oowawa

This is really bad scriptwriting: confused and unbelievable, yet strangely predictable, the film lurches from absurdity to absurdity, often seeming like a bad video game, or a berserk board game of Clue on amphetamines. It is PLOTTED with such a heavy hand (who wants to kill Miss Prynne, and who is she? or he? or whatever . . . ) And why should Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" be dragged into this mess? How clever!?!?!

The poor actors are badly misused and abused by this atrocious script. For example: there is an expression in film criticism that complains of a performance "He (she) could have called it in." That means that the role is so beneath the ability and dignity of the actor that the role could have been called in as a casual multi-task chore while going to the bathroom, fixing breakfast, or driving the kids to school. And "calling it in" is literally what happens to the wonderful actress Vera Farmiga--reduced for the great majority of the movie to a reedy voice on the phone, reading the ridiculous script. Yes, you script writers should be very ashamed. So, shame on you! Get better! Don't waste an actress as talented as Vera Farmiga!

What's not to like in this little but big film? It's very funny. The plot is tight and cohesive, and the script and dialog are never an embarrassment to anybody involved. There are implausible events, sure, but everyone and everything is working together so well that we are willing to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.

And what a ride it is! The actors appear to have a lot of fun making this, and every performance is strong. Jaime King is very appealing as the distressed damsel, kind of like a taller version of Reese Witherspoon, and she has us on her side immediately. She and costar Josh Cooke work very well together and we can feel their erotic chemistry slowly catalyze. Josh, the scruffy anti-hero, turns in a very strong comedic performance, intimating there is a lot of talent here for future leading-man roles, perhaps along the lines of Belmondo. Silas Weir Mitchell is very effective as Jaime's violent scumbag husband. His redneck rage is augmented by a loud comic percussive soundtrack that blasts forth every time he bursts into vengeful action.

Also very praiseworthy was the decision to cast Missi Pyle as Jaime King's sister. First of all, these actresses resemble each other so that they could easily be sisters. Missi is a wonderful presence on screen whenever she is cast. She is quite sexy and glamorous, but there is something strange in her glamor, something just a little bit "off," so that she seems to be almost a caricature of herself. This oddness is at the core of her appeal as a comedienne. If I see Missi's name in a film's cast of characters, it gives me additional incentive to seek that film out, and I am rarely disappointed. "A Fork in the Road" is a good example of that.

All in all, Hooray for "A Fork in the Road." I've already watched it three times, and I will watch it again in the future. Highly recommended!