Independence Day

This movie is pretty darn good. Quinlan does a good job as a woman who grows up in a small town and has big dreams of moving to a big town. The true break-out performances, though, go to Diane Weist and Cliff De Young as the abused wife and abuser. Wait 'till you see how she gets him back! Good movie, watch it when you get a chance.

This, I suppose, largely forgotten movie just aired on Swedish late-night television. I don't expect many people saw it. I only happened upon it myself. But it managed to catch my interest.

It is a small, unassuming movie. Nothing remarkable, but well-acted and warm at heart. It paints a believable picture of small-town life, not just in America, but in most of the Western world. As I watched it I realized that it could very easily be adapted to Swedish conditions. You would really only need to change the names, and let it take place in the cold north of Sweden, with Stockholm the glowing city in the sun. The same longing for something more, and the same fear of the unknown exists right here. I guess it's universal.

Anyway, the movie is well worth watching. It is far better than its recent over-hyped and under-acted namesake.

This movie looks at personal choices we make in our life. The choice can be to take a different direction or do nothing different. The consequences of decision made can be remarkable and this film reveals the personal emotions and feelings we can all relate to in our daily lives. The cast is excellent portrayed especially Diane Wieste as the abused wife. If we would take the lessons that can be learned in this film, we would all be better off. When you reach in life situations were you must make a decision, make one and don't just stay your present course. Changes in life can be well received. And better to have taken a chance then to take non.

Independence Day unflinchingly looks at lifechoices, and their effects on both those that make them and the people that care about them. The cast is excellent, especially Dianne Wiest at Nancy. I saw this film the year it was released at the Seattle Film Festival and was caught offguard at the depth of emotion portrayed here. A great film that deserves some type of revival, as it provides a message that few would find argument with. Please see this film.

On the IMDb message board of The Sweet Hereafter, a writer asked users what was the most bone chilling moment in a film. I mentioned the little seen, small town drama Independence Day (a.k.a.: Follow Your Dreams, and not to be confused with the 1996 sci-fi blockbuster). Although Kathleen Quinlan and David Keith were the leads, I thought their somewhat interesting but not very compelling small-town romance was overshadowed by a subplot that could have been a main story in another movie.

As Keith's suicidal and physically-abused sister, Dianne Wiest gave a heartbreaking performance. The dramatic decision she makes that directly affects her abusive husband (Cliff DeYoung, who also does a great job with his despicable character) and indirectly affects the lead characters, definitely chilled my bones.

Weist's performance here was three years before her first of three supporting Oscar nominations, with 2 wins for Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway.

Although I had mixed feelings for Independence Day, I would recommend checking out the movie for Dianne Wiest's outstanding supporting performance.