I'm Reed Fish

Reed Fish is, in my opinion, the small quirky type of indie films that the U.S. does well, and which unfortunately are rarely seen outside of America.

The film doesn't pretend to be anything except what it is, a small romantic comedy with some life affirming moments and a few quirks. Indeed, the plot quirks (without giving away too much) overshadow what was a simple film up to the end. I had the feeling that to some extent the writers didn't know how to finish their own story, and also wanted something to distinguish the film. Having said all of that, I liked the film. It wasn't pretentious and had its heart in the right place. Its not going to make you think, or win an Oscar, but its a worthwhile hour and a half.

Parts of the movie were brilliant! The acting was on cue, Schuyler Fisk was so wonderful, I wanted to fall in love with her, too! She actually wrote and performed original songs for the movie!

Basically a coming-of-age story set in a very small town, but what sets it apart from some other films is a visceral down-to-earth reality that makes it somehow better. It has that Indie feel to it without any pretension or unprofessional elements.

It is a really well cast and well done semi-indie film that will garner success if it gets distributed. The crowd at Tribeca Film Fest were laughing & people had so many questions for the director and writer, it was awesomely received and really a pleasure to watch.

Reed Fish (Jay Baruchel) hosts a radio call-in show whose audience is as loyal in spirit as it is infinitesimal in size. His listener-ship is comprised exclusively of the citizens of Mud Meadows, a small town discreetly nestled in the pine-encrusted mountains of Southern California (the movie was filmed in the scenic Big Bear area). Although he's come to be known as "The Voice of Mud Meadows" for keeping the town folk apprised on issues of concern to the local community, Fish really isn't all that happy with his life. He actually feels hemmed in by the restrictions of small town life and is beginning to have second thoughts about his impending marriage to a childhood friend, Kate (Alexis Bledel), whom he may be marrying more out of a sense of duty and obligation than out of genuine love or passion. His life gets even more complicated when Jill (Schuyler Fisk), a girl he once had a crush on, returns to Mud Meadows for the summer, stirring up old feelings in him and making him question even more the level of his commitment to Kate.

Based on a semi-autobiographical story by none other than Reed Fish himself, "I'm Reed Fish" is an utterly beguiling indie comedy, overflowing with sweet sentiment, rueful humor and outstanding performances by Baruchel, Fisk, Bledel, Victor Rasuk, Katey Sagal and Chris Parnell, well known from his work on "Saturday Night Live." Not only are the characters themselves immensely charming and likable but their responses to the situations they find themselves in are believable and touching as well. "I'm Reed Fish," written by Fish and directed by Zackary Adler, is smart about the complexities of romantic relationships, and the movie is filled with any number of beautiful and lovely moments, the most transcendent being the one in which Jill (Fisk) literally lights up the screen with her musical performance at a local pub. As a writer, Fish is scrupulously fair to the characters he's created, avoiding the obvious temptation to paint Kate, in particular, as a fool or a harridan just so he can enhance Jill's virtues in the viewer's eyes. This equanimity makes the protagonist's romantic dilemma all that much more compelling and empathetic for the audience caught up in the story.

As lagniappe, the writer has placed the story in an offbeat film-within-a-film framework that gives the movie an extra added kick at the end.

A cute, small, character driven movie about a guy who looks 15 but is apparently in his mid 20's. On the eve of his wedding, his high school crush comes back to the small town where they grew up. Predictable angst ensues. The soundtrack is good if you like emo country soft rock. The performances are fine, too. Alexis Bledel is very lucky to get so much work considering she only has the one persona. Jay Baruchel channels Zach Braff, which brings me to the main problem with the movie. Unfortunately, it is hard to accept the reality of a town of gorgeous women who inexplicably love scrawny unattractive boys. Worth seeing if you can get it for free, otherwise wait for it to be on Lifetime or MTV.

I saw the movie last night at the film festival in Hamburg. It's a fun movie with a lot of great actors in it. I really enjoyed it and just want to encourage people to go see it. Without giving away to much - I don't think it particularly needed the story within the story - let me just say that. Besides that, it was a lot of fun to watch and the music in the movie is great. Schuyler Fisk is amazing! She has a great voice as well as good acting skills - I really hope to see more of her in the future! The location was well chosen - beautiful shots of the surroundings as well as the village! all in all -> great indie movie, and even more appreciated after hearing from reed fish how much work went into doing this movie in just 18 days!