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No car chases here, barely any cars at all. This is a terrific, accurate slice of the American family the way it is, not the way we wish it were. It's a tale told with edge yet heart.

It's difficult to put Kevin Klein and "understated" in the same paragraph, but here it is. He is the perfect glue connecting two disparate, desperate worlds between estranged mother and cuckolded daughter. His performance in "Ricki" makes me appreciate, and want tore-visit his earlier movies.

Cries of nepotism seem childish once you see the film. Even if you didn't know that Mamie Gummer was related to the title star, you would easily have put her in that role. You hate her; feel sorry for her; and then root for her.

My only quibble is that I can't see the movie making any money after Sony finishes paying royalties on all the great songs!

Although it's easy to see that much of this movie ended up on the cutting-room floor, what remains is a very engaging movie. Every actor is at the top of his game and the camera work is Oscar-worthy. Set against a backdrop of a idealized representation of a small Midwestern town, warts and all, the plot unfolds by having unusual, untimely stress bring characters outside their routines to reveal, perhaps, their real selves. And they need each other to do it.

Courtroom drama that is the rival of "A Few Good Men" or "To Kill a Mockingbird" and undeniable blood ties that have been denied for decades, make this a very watchable movie. I was riveted to every scene.

Love your country? How much? Love your family? How much? Tied to your future? Are you sure? If you pay attention, you'll finish the film asking yourself all these questions. Which is a good thing.

The deliberate pace of this movie might not be to the taste of all viewers, but I found it riveting. It is a fascinating chapter of the history of Portland, Oregon (in fact the history of the entire Northwest) that has been brought back to life in an unforgettable way.

The mix of current interviews of actual participants, contemporary interviews, news reels clips and professional editing cement the documentation. Truly Oscar worthy.

You don't have to even LIKE baseball to sink yourself into this story. It will carry you. However, if you like the sport, if you have ever watched "Bonanza", ever heard of Lefty Gomez or know who Snake Plisskin is, you're in for a treat.