Really well done Indie. The story is just what the Thanksgiving meal is supposed to be. There's supposed to be some substance; as with anything we ingest, it's supposed to feed and sustain us. There's a nice flavor to this movie... - a little sweetness and some hints of spice, but overall it's satisfying. It's meant to be shared. If there was a family member you needed to build a bridge to, this film might be a good "anonymous" DVD gift that arrives on their doorstep sometime. Oliver Platt as the father actually fills the role of the middle child in a family, trying to get everyone to kiss and make nice. That's the message in almost every holiday movie - for people to try and make up to heal some family hurt before we find it's too late. This film holds that sentiment well. Katie Holmes may be trying to heft too much in this first attempt to carry a film, but this performance mirrors the character that she plays in that she's really working hard to produce something that could be memorable. I really liked this film and I will recall it as Katie's real attempt to be more in the industry than she ended up as, which is of course, as Mrs. Tom Cruise.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Black Hawk Down
(2001)
Factually accurate with some license for imagery
9 January 2002
The film is done well. I was in uniform at Fort Lewis, and got direct feedback from rangers who were in Somalia. The film captures the point of the book well, and the imagery, especially the rangers running on their own, trying to get to safety, is haunting. Anyone, whether they have worn the uniform or not, will have a visceral reaction - understanding that mixed feeling of abandonment, desperation, exhaustion, and the comraderie/brotherhood that fends off the panic that might come if these rangers were alone. Mr. Scott captures that without any words in the scene. It's a statement that war is an ugly, horrible undertaking that should be a last resort. In this case, brave men died because of political considerations. That's what soldiers do.
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