Year by the Sea

Uses every cliché in the books.. There were audible groans at the screening I attended at a film festival. Talk on the way out was "awful" and "disappointing". The acting was good. The scenery was wonderful. The plot was lacking. The time line didn't really fit the narrative. Only one of the five people who were with me enjoyed the movie. The casting was very good. At least the producer chose the right actors for the roles. I was impressed by the scenery. It is really a very beautiful part of the world. It is very disappointing when you go to a movie with such a splendid cast and leave wishing that there was more to the story line and plot.

I reluctantly attended a viewing of this film since I was not interested in another "escape to find myself" woman's story. I was blown away by how the film touched me -- so much more so than the books which I found irrelevant to my life. Although this movie is based on a woman's story, what impressed me the most was the protagonist's husband and his story. His courage, his honesty and his humor had me in tears. The message that relationships of all sorts can flourish over time, even after hurtful challenges is a good one for all audience members, especially for American's now. Forgiveness brings growth. Even if the story-line doesn't grab you, the acting is superb... there are some stunning moments even without words that evoke so much response from the audience because of the acting. The music and cinematography will heal hearts. Turn off your devices, go see "A Year by the Sea" and be swept away by real emotion.

This is a wonderful movie. The reviews by the professional critics are way off base - the majority of viewers in any general audience would love this story. It simply has all the elements of a good movie. I judge the quality of a movie by my "after images" -- what stays in my mind hours and days later and how I feel. It makes an impact -- it's a real study on relationships of all types. I highly recommend this film to both men and women... It's a meaningful movie with warmth, depth and class. May I add everyone in the theater clapped when it was finished. That's a sign of a special viewing experience.

An excellent film! Alexander Janko's screenplay masterfully combines Joan Anderson's first three books into a moving film which tells a story that women AND men can identify with...the story of reclaiming ourselves at mid-life, finding our authenticity, learning to live and laugh and find fulfillment in self and, ultimately, in relationships. The film is beautiful in scenery, music, insight and depth. Joan's story and Janko's screenplay bring the viewer moments of laughter mixed with moments of insight and clarity, substance and depth. There are lessons to learn from watching Joan's story unfold and, if we pay attention, we can all use the wisdom in this movie to help us journey towards a more authentic and fulfilling life. And while it appears to be a film for women, my husband and my 31 year old son enjoyed this film immensely (which brought me great pride in the men that they are!) This is an important film and one worth seeing!

A fine story of a middle age experimental year of rediscovery. The husband's character as a curmudgeon is a bit on-the-nose and stereotypical. Would have been nice to see a bit more empathy for the husband in the situation, as he had little choice in the matter for job relocation. The attempt to establish multiple characters in the wife's new environment fell a bit short as well. Some solid scenes that helped to paint the picture of the complexities of a small harbor town while some attempts at widening the scope fell short. (A local bully seemed a bit unnecessary to the overall plot) The overuse of the color blue by the creatives is a bit annoying. Actually, very annoying.