Todo Sucede En Elizabethtown

The movie WAS NOT a series of disjointed vignettes, NOR was it lacking plausibility, as many critics have complained. Perhaps living on one of the coasts makes you too cynical and uptight to enjoy a movie that is based on the relationships and culture of the ordinary person. This movie was like reading a good book. If you've ever had a deep thought about life, or questioned the path your life has taken, or found pleasure in the small moments found in relationships with real people, you will find something in this movie that touches a chord within yourself. I think Cameron Crowe masterfully crafted a summary of those important moments in our lives that are meaningful. It didn't require a long, drawn out explanation. How many times do we think back to a particular moment, and all we remember is the person, the relationship, and the music tied to that moment? A song can take you to a precise moment in your life. He made that connection to all of us, through the life of one fictional character. I found myself enjoying being a fly on the wall, watching the characters, relating to the events, laughing at the poignant humor, and savoring the road trip reflections at the end. This was a movie worth watching, just because it is about the truths of life. The critics missed the boat on this one.

I don't know. It seems to me that Americans have lost their taste for "small" films - films that emphasize character, rather than explosions and movement. You get the same sort of comments with movies like Tim Burton's wonderful Big Fish or Spielberg's Terminal. I will admit that the Dunst character is a cliché, but this movie is really about the extras, the characters that step out of the background, have their moment, and step back again. Paula Dean stands out as a woman to whom family -- *all* her family -- is all-important and who keeps it together with food and photographs. I'm not from Kentucky or the South, although I've lived South for a number of years. I'm not that interested in *my* extended family -- and in that respect I'm far closer to the Bloom character than to the Dean character. But I recognize that this film is a great portrait of a certain kind of family life. Also, the dead father becomes a very well-rounded character indeed, as you think about the contradictions of his life. This is a film that expects the audience to do a little work, and it pays very well for that work.

Elizabethtown (2005)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

OK, I just got back from seeing this and I must say that I'm really shocked. After reading various reviews and hearing from people I really wasn't expecting much but I've gotta say this is the biggest mess of a film that I've seen in a very long time.

Was the film suppose to be a drama about a son losing his father? Was it suppose to be some sort of romantic comedy? In my opinion it really seemed like Crowe wanted to make a film about a son losing his father but the studio said you have to throw in some sort of stupid romance to get more people into the theater. Well, the two sides didn't mix very well together. Even on their own both sides were seriously flawed but it made them even worse when stuck together. As others have mentioned, Dunst comes off more creepy than anything else. The first scene on the plane I kept waiting for her to pull out a knife or something. It was never really clear what the two saw in one another and the stuff over the phone didn't work at all. I also didn't understand what Crowe was going for in the father/son thing. I really couldn't tell if he (the son) was returning home because he cared for his dad or if he just did it so his mother/sister wouldn't have to go.

I personally feel it's okay to use music to "get the point across" but it's a fine line you've gotta walk to pull this off. "Secret Garden" worked well in JERRY MAGUIRE and "Tiny Dancer" worked brilliantly well in ALMOST FAMOUS but none of the music here really paid off. Perhaps it's because I didn't feel any connection between the two leads. As for the performances I really don't think it's too fair to blame them because they didn't have much to work with. I was pleased with Bloom's performance and thought he did a fine job with what he had to work with. His big "crying scene" at the end was ruined due to the way it was edited and again, the music. I think we were waiting for his character to breakdown and when it finally happened Crowe kept it in the background. As for Dunst, I'm not going to blame her too much because she did have a few charming scenes but again, the screenplay made her out more of a stalker than anything else.

GARDEN STATE was a lot better. Every good director has a bad step and I believe that's what ELIZABETHTOWN will be remembered as for Crowe. I personally think VANILLA SKY and ALMOST FAMOUS are among the best films of the decade so far and I'd probably put AF at 1 or 2. ELIZABETHTOWN just seemed like a complete disaster in the writing department. I really don't know what the movie was or what it was trying to do.

Enjoyed the movie but wonder what a shoe designer has to do with a product recall. There would be prototypes developed and significant testing conducted before a company invested a billion dollars in production of a shoe designed by anyone, much less someone who was hired from a national scholarship program...

For the critics who say this film meanders and rambles, I have to say this: When your dad dies, your life meanders and rambles. I can't speak for everyone who has lost a father but I can speak for myself, and I thought it was spot-on in it's portrayal of the confusing roller-coaster that surrounds the death of a parent. Elizabethtown has all of the things you'd expect from a Cameron Crowe movie: a unique and personal story, great music, beautiful cinematography, surprising humor (I was actually choking from laughing so hard during the videotape scene) and very real and touching moments. I thought the acting was great. Orlando Bloom gave a touching and subtle performance. Kirsten Dunst's accent did go in and out a bit, but she and Bloom had such great chemistry that it didn't bother me at all. Susan Sarandon was perfect, Alec Baldwin was hilarious, the Elizabethtown residents were quirky and fun...if I have a complaint it's that the amazing Judy Greer was underutilized. Overall, this movie had everything that a great movie should have. Shame on the critics who panned it simply because it didn't follow the usual Hollywood plot map—this film is about taking the scenic route and making the trip meaningful, and that's what it did.