Box of Moonlight

Director Tom DiCillo has all the attributes required for a top indie film maker. He displays a sharp humorous edge coupled with an all round smartness. But his advantage over his peers is that his works are permeated with a genuine and very winning romanticism (realized best in "Real Blonde").

The premise of "Box of Moonlight" is indeed a romantic one. Two complete opposites who by all accounts would steer clear of each other are instinctively drawn together when destiny wills a chance encounter. They will learn important life lessons from each other and part the richer. It is in effect a delightful spin on the buddy movie.

John Turturro and Sam Rockwell are the least likely buddies one could imagine. Turturro plays the rigid, time obsessive and orderly engineer against Rockwell's wild, irresponsible back to nature outcast. Turturro's Al Fountain senses much is not well in his life and subconsciously perceives that Rockwell's "The Kid" might just be what he is so much in need of; someone to release those parts of his personality which adulthood and its encumbering responsibilities has suffocated. "The Kid" indeed accomplishes this in a variety of ways including coaxing Al to reach his inner child in the wonderful tomato throwing scene and luring him into an touching adolescent one night stand with Floatie played beautifully by Catherine Keener, a DiCillo favorite. By the end of the movie Al will return home a far better husband and father.

Just how Rockwell's "The Kid" will be effected is less clear. He is clearly a severely deluded character functioning more as a symbol rather than a credible person. In lesser hands it could have come off ludicrous, but Rockwell nails it perfectly in what would be his break through role. There's a palpable chemistry between the buddies which is so vital for making this story work.

"Box of Moonlight" is a modern day fable, a cautionary tale reminding us not to allow adulthood smother us. It's a tale told with tremendous charm and a movie to be cherished.

1996's "Box of Moonlight" is the very best motion picture I have ever seen in my life. It is a highly symbolic, extraordinary masterpiece of a film. Viewing it is a pure magical experience, and the unique thing is that for every viewing, I have found something I didn't find before. Always something great. (Maybe this is the reason it is so underrated, because there is so much to discover about this film that actually requires a second, or even third viewing). Tom Dicillo's follow up to "Living in Oblivion" has Turturro playing Al Fountain, a strict by the books engineer who, as one character says, "goes through life like a robot". He doesn't know how to enjoy life, and is lost in a world of clockwork. But everything is about to change when he meets a free-spirit named Bucky (AKA Kid) played by Sam Rockwell who gives the performance of his career. They learn from each other and discover, before, unseen elements of life. It succeeds on many levels, but most importantly has such a rich, multi-layered character study. This includes its characters': sprititual growth (maybe even without finding God yet as the film suggests)self discovery, and setting loose of life's boundaries and morals. There are excellent performances all around (notably Rockwell and Turturro, and Katherine Keener). Not to mention Dicillo's brilliant writing/direction, and outstanding cinematography and music.

Tom diCillo's most succesful film is the also great 'Living In Oblivion', but 'Box Of Moonlight' is my favorite one. This movie is really excellent, among all the films that deserved success but didn't get it, this film is the one that deserved it the most, a real life experience. Probably John Torturro best part ever and of his best performances too. This is his best film since Miller's Crossing (91, by Coen Bros.). If you wanna see a real masterpiece, go check this one out and, I bet, you'll remember it for the rest of your life.

I'd heard plenty of people tell me that I needed to see "Box of Moonlight" because it was filmed in Knoxville, TN (my hometown) and that it featured several signs and personalities familiar to Knoxvillians (the newscasters Gene Patterson and Kristin Hoke, the hot pink "Bambi's" bar/strip club, etc.), so I watched the movie almost entirely trying to pick up these things. I found myself enjoying a very subtle, lighthearted film about a man (John Turturro) struggling with a mid-life crisis, and eventually liberating himself from the normal stiff, "clockwork" persona he had become. Sam Rockwell gives a great performance as "Kid", and Catherine Keener is wonderful as the "simple southern girl" (a 180 degree turn from her role in "Being John Malkovich"). Turturro is excellent as Al, and you can feel the emotions he is having during his transformation. Everyone should be able to relate to his disappointment when he returns to the fictional Splatchee Lake, only to see that it is no longer what he remembers. You begin to understand how much he needs someone like Kid to break him free from the life that he so obviously loathes, but not until the final scene do you understand how much Kid needed him to stick around and be his friend (maybe Kid wasn't as slow-witted as we were made to believe?). The writing and acting in this film are wonderful, and I wish more filmmakers would make movies like this. It was a refreshing story, and one that is worth seeing.

Everything in this film is about subtlety... I think that's why it has such a lasting effect.

It's definitely one of those "mischievous" films... sort of an escape from reality that makes you wonder why you and others take themselves so seriously. It's something that will most likely linger with you for a while. This film made me re-evaluate the seriousness of my life. I think this is among the only films that actually has changed my life somewhat.