Getting to Know You

An unlikely concept to link together three short stories with the theme that all are waiting at the same bus depot sounds rather a cliche but the remarkable writing pulls everything together flawlessly. Almost all the acting is very strong. I think there are some future stars here. I think most Americans will be able to identify with what happens to these characters, even if their own lives are actually a little more calm. The best and the worst of the human spirit are both realistically intertwined.

Scrape together a few thousand dollars, call in a few personal favors, enlist your friends and family to work nights and weekends, and the result might be a movie like this: too small and personal for widespread theatrical release, but ideal for any discriminating cable TV network devoted to showcasing true independent cinema.

The film is set (for the most part) in an upstate New York small town bus station, where every glancing encounter has a story behind it. Private narratives of this sort are what define us to ourselves, and because the screenplay was adapted from the writings of Joyce Carol Oates these particular stories describe a series of downbeat, dysfunctional family dramas.

At some point in its evolution the project might have been intended as a stage play, with the wordy, meaningful script and one-act location (opened up by flashbacks and speculative digressions into the overheard lives of passing strangers) suggesting a small theater piece. Sympathetic characters, natural performances, and a welcome lack of hyperbolic direction make it a quietly devastating experience, but with at least a token glimmer of hope in the final scene to help relieve the often oppressive details. Michael Brook's delicate guitar études add just the right touch of atmosphere.

It is obvious that director Lisanne Skyler has tremendous respect for the writings of Joyce Carol Oates. She weaves several stories together in this intriguingly conceived film about lost souls meeting in a bus station. Heather Matarazzo follows up her amazing performance in Welcome To The Doll House with a more measured, but nonetheless brilliant, essay of a displaced teen trying to make sense of what is left from her life.

Zach Braff is phenomenal in the confined role of her brainy and equally depressed brother. Bebe Neuwirth also shines as their mother, Trixie. Only Mark Blum as the father seems badly miscast.

Bo Hopkins does a wonderful supporting turn as a security guard, and Chris Noth and Celia Weston also bring great panache to their supporting characters. Skyler does a masterful job weaving the different stories and diverse characters into her quilt in the first 60% of the film. However, the pacing slows down considerably and her directorial rhythm falters when she focuses solely on the narrative explaining the siblings' predicament which quickly decays into a study of repetition.

However, viewers who persevere will be rewarded. Upon returning to the bus terminal, the characterizations are bestowed dimension in quite skillful and unexpected manners.

I was totally involved in this movie. It was so intimate--frighteningly intimate. I loved the way that the characters stories slowly evolved. I also loved the settings in the down-and-out areas of New Jersey: neighborhoods on the verge of falling into complete collapse, but not there yet.

All the actors were remarkable, particularly Heather Matarazzo and the actor who played Jimmy. My only criticism is that everything is tied up so neatly: people resolve problems by remembering and admitting the awful things that happened in their lives. It's not so easy in real life. Oh well, that's the movies, and this is a very good movie.

this is now one of my favorite films of all time. the way everything played out was amazing. not to mention, the movie kept my interest the entire time. this was, without a doubt, heather matarozzo's best work.