Greetings from the Shore

It's refreshing to see a small, independent movie with such a big heart, lovable characters (played by an able, attractive cast) and stunning cinematography.

Who knew the Jersey Shore had such beautiful locations? I'm so accustomed to seeing films set in The Garden State that look like a trash dump, not like some tropical paradise. The light is golden and feels almost nostalgic, like a film from another decade.

But life isn't exactly paradise for the down-on-her luck main character (Kim Shaw), who's trying to fulfill her dream of going to Columbia by working all summer and praying she gets financial aid. Her dad's dead, her car breaks down, the job and housing she had lined up both vanish, and she's forced to either admit defeat or turn that frown upside down and make the best of things. Shaw is cute as a button and you want her to succeed. She finds work as a ESL teacher for the kitchen staff at a local restaurant/boat club and gets involved with a group of bad boy drifters who she's supposed to be teaching. Later than sooner, she learns what they're up to and falls for the cutest bad boy of the bunch (David Fumero).

Coming-of-age, end-of-innocence, romantic-comedy, thriller...whatever you want to call it, it works. Kudos to the filmmakers for making such a feel-good film...it would be great to see more indie films that show us the sunny side of life more often than focusing on just the dark clouds of human experience.

Not knowing what to expect going in, I was pleasantly caught off guard by the simple elegance of "Greetings from the Shore," a terrifically earnest coming-of-age story of love and redemption set at the Jersey shore. Call it a love letter to the locale's sandy beauty, there's no denying the film's unabashed enthusiasm for the power of its setting.

"Greetings..." tells the story of Jenny Chambers (Kim Shaw), a Columbia University-bound girl reeling from the recent death of her father. Returning to the Jersey shore to work at a pizza parlor for the summer, Jenny's plans suddenly fall apart and she finds herself in rough waters teaching English to a group of nomadic, sea-legged (and less than amenable) waiters at a local boat club. Much more welcoming is "Catch" (Paul Sorvino), a retired sea veteran and mechanic who once fixed the Chambers family car and is now content to spend his days alone on his own landlocked vessel. When Jenny and one of the waiters, Benicio (David Fumero), develop a mutual attraction, Catch's fatherly protectiveness puts her in between a place of love's impetuousness and cautious practicality. The effect of this is that all are forced to reevaluate the plans, regrets and possibilities their lives have served up.

The cast is uniformly strong, the dialogue natural and assured, with the lush direction maximizing the scenery. Newcomer Kim Shaw brings with her a tough vulnerability and charm that will certainly make her an actress to watch, while Fumero offers many shades of complexity to a role that doesn't just require hot and brooding. Ever the consummate character actor, Sorvino exudes tenderness and heartbreak as a man torn up by his past. Other stand-outs include the scenery-chewing sinister club owner, "The Commodore" (Jay O. Sanders), and Benicio's pensive colleague, Lars (Lars Arentz-Hansen).

All in all, this is a well-made movie that satisfies the heart. Worth a couple of viewing hours for sure.

I had never heard of this movie until I caught it on a movie channel on television. Once I saw a few minutes, I was hooked. Something about it drew me in. I spent the rest of the movie trying to figure out what that something was. I think I know.

It's a true "feel-good." It's not offensive, it's not run-of-the-mill, it's not cliché. In fact, I was surprised it was rated R, it could easily have gone PG or PG-13. Some of the humor is edgy, but the romance is pure and sweet, there are NO sex scenes (can you believe it) and yet it's still effective.

The characters are real and the acting is right-on. The dialog is strong. The plot is unique. Perhaps the climax scene is a little predictable, but it doesn't take away from the movie. It only adds to the lightness of it. Sometimes it's refreshing to just experience something that is in its essence sweet and good and simple. That's what this movie is. If I had one word to describe it, it would be "genuine." You feel genuine when you're watching it and you feel genuinely satisfied once it's over.

7.5

The lead actress (Kim Shaw) in this movie is fantastic. She is a sweet character who has vulnerability and strength. The setting of this film on the Jersey shore at resort/restaurant gives a feel to it like "Dirty Dancing." The cast is rounded out with other memorable characters – Paul Sorvino for example, as well as the manager at the restaurant (good comic relief!)

There are really nice moments throughout this film and the build-up of the movie's romance is good. Mid-way through the film though, it starts to lag. It feels like the stakes could be higher – either on the romance-end or in the conflict that is felt between the workers and the rich "frat boys" or in the main character's grief over the loss of her father (which gets lost in the story). It's lacking that "compelling something" to pull me into the next scene and next. I needed something more to make me feel like I NEED to know what is coming next.

It is worth noting that the movie finishes on a strong note with a "showdown" of sorts.

The locations, directing, acting, and cinematography are all strong. The story could have been stronger. Cutting out some of the middle scenes and/or trimming them down would speed up the pacing and improve this movie in my opinion.

I feel like this movie is a 6, or maybe a 7 out of 10. Since it is an indie film, I rounded up to a 7 (since it is hard to make a good movie with less money). If you like romances that aren't formulaic romantic-comedies, this is a nice coming-of-age one.

In the tradition of Dirty Dancing and Mystique Pizza, Greetings From The Shore is an entertaining, well made, and well acted little film. If you thought Sleepless in Seattle or An Affair to Remember were just corny love stories, you might still enjoy this story because of the added drama of the high stakes poker game, and the baffling contingent of foreign heavies that populate the seaside landscape. Jen is a truly sympathetic character, just as Flip is the stereotypical guy that you love to hate. Whether you watch it for the intrigue or the romance (both of which are worthwhile endeavors), as you watch it, keep in mind that it is based on true life experiences of the screenwriter.