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This movie was a big breakthrough for HBO. I have seen some of HBO's original movies, and I have to say that with most of them I was disappointed, but this movie it was the exact opposite. Stephen Dorff made the character seem real, he really got into his role. The cast and crew did a splendid job, the atmosphere of this movie was very comfortable. Also the humor of the movie was great, at certain parts you were on the edge of your seat, wondering what happened next. Susan Sarandon did a GREAT job, and as one of her biggest fans, I have to say that this is one of her greatest films, although all of them are great!

Earthly Possessions is a great combination of drama, suspense, and comedy. Although it is an original HBO movie, I would love to see it out on video, because it is a very great movie. Everyone reading this should check the TV Guide and the next time it comes on should watch it. You won't be disappointed, I promise you that, because I sure wasn't.

There are real sparks here between Sarandon and Dorff and their performances give Earthly Possessions some real emotional weight. I've never been much impressed with Dorff in the past, but playing against Sarandon seems to lift him to a new level as an actor. His physicality serves him well in this role and Jake's hotheaded moments are both funny and slightly threatening (a hard line to walk). Sarandon builds her character so effortlessly that all of Charlotte's personality just magically appears before the viewer. Is there anything she can't do as an actress? The screenplay shows some big changes from Anne Tyler's book, but it does do a good job of capturing the novel's quirky mix of drama and comedy. Many people mention dissatisfaction with the movie's ending and I felt it too. In the novel the ending feels natural and right, but it's as if this screenplay didn't quite take into account the sexual sparks that would be generated between the two leads. Because Sarandon and Dorff have this chemistry together and do such a great job showing the characters challenging each other to be better people, the inclusion of the girlfriend and the "earthly" resolution feel like intruders in a great romantic drama. It left me wishing that instead of an adaptation of Tyler's book (which deals with taking responsibility for choices), the movie was just a continuation of Charlotte and Jake's journey together. In the movie, you just KNOW that their being together is right, even if this isn't the message in the screenplay; that difference leaves the viewer dissatisfied. In a way though, it is more satisfying that the movie doesn't have a pat ending and Charlotte and Jake's relationship is more complicated than it has to be. Movies that challenge our expectations are rare enough these days.

I thought this was quite a good movie. It stirred something in me.

I thought that Charlotte and Jake had real passion. I found myself laughing because of the ridiculousness of some of the stuff that they did.... picturing people in their situation doing the things they did.

I really liked it because it was so different and unpredictable. I was very disappointed with the ending though.

I watched the DVD version. It is an HBO production. While the picture and sound were fine, it was not even in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, which is a big disappointment. Plus, there were no "extras" on the DVD. The story was sometimes believable, but most of the time it seemed like the actors were "acting" to make this movie. Susan Sarandon was really good in this so-so story but I can overall only give it 5 of 10 rating. The end left me asking "is that all there is??"

The first time I saw this movie it was in the middle of the night and all I remember from that time is that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Mostly, because I'm a sucker for the kind of impossible romance stories like 'kidnapper falls in love with hostage' as seen in this movie.

The few times that I watched this movie later, I was kind of disappointed. In my head, the movie had been so much better than it was in real life, but the fact the movie isn't brilliant and the storyline isn't always very much believable, doesn't take away the fact that the movie is beyond entertaining.

There is some serious chemistry between Susan Sarandon and Stephen Dorff. The way they interact and their conversations are definitely enough reason for someone to instantly love the movie. Susan Sarandon is a respected actress in Hollywood and I believe almost every single movie with her in it is worth watching. Stephen Dorff managed to impress me with something other than his cuteness, his acting. Having two great actors in a mediocre movie kind of helps to reach the movie a higher level and that is definitely the case in this movie. I think the movie is entertaining by itself, but the fact Susan Sarandon and Stephen Dorff are in it, adds to its appeal. The movie is there not to be taken too literally and to just sit back and enjoy.

Just like most other people, I was fairly disappointed once the character of Mindy joined the duo. Not because of Mindy herself, but simply because I felt it wasn't necessary. Charlotte and Jake were still entertaining enough together and a third character was not necessary to keep the movie interesting.

The ending may have disappointed some people out there, but I think the ending was decent. It's obvious that the 'happily ever after'-ending everyone's hoping for isn't going to come and it is inevitable that Jake and Charlotte had to say goodbye at some point.

Conclusion: Not good in the traditional sense, but good in the way that it'll keep you entertained for the entire time. The movie has got its flaws that will sometimes disappoint you, but at the same time the movie has got enough charm to keep you interested all the way and will make you love it from start to finish. At least, that's what it did for me.

8/10