Pie in the Sky

Josh Charles is wonderful as a young man obsessed with...traffic? He longs to be a traffic reporter in the sky, but first finds on-again/off-again love with a perplexing Anne Heche (she's so flaky he can't get a grip on her, and neither can we). John Goodman has a funny supporting role, and the production values are first-rate, but this is short-film material stretched out too far. Terrific cast includes Dey Young, Christine Lahti, and Brent Spiner, but each has very little to do, and the film is flattened out by an overall lack of imagination and by its length. More cleverness was obviously needed; there's not enough substance here for the picture to stay the course. ** from ****

I saw this movie probably 3 years ago and thought it was pretty good. Josh Charles does a nice job as a traffic controller in a small town who dreams of landing a big job in a big city. The movie details his life, more or less if I remember correctly. Great song by Rusted Root is featured in the movie (send me on my way).

I had a great time with this well done, quirky film. My crush on Anne Heche started with her engaging performance in this piece. The crush is no more, but my admiration for the movie, (and Ms. Heche), remains. The film is sweet without becoming saccharine. I recommend it.

Is love like a traffic flow, sometimes running smoothly, sometimes stalled and going nowhere? That's what Charlie (Josh Charles) thinks. Charlie has two great loves: traffic/traffic reporting and Amy (Anne Heche). Having met as children, the boy and the dance-loving girl meet again as teenagers and explore the wonders of first love. Yet, they are headed in two different directions, for college and otherwise. A break-up is inevitable. Years later, Charlie has traveled to Los Angeles to work at a television station and meets Amy again at a local coffee shop. She is a waitress, involved with a modern dance group in her spare time. Unfortunately, Amy is cold to the idea of rekindling the relationship and tries to discourage Charlie. Will he win her over or concentrate more on his career?

This is an offbeat romantic comedy. The swirl of characters surrounding the two leads are all a bit unusual but provide some laughs. John Goodman is wonderful as a famous traffic reporter. Heche gives a petulant performance which is very attractive at times and a bit offputting at others. Fans of movies a little less ordinary should be pleased with this effort. Others may find it pleasant but not particularly memorable.

I liked this film- I saw it to catch a bit player Larry Holden - but Charles and Heche make this a passable romantic movie. It was just offbeat enough- romance between a sky jockey and a modern dancer to be appealing... and the side bar- the lusty landlady added to the humor... a nice variant to boy loves girl, boy loses girl and then gets her back....