The Popkorn Junkie :: Moonlight Mile

Though I can't say the Oscar race is over, I can certainly say that it has been narrowed down a bit. Which film has created such a buzz and become worthy of such an honor? Why, it's "Moonlight Mile", the newest drama from the director of "City of Angels" and "Casper". The man is Brad SIlberling and "Moonlight Mile" is based on actual events. Silberling's girlfriend, Rebecca Schaeffer, was murdered in 1989 by an obsessed fan and this film details the events that transpired after her death, between he and her parents. That's one of the primary reasons this is such a powerful film--you can feel the emotion and heartache buried beneath the quirks and subtle humor. Usually I mention this at the end of the review, but why bother--this is the best motion picture of the year.

The setting is 1973 and Joe Nast (Jake Gullenhaal) is living with Ben and JoJo Floss (Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon). The Floss' daughter, Diana, has died, who just so happened to be Gyllenhaal's fiancé. His plans are put on hold as he stays in an upstairs bedroom, trying to overcome the loss of his love, while also engaging in a new love of his own. This film chronicles the healing process in a way I have never seen before, as we see it through the eyes of the fiancé and the parents. We also see the relationship between the fiancé and the parents go through its ups and downs. This is a very emotional film, as it does deal with death, but it is also very quirky and full of humor. Sarandon does a wonderful job of inputting some delightful little moments of comedy, as does Gyllenhaal, who is great with facial expressions and physical comedy. Holly Hunter co-stars as the lawyer handling the case against Diana's killer, Dabney Coleman is the local millionaire, and Ellen Pompeo is the young girl to which Gyllenhaal takes a liking.

This film is overflowing with Oscar worthy performances, the most notable being that of Dustin Hoffman as the bereaved father. There is one scene, which you can see on the trailer, when Hoffman belts out, "I'm going to tell you something I never got the chance to tell her". He proceeds to kiss Gyllenhaal on the forehead with a face filled with tears. This scene is gut wrenching, as are several others in this film. Gyllenhaal gives another stellar performance, as he did in both "Donnie Darko" and "The Good Girl". His performance in "Moonlight Mile", however, surpasses the others because he is essentially the star of this film and is given more time to stretch his acting abilities. The rest of the cast is on target, as well, and I might say that it was great to see Dabney Coleman in another film--he is so wonderful onscreen.

Though this film has opened in limited release, it had the gusto to take on a wide release straight out of the can. The star power and elegance of this film are the kind that most viewers recognize and flock to see. Director Brad Silberling has elevated himself, though at a personal cost, to a new level of direction and should be given much more credibility than "Casper" warranted.

So, here's the Oscar plead sheet: Best Actor (Gyllenhaal), Best Actor (Hoffman), Best Actress (Sarandon), Best Director (Silberling), Best Original Screenplay (Silberling), Best Musical Score, Best Picture. Those are just my suggestions to the Academy, though I doubt they will be considered. I do, however, feel that Oscar just might shine on this little marvel of American cinema and I will applauding the whole night through if that happens. Guess we'll just have to wait until March to find out. Crawl through broken glass to see this movie if you have to.

-- Billy Ray ( 4 out of 4 pops )

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Other Junkie's opinions.....

Matt ( 3 1/2 out of 4 pops )

"Moonlight Mile" may not appeal to all audiences, because it moves at a deliberate pace and is mainly driven by its dialogue and characters. So for those with a low attention span (AKA my father, who saw it and didn't understand the movie one bit), please stay away. But I loved this movie! I'm a huge Dustin Hoffman fan (who isn't?), so the minute I saw his face in the previews I thought to myself, "I have to see this movie!" Dustin is excellent, like always, but the rest of the cast is excellent as well. Jake Gyllenhaal was very good in "Donnie Darko", "October Sky" and other past films, but I think this is the role that will put him on the map. He gives such a beautifully moving performance that I felt his every emotion, by just reading the pain and anguish in his face. Jake and Dustin share the screen many times during the course of the film, and I admire him very much for holding his own while face-to-face with a screen legend. Susan Sarandon also gives a powerhouse performance, and provides some of the film's funniest moments. Holly Hunter makes a few appearances as the family lawyer. It's always a treat to see her on screen. As the minutes went by, I just became more and more engrossed in these characters' lives--almost as if I was standing there with them. The movie didn't bring me to tears like I expected, but I won't consider that a flaw. I still felt it was a very sad, moving film, tempered by some great comic moments.