Sunshine State

One of those movies which goes nowhere with elegance. It touches on all the basic concerns of humanity: love, race, age, parents, and real estate. More than that, it handles all of them with honesty and kindness.

This movie should be watched late at night when the mind no longer knows where it wants to go. You can let it drift over you like a soft summer breeze. Hopefully in that state you will accept the fact that there is really no graceful resolutions or summations in life, just a review of how we dealt with all the little things which seemed so large at the time. The selection of actors for the movie also reflects the tone. Many very good artists who are drawn from television rather than the box office are able to use this vehicle to show us what they are really capable of.

John Sayles is without a doubt one of the best writer/directors making films today and even though he doesn't get the backing and respect of Hollywood studio executives the actors in the business all know he's one of the best. Sayles doesn't give in to what the unsophisticated audiences of today expect. He keeps things honest and all of his work is based on personal choices. Like in most of his other films here we see multiple characters all surrounding one event. Here its the story of a resort town that is going to be taken over by a giant company and where most business's and residences will have to leave. One angle has Eunice Stokes (Mary Alice) living in a house that she has lived in for a number of years and she's proud because the house represents being elevated to middle class. Her daughter Desiree Perry (Angela Bassett) is an actress in the Boston area and she is coming to visit with her husband. While Desiree is there, she meets up with an old boyfriend Flash (Tom Wright) who had gotten her pregnant when she was 15. Another part of the film has Marly Temple (Edie Falco) who works with her father Furman (Ralph Waite) at the motel/restaurant that he owns. Marly meets Jack Meadows (Timothy Hutton) who is an architect and scouting the land. A romance blossoms between the two and its a clash of individual ideals. Marly hates working for her father and has become disillusioned and angry as life is passing her buy. Sayles complex script lets the viewer go from character to character and we become understanding of their complexities. The film shows how the characters who left the island went on to a better life and the ones who stayed have to deal with how life is changing all around them until it has finally found them. Its so refreshing to see Bassett in a good role. She's not cast as the girlfriend or some throw away supporting role, its a well written part that shows she is a terrific actress. Falco also shows that she can handle other characters and when "The Sopranos" is over she can step into any other role with ease. Well made and extremely well written, this is another interesting film to add onto Sayles growing resume of fine films.

Interesting, multi-faceted story of the lives of folks on Florida's Plantation Island. Many compelling characters populate this film: some sad, some funny, all very real. Great cast includes Edie Falco (The Sopranos), Angela Bassett, Timothy Hutton, James McDaniel, Alan King and Mary Steenburgen. Writer/director John Sayles seems (in my view) incapable of making a bad film. As with all filmmakers, some are better than others. This one falls somewhere in the middle. Sayles has made such excellent films in the past: Eight Men Out, Matewan, Lone Star, and Limbo (to name a few), that when he simply makes a good film it can somehow seem a bit disappointing. Certainly not for all tastes, Sunshine State impressed me, and I give it a 4 (out of 5).

(2002/John Sayles) ***1/2 out of ****

"In the beginning.....there was nothing."

Small towns are often used as the backdrop for many films, but seldom is the concept often explored. "Sunshine State", like many other films that tackle the concept, offers a slice of life into the world of the people who inhabit a small town, which is, in this case, a beach front town in Northern Florida.

Plantation Island is a picturesque small town. It's residents include many people ranging from different races, including whites, blacks, and Native Americans. But it goes a little deeper. Some of the characters are native to the area, some are just visiting. Edie Falco plays a down-to-earth motel owner, Timothy Hutton plays a land developer, Angela Bassett plays a woman who has just returned to the island after having left when she was 15, and Bill Cobbs plays a retired doctor who doesn't like where the future of the town is going. Throw in a couple of philosophical golf players, and there you have the island of Plantation.

This film has Robert Altman stamped all over it. And that's basically what it is: a toned down mosaic of Floridians, that looks like it was done by Robert Altman himself. This is a very good movie, with deep characters and a story with multiple layers. But the story and scenery can't make up for the periodic lulls here and there. All in all, an above average film that is worth a look.

-30-

Where Robert Altman wields gigantic casts like a battering ram, bombarding audiences with overlapping dialogue and showing off with tricksy camerawork, John Sayles draws us in to his richly observant tales by keeping things simple. He is a fine storyteller.

Sunshine State is a perfect example of why Sayles' laid-back approach works so well. This is a flowing, intriguing character study with a wry script delivered by a uniformly excellent and ego-free cast.

There is little by way of drama here, just a snapshot of a beachtown community in which lives frequently change but whose heart stays the same. Sit back and soak up the atmosphere.