays the woman's dead grandmother. The men cast in this women's TV flick are generic, and hard to tell apart. You know the nephew, a brooding Heathcliff character, will end up with the girl but it is a long road getting there. The secret as such is hardly a secret to any half-awake viewer. The scenery is pretty, and Brenner is believable as a career girl being drawn into her small-town life. Other than that, it's not worth watching.
Clichéd, contrived, silly
suzanne_moulton12 July 2005
Being from Maine, I sure wanted to love this movie..but I didn't! The plot was contrived and in several ways, quite silly. The first half of the film dragged mercilessly, while at the same time facets of the plot were not fully developed, making the story line weak and non-sensical and the characters shallow. It makes no sense that this young woman who so loved and missed her grandmother would not have returned to see her as soon as she was old enough to be independent from her controlling mother, especially with the level of animosity she felt toward her mother. The film touts Amanda as being "an ambitious young executive" who has a "busy career," yet all we see of her at her job gives the impression that she is nothing but a receptionist with nothing on her mind but her birthday and her boyfriend. The false memory idea fails miserably, its "moment of revelation" totally lacking in energy and focus.
What should have been a good plot, fertile ground for a poignant and meaningful film, was sadly wasted. What a disappointment!
What should have been a good plot, fertile ground for a poignant and meaningful film, was sadly wasted. What a disappointment!
Mystified
nicola-ramsey16 January 2007
How did this movie win an award and receive a four star rating? Was it four stars out of ten or what? It was so BAD, so unbelievably soap-opera predictable, that it had me mesmerized.
I found myself waiting desperately for the dog to return, since his acting outshone that of any of the human actors. The main character was ridiculous, her friend was so ill defined as to be non existent and her love interests were A) clichéd and B) wooden.
And what is with Genevieve Bujold? I could say that perhaps she has fallen on hard times, but her acting was as weak as the rest. I've been to high school plays with more believable characters than these.
How do movies like this get funding?
I found myself waiting desperately for the dog to return, since his acting outshone that of any of the human actors. The main character was ridiculous, her friend was so ill defined as to be non existent and her love interests were A) clichéd and B) wooden.
And what is with Genevieve Bujold? I could say that perhaps she has fallen on hard times, but her acting was as weak as the rest. I've been to high school plays with more believable characters than these.
How do movies like this get funding?
A waste of Maine scenery, viewer time
beiser26 July 2005
The photography is beautiful. The actors are attractive and their characters have moments of interest. I enjoyed the first half hour or so of a slowly unfolding story of family conflict, nostalgia for an interrupted youth. Frequent flashbacks enlivened the development of the backstory.
However, the slow unfolding became a plodding march from incident to incident more akin to the animation of a bulleted list than the representation of a maturing person.
The acting and cinematography talent are wasted on an overly long, contrived, unbelievable and trite plot. The writing is wooden to the point of embarrassment. My wife summed it up: This is the movie equivalent of a Good Housekeeping novel, in the worst sense.
However, the slow unfolding became a plodding march from incident to incident more akin to the animation of a bulleted list than the representation of a maturing person.
The acting and cinematography talent are wasted on an overly long, contrived, unbelievable and trite plot. The writing is wooden to the point of embarrassment. My wife summed it up: This is the movie equivalent of a Good Housekeeping novel, in the worst sense.
atrocious
tgm_69723 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Finding Home is an execrable film laden with not-so-subtle anti-abortion sentiment. (Even a secondary character who finds herself pregnant after a brief fling with the film's villain opts to "keep her baby.") It also should be noted that viewers allergic to Christian propaganda should avoid this one at all costs. (Who knew that there were no gay men or lesbian women in NYC? Who knew that high-powered career people never utter a single obscenity? Who knew that an emancipated woman of the world would utter a statement like "You just wanted to jump me"? Or that the US of A is such a squeaky-clean, shiny place?) Please allow me to enumerate the ways in which this film almost (but, alas, not quite) enters the annals of being "so bad it's good." First, the lead gives a truly amateurish performance. She signifies all emotions with a furrowed brow and widened eyes a'la Bambi, and her voice is thin and grating. Second, the script is idiotic. I particularly loved the villain's dash toward the sea (?) and his ultimate comeuppance. (He moves to Hollywood where, as the heroine sanctimoniously notes, someone possessing his dubious sense of morality will succeed. Um, wasn't she a purportedly hard-boiled career gal in NYC? Pot, kettle?) The revelation that the hero is independently wealthy (evidently, at the age of 12, he invested in Microsoft stock) also warrants a few good guffaws. Do I need to mention that the hero also is soulful and artistic (he sculpts!) and single and physically fit and
(Another funny bit: In homage to Lionel Richie's Hello, the hero's work in progress turns out to be a most unflattering sculpture of the heroine.) Third, Finding Home is laden with Christian "subtext" (note: quotation marks). The heroine marries the hero and, approximately 10 months later, gives birth. (Premarital sex is bad! Giving birth out of wedlock is evil. Not getting pregnant is even worse!) The climax reveals a blonde moppet grabbing a cookie from an immaculate kitchen. Obviously, the heroine has abandoned her empty existence as a career woman, and opted for the infinitely more satisfying role of hausfrau. (Remember kids: women should stay at home!) The hero does odd-jobs, whereas the heroine worked in NYC (curiously, we never find out what she does). Yet, she needs HIM to help her run the inn she inherited from granny. "What can I do? Help me. Help me!" The only names in the cast (Bujold and Fletcher) are wasted. Is it that difficult for more mature actresses to land decent vehicles? If Finding Home represents the best that Christian cinema has to offer, then I'm grateful to be an atheist.
Beautifully filmed; highly recommend over Hollywood movies
bangle45013 October 2007
Would give a 9, but I'm giving a 10 to try to counteract some of the overly low ratings (in spite of the 14 awards!).
Definitely recommend for girls, not only because of type of story, but also as this gives a good example of what kind of guy to avoid.
Recommend for anyone because of Genevieve Bujold, and of course the location filming, done apparently at great difficulty.
I really enjoyed the musical score, which is one of the most beautiful I have heard in a long time.
Again, this great effort won many awards, and so an overly low rating is childish, and can really be ignored. I would definitely suggest seeing this fine independent film.
Definitely recommend for girls, not only because of type of story, but also as this gives a good example of what kind of guy to avoid.
Recommend for anyone because of Genevieve Bujold, and of course the location filming, done apparently at great difficulty.
I really enjoyed the musical score, which is one of the most beautiful I have heard in a long time.
Again, this great effort won many awards, and so an overly low rating is childish, and can really be ignored. I would definitely suggest seeing this fine independent film.
touching story, beautiful Maine coastal photography
anlwing11 December 2006
"Finding Home" is a warm and touching story, the title being an apt metaphor for a story of many levels. The time elements are well-handled, going back and forth from past to present, in such a way as to make sense and not be confusing. The pace of the film matches the pace of the natural lifestyle of living on a Maine island. As a native Mainer I was pleased that the artists used a natural style of speaking rather than using fake-sounding Maine accents, which also reflects the current way of life on the Maine coast, as over the past decades more and more "people from away" have become Mainers making their livelihoods on the coast, so it is naturally less occurring to hear true "down-east" Maine accents in a tourist setting. And the different sounding accent of the inn keeper seems realistic for the Maine coast. The plot is interesting to me, of a young professional woman returning to Maine as an adult who has forgotten much of a significant childhood time that she left a decade or more ago. In that respect, it is one of the parallels that remind me of the movie "Dolores Claiborne". I have to honestly say that I didn't always find the quality of acting in "Finding Home" to be as sophisticated and experienced as I found in "Dolores Claiborne", but i did find it to be believable and genuine. The quality of the story, however, is heartwarming and very touching. There is enough intrigue to keep one's interest in wanting to find out what happens next. There is brilliant acting of some complicated roles and scenes, in particular those of the mother in the picture. The flashback scenes are believable, and while they lead to the unveiling of a traumatic event, that event is blessedly less horrific than the viewer has come to dread experiencing. And the quality of the movie, visual and auditory, is kinder on the senses, and a welcome relief from "too loud and shocking" that I find all too often in current films. At the end of the movie I felt peaceful and satisfied, and relieved with the honest depiction of characters. Most human beings are not all good or all bad, and some of the most difficult issues in the lives of the characters are treated sensitively and in a well-rounded, realistic and matter-of-fact way. I am grateful to have been treated to a really good story without jarring instances of violence, bad language, raw sex, or brutality. Very well done!
Crushed by the weight of its own clichés
wisewebwoman16 September 2006
Four male writers couldn't hang any of this film together in spite of some great old stars (Louise Fletcher, Genevieve Bujold) who try their best with a leaden script and subversive fundamentalist messages.
Clichés? Let me count the ways. I believe I've never been privy to so many in this one loooooong contrived movie that must have gone straight to DVD. It wouldn't survive a Friday night at the local Odeon.
Traumatic event in childhood conveniently forgotten by the star - who by the way has to be one of the most irritating actresses ever, she ran the gamut of emotions from A to B to quote a famous critic. She squeaks her lines and does a lot of batting with the eyes. Awful to watch her.
The granddaughter is forbidden to see the grandmother as an eleven year old child but then makes no effort to see her as an adult even though she professes undying love for her? She behaves like a receptionist in her "high career" in New York, excited over her birthday and her new boyfriend, her "boss". The audience is not privy to what everyone does for a living. It is strictly so she can give up her career (in that "fundy" way) to settle down and get over that nonsense.
The caretaker-sculptor turns out to have invested in Microsoft when he was twelve (doesn't everybody?) and is now wealthy but living as a boatman/bum.
The secret was not getting worked up into a froth over. Fisticuffs a plenty and the oddest, strained dialogue. Squeaky clean too. She accuses her boss of travelling all the way to Maine so he could "jump her". Man that spun me sideways before I burst out laughing. "Jump"? Wha'? I've never heard a woman use that term. Guys, yes.
And it goes on and on and on and on and on. Each cliché heavier than the one before it until it collapses, whimpering, under the pro-life ending.
I gave it 2 out of 10. The scenery and the inn are truly lovely and so is the haunting music.
Clichés? Let me count the ways. I believe I've never been privy to so many in this one loooooong contrived movie that must have gone straight to DVD. It wouldn't survive a Friday night at the local Odeon.
Traumatic event in childhood conveniently forgotten by the star - who by the way has to be one of the most irritating actresses ever, she ran the gamut of emotions from A to B to quote a famous critic. She squeaks her lines and does a lot of batting with the eyes. Awful to watch her.
The granddaughter is forbidden to see the grandmother as an eleven year old child but then makes no effort to see her as an adult even though she professes undying love for her? She behaves like a receptionist in her "high career" in New York, excited over her birthday and her new boyfriend, her "boss". The audience is not privy to what everyone does for a living. It is strictly so she can give up her career (in that "fundy" way) to settle down and get over that nonsense.
The caretaker-sculptor turns out to have invested in Microsoft when he was twelve (doesn't everybody?) and is now wealthy but living as a boatman/bum.
The secret was not getting worked up into a froth over. Fisticuffs a plenty and the oddest, strained dialogue. Squeaky clean too. She accuses her boss of travelling all the way to Maine so he could "jump her". Man that spun me sideways before I burst out laughing. "Jump"? Wha'? I've never heard a woman use that term. Guys, yes.
And it goes on and on and on and on and on. Each cliché heavier than the one before it until it collapses, whimpering, under the pro-life ending.
I gave it 2 out of 10. The scenery and the inn are truly lovely and so is the haunting music.
Excellent movie, highly recommended!
Cclay_bc23 August 2006
My wife rented this movie recently, and when I saw the IMDb rating of 4/10 I almost didn't watch it. I'm so glad that I changed my mind! We both found it very touching and enjoyable... While it had a slower pace than movies I usually watch, it pulled me in and I soon found myself completely immersed in the story. Finding Home touches on issues of the problems that can arise from long-held family secrets, and the difficulties and eventual joys that can arise through truth and forgiveness. It also highlights some of the important things that can get lost in the shuffle of everyday life.
The acting, cinematography and music were also top notch (I plan on ordering the soundtrack this week from Amazon.)
If you have a chance to see this uplifting movie, don't pass it up... Highly recommended. 9/10.
The acting, cinematography and music were also top notch (I plan on ordering the soundtrack this week from Amazon.)
If you have a chance to see this uplifting movie, don't pass it up... Highly recommended. 9/10.
the movie is playing on my TV as we speak...
scottklassen16 November 2006
I feel a bit like the girl in the cheesy teen horror flick, as she dials 911 for help when the killer is right in the house with her... I'm watching the movie right now, and I feel like I have to do SOMETHING to get help... This is the most awful movie I've seen since Hope Springs. The writing lurches, the characters stumble, and the music swells repeatedly like that nasty, recalcitrant pus-filled boil on Farmer Bean's neck. Brutal - sorry, this film simply has no redeeming features. Photography? Scenery? Bulloney! Buy a calendar of the coast of Maine, if that's what you're after. Somehow, the main character's looks of concern, fear, sadness, fatigue, and anger all seem to be the same - and I find that it's impossible to care just which one she's trying to portray. The dramatic flashbacks are oh-so-undramatic, and oh-so-annoying. Enough.
Bad, bad, bad
tedinbc22 March 2008
This film was so bad that I quit before it was finished. I would have watched it in a flash, just because Genevieve Bujold was in it. I don't know how she could ever have got mixed up in this load of trash. The plot was weak; the acting was terrible; and the script was atrocious. The background music was like a 1940s 'B' movie.
The script was filled with inconsistencies. A friend who has never been to the island agrees by telephone to come for the weekend. She finds her way there - including the charter boat trip - without directions. After she arrives, she starts crying with loneliness because she needs her boyfriend - after one day in a vacation hotel with her girlfriend! Everything else is as zany, inconsistent and unlikely.
It seemed to be trying at Bergman, but it got about as close as Animal House without the humour. Don't waste your money on it. With that music, it's even useless as a sedative.
The script was filled with inconsistencies. A friend who has never been to the island agrees by telephone to come for the weekend. She finds her way there - including the charter boat trip - without directions. After she arrives, she starts crying with loneliness because she needs her boyfriend - after one day in a vacation hotel with her girlfriend! Everything else is as zany, inconsistent and unlikely.
It seemed to be trying at Bergman, but it got about as close as Animal House without the humour. Don't waste your money on it. With that music, it's even useless as a sedative.
Bland, harmless film-making
lunchmoney-114 September 2005
I saw this film earlier this year at a film festival and I found it to be dull, uninspired and unoriginal. It's the filmic equivalent of a glass of warm milk or elevator music. Servicible acting, workmanlike direction and competent writing: it's all as flavorless and exciting as plain white bread. Don't get me wrong, it's not "so bad it's good". It's so bad it's boring! If you like your films mild and movies with interesting characters and story lines are too spicy for you, I highly recommend "Finding Home". It won't get you all riled up, in fact you can sleep right through it. Don't worry about catching it on the festival circuit though, wait a couple of weeks and watch it on Lifetime where it belongs.
I'm not sure where all of the positive reviews are coming from - I guess the director must have a lot of friends. Good for him.
I'm not sure where all of the positive reviews are coming from - I guess the director must have a lot of friends. Good for him.
Finding Home ROCKS! A TOP 10 for me....touching & lovely!
KarenElizabethWright19 October 2006
This movie moved me in a very profound and subtle way. So much so, that I watched this movie twice, listened to the directors talk thru, watched every little snippet of the DVD. Finally, I tracked down the creators of this movie to share my experience. Never done any of that before! (& i don't know the writers, but would like too!)
First off, the location is magical. I was transported to a most amazing place in Maine. The beautiful scenery captured my heart right off. Then the characters. I loved that they were real actors, not Hollywood big names. I cared about Amanda and thru that empathy was able to very easily give myself over to her as she genuinely transformed thru her experience of returning home.
I cried, laughed and was transported to a place that smelled of a curious memory of moments long ago. Snuggle with some snacks, your favorite chair and a blanket...and enjoy! One of my top 10 favorite movies ever! Ignore any bad press and see this movie! It's so special!
First off, the location is magical. I was transported to a most amazing place in Maine. The beautiful scenery captured my heart right off. Then the characters. I loved that they were real actors, not Hollywood big names. I cared about Amanda and thru that empathy was able to very easily give myself over to her as she genuinely transformed thru her experience of returning home.
I cried, laughed and was transported to a place that smelled of a curious memory of moments long ago. Snuggle with some snacks, your favorite chair and a blanket...and enjoy! One of my top 10 favorite movies ever! Ignore any bad press and see this movie! It's so special!
The movie to see
tim8288417 August 2005
This movie was excellent. It is easy to tell that this movie was produced with love and accuracy. The actors' talents really shone through in this film. "Finding Home" is a must see movie for people who enjoy quality films. The moral lessons and parallels in this film can be related to every viewer. The setting on the Maine coast was a perfect place to let the characters really grow, reflect, and shine. I recommend this movie to everyone, of all ages. Amanda the main character portrays a beautiful woman who is lost in the hustle and bustle of the times. She returns to her past and finds her roots and destiny. Most people can relate to this, and the movie does an superb job of making the audience feel as if they are a part of it. SEE THIS MOVIE "Finding Home."
It was very good
drbrenner26 April 2004
This movie was good I thought it was intense and kind of sad but it had a good meaning to it.The scenery was beautiful.The acting was Phenomenal .How could this movie be better.Lisa Brenner was drop dead fantastic. Bujold was as good as anyone could imagine. It was great to see Justin Henry back.I think this was better than Kramer vs.Kramer.The directing was fantastic.The Screenplay amazing.This was a great movie in every sight.The producers are going to make a lot of money on this movie.I thought the movie got great actors.I think Bujold was better in this than in Anne of a thousand days.Lisa Brenner made this a great breakthrough performance.Great Job to everyone who was in this movie.
Oustanding film!
jjgraham-112 August 2005
This is a truly lovely movie. Simple, sincere, real. Being a Maine resident, I felt the director and cinematographer did an outstanding job accurately portraying the unabashed beauty and honesty of island life. From the first frame the movie had me. The acting was delicately balanced and the characters were like people you knew, further fueling the believability of the story. I didn't want to leave my seat at the conclusion of the film, instead wishing I could see more of the beautiful portrayal of relationships and the picturesque beauty of Deer Isle and Stonington, Maine. This is a film not only to be seen but to be savored...go see it!
Find this film
snively-210 September 2005
In a time of remakes and predictable plots, this film is a breath of fresh air! It is amazing what can be done when a quality script and talented professionals get together. This is a shining example of what the art form of film should be. I look forward to the time when this film gets the wider release it deserves. If you see it advertised in your area, be sure NOT TO MISS IT!
Filmed along the beautiful coast of Maine, this film is a delight to the senses on many levels.
I expect to see a number of the actors nominated this year (if the production team can get it in front of the "right people" in time). Let's hope so... it will be deserving of such praise.
Filmed along the beautiful coast of Maine, this film is a delight to the senses on many levels.
I expect to see a number of the actors nominated this year (if the production team can get it in front of the "right people" in time). Let's hope so... it will be deserving of such praise.
As close to perfection as a movie can get!
DWorth19538 August 2005
For all who truly appreciate extraordinary film-making, FINDING HOME is the ONE title that needs to be added to your MUST-SEE List! I had the privilege of experiencing this film at the 20th annual Boston Film Festival in September of 2004. When the opening credits started to roll, I had no idea how engrossed I would become during the next two hours in a film that can only be described as a real "movie-movie". To elaborate on its every perfect detail would take hours, but its numerous and noteworthy attributes include a stellar cast, an engrossing and unpredictable story, breathtaking cinematography, a beautifully haunting score, and absolutely brilliant directing! There are few films these days that completely mesmerize the viewer as this one succeeds in doing. The carefully-constructed story and believable characters will undoubtedly cause viewers to identify ... in whole or in part ... with their past or present personal lives. FINDING HOME contains every ingredient necessary for the ultimate viewing experience. With all this said, I challenge anyone to find a richer and more satisfying cinematic treat in the next decade!
A must see movie despite all the nay saying here.
ROGERTHORNHILL46314 January 2007
I don't understand why so many people ranked this most excellent movie so low. I saw the reviews in mid-December 2006 (before the naysayers) and it was almost an "8". True, it's no "Brokeback Mountain" as some of the other commentators here apparently wish it was. True, one of the film's messages relates to anti-abortion to a point, but what's wrong with an opinion that opposes political correctness run amok? Believe it or not, it's actually okay to make a movie with a positive, uplifting, inspiring message and not be browbeat or preachy about it. This movie accomplishes all these and so much more. The characters are warm and richly drawn. The main character (Amanda) is so beautifully and ably portrayed by Lisa Brenner. The gradual unfurling of Amanda's motives and beliefs is well paced and very believable. Geneviève Bujold plays the character "Katie" with just the right depth and also simultaneously plays it as being "in the know" and outside it at the same time. Louise Fletcher is as brilliant in the role of the grandmother as she has been in so many others. Misha Collins plays his character with just the right amount of reserve and near-menace to keep you guessing about the plot until the end. All in all, a great movie with great messages esp. about false memory syndrome. Lawrence D. Foldes and Victoria Paige Meyerink did an excellent job with this movie. I look forward to their next project.
A family drama, with scary foreboding, told against a backdrop of beautiful Maine island scenery.
jclark522 February 2004
Featured at the Sarasota Film Festival, this film combines the elements of mystery and foreboding with with the complexities of difficult family relationships among people that you come to care about. The setting of an isolated Maine island makes for both intriguing characters and gorgeous photography.
A film to enjoy, respect and remember
wlsmith10 September 2005
A film to enjoy, respect and remember - Finding Home throttles the breakneck speed of city life and selfish ambition to rediscover true love. The plot steers a straight course, not veering off on every tangent of political correctness and not pandering to pop culture. No single element dominates Finding Home. Threads of compelling story, peaceful setting, fine acting, inspired directing and exceptional music score weave together a simultaneously uplifting and entertaining fabric.
Writer/Director Lawrence D. Foldes will probably make history rather than money with this project, taking a track less traveled, out of commercial mainstream and into the heart of mankind. This is the sort of movie we starve for out here in flyover country - a film that affirms the values that strain to hold this hell-bent world together. Please give us more.
Writer/Director Lawrence D. Foldes will probably make history rather than money with this project, taking a track less traveled, out of commercial mainstream and into the heart of mankind. This is the sort of movie we starve for out here in flyover country - a film that affirms the values that strain to hold this hell-bent world together. Please give us more.
A should not miss film for teen-age and older.
micro-132 July 2005
With the title one understands the aspect of the movie. Yet it is the characters that find themselves on a life-altering journey from past experiences that lead them to find their home/end at a remote island inn. The story is plausible and the script's weaving of Amanda's past false memory childhood occurrence with the current happenings along with Amanda's visualizing of her grandmother in her youth and how it affects her now is tastefully achieved as her story unfolds showing the complexities of her past at the inn, the present entanglement of her current life, and her doubts of her future. She must unravel a mystery and come to terms with herself while encompassing several others trials and futures with hers until all climax together in a surprising ending.
The cast is superb and believable in the roles they assumed. Genevieve Bujold was outstanding; to see her willing to be herself and portray a character of wisdom as a tutor of self-awareness for the confused Amanda is captivating. Lisa Brenner as Amanda delivers an excellent version of a big city woman needing to put herself in jeopardy to assure her working future suddenly finding her future changed by the death of her beloved grandmother and facing a memory that is clouded over by time and her mother's version of the incident. Louise Fletcher is wonderful as her grandmother seen in flashbacks with Amanda. It is nice to see her in any role; she is such a consummate actress. Misha Collins is Dave, her memory, now a grown man working at the inn.
It is skillfully directed by Lawrence D. Foldes in this new venture for him into the melodrama realm instead of the youth beach flicks and action movies. His changing from the present time into the past is neatly achieved with slight of change on the move; and the sweeping of the bedroom from the present to the 1940,s is so softly done the times seam to melt from one to the other. Reminded me of the walking down the street scene as the seasons changed through an entire year from the movie Knotting Hill. The cinematography is spectacular. Why not what else could it be; it was Maine.
The movie has it's full range of audience emotions; smiles, laughs, a haws, ooh's and whelming need to hold back a sniffle or tear. In all it is a very good film, too good to not to be seen by everyone. I hope those who can propel it into the commercial venue for major award considerations see it.
The cast is superb and believable in the roles they assumed. Genevieve Bujold was outstanding; to see her willing to be herself and portray a character of wisdom as a tutor of self-awareness for the confused Amanda is captivating. Lisa Brenner as Amanda delivers an excellent version of a big city woman needing to put herself in jeopardy to assure her working future suddenly finding her future changed by the death of her beloved grandmother and facing a memory that is clouded over by time and her mother's version of the incident. Louise Fletcher is wonderful as her grandmother seen in flashbacks with Amanda. It is nice to see her in any role; she is such a consummate actress. Misha Collins is Dave, her memory, now a grown man working at the inn.
It is skillfully directed by Lawrence D. Foldes in this new venture for him into the melodrama realm instead of the youth beach flicks and action movies. His changing from the present time into the past is neatly achieved with slight of change on the move; and the sweeping of the bedroom from the present to the 1940,s is so softly done the times seam to melt from one to the other. Reminded me of the walking down the street scene as the seasons changed through an entire year from the movie Knotting Hill. The cinematography is spectacular. Why not what else could it be; it was Maine.
The movie has it's full range of audience emotions; smiles, laughs, a haws, ooh's and whelming need to hold back a sniffle or tear. In all it is a very good film, too good to not to be seen by everyone. I hope those who can propel it into the commercial venue for major award considerations see it.
what a fantastic movie
gretchstearns22 July 2005
The film was amazing. I don't even know where to begin to describe what I saw. It captured so many emotions. It was beautifully done. It's great to see a Maine film. Those don't come out too often, not to mention well done Maine films. I would recommend this movie for everyone and anyone...it's worth seeing, even more than once. I actually plan on going to see it more than once. It is an inspiring movie that shows you can learn from your past and heal things with the power of love. I was never left confused and the ending fit it perfectly. I can definitely see this film going places. It absolutely deserves it. Congrats to Lawrence David Foldes and Victoria Paige Meyerink...a job well done.
The best movie that I saw this summer.
bob-157312 July 2005
After the first reel, I found myself totally immersed in the story and the lives of the people portrayed in this film. The characters were very real, almost like I had met with and talked with these people before. The story was very well crafted and had me guessing right up to the end. I also enjoyed the widescreen cinematography which captured the Maine coast better than I have ever seen it photographed in any other movies that come to mind. I am a fan of the big action "guy" movies where every thing eventually burns or blows up. But this summer many of the huge blockbusters that I paid good money to see turned out to be duds. I went to this film looking for something different, and ended up having a very enjoyable evening at the movies.
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