A Força da Amizade

I watched Bonneville this past week at a screener in New York and this film motivated me to get out there and try and spread the good word and the great feelings of friendship and commitment to your friends. I also give a lot of credit to the producers of the film for bringing such a stellar cast together for a common cause. Kathy Bates doesn't disappoint and she plays a great supporting cast for Jessica Lange. Joan Allen rides in the back seat and she provides a good balance of Bates and Lange as they take the Road Trip through some awesome scenery that is filled with a lot of turns and wonderful moments along the way. I will be looking for the film to come out wide so I can take my Mom and my Aunt out to see this film.

Bonneville The new film from unknown director is from Christopher N. Rowley and stars Academy Award winners Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and three time nominee Joan Allen. This is the story of three extraordinary women who go on a road trip to bring one of their dead husband's ashes to his spiteful daughter from his previous marriage.

Our film opens up with the introduction of our main character Arvilla who is played marvelously by Jessica Lange whom shows the audience that she still has it in her to be an acclaimed performer. After losing her husband, Joe, while on a vacation, she returns home to cremate her husband and to spread his ashes when his daughter Francine (played by Christine Baranski known for her roles in Chicago and Cruel Intentions) has a will from years prior and orders that his ashes be returned home with her. After Arvilla claims that her will is out of date and he had made a new one she searches all over her house and comes up empty. In Francine's will he leaves his house that Arvilla and Joe lived in to her daughter and Francine is willing to trade her father's ashes in order for Arvilla to stay in the house.

Enters her two best friends; rebellious party animal, Margene (Kathy Bates) and goody prude Carol (Joan Allen) give their two sense and suggest maybe it's better to give the ashes to his daughter in order to keep her home. Arvilla has a week to return the ashes to Francine and here starts our adventure. She decides to fly out along with her friends and half way to the airport in Joe's 66' Pontiac Bonneville makes a decision to drive from her small town in Idaho to a cross country adventure.

These three women are a true delight and a testament to what love, friendship and faith are all suppose to be. This is truly a film for an older crowd of people but as young man myself, I secretly wished for a happy life to come like the one's of these women. It's an uplifting feel which brings a concentrated confidence for all people. With a breakout performance coming from a young Victor Rasuk as Bo, the film plows down the walls of vanity and brings in the sense of adoration and tenderness.

Oscar prospects go for all three women with Jessica Lange going lead and Allen and Bates for supporting. But I have to say that it's Kathy Bates who is the standout of the women and completely steals each scene she speaks in. She'll bring you to tears from her speeches about life to her wishes about death, you can't leave that theater without holding her in your heart. Allen is also great and we all know she is long overdue for her Oscar and we cannot wait for her to make it to a podium soon.

The film is a "Grumpy Old Men" meets "Boys on the Side" with a powerful touch and courageous feeling. The film will likely not hit big the awards contention but could snap and go as awards season approaches. It's playing in Toronto as a gala and could be word of mouth hit.

Grade: ***/****

Very little in Bonneville differs from numerous other road-trip movies. I watched it mainly for Joan Allen, and she did not disappoint. The three road-trip ladies were all worth watching, and it was good to see a story where most of the people get along and enjoy it with good humor. There's lots of fantastic Western scenery along the way. The bitter daughter was a major stereotype. All in all, glad I watched it but no desire to see it again.

I loved the great relationships in this buddy movie for gals, and wish I could see more movies about real people in dramatic/comedy- so interesting and a great discussion starter too about life, death and what to do with the remains. All the stars give great performances, Jessica Lange is stunning and sweet and really lovely - she makes her character someone you wish you knew! And how to describe Kathy Bates and Joan Allen? Just the best buddies a girl could ever have. The scenery of Utah, Nevada and California is amazing! In fact, for a great scenic movie with gorgeous shots of the surroundings, Bonneville far surpasses " A Year in Provence" that was so hyped last year. Hope everyone gets a chance to see it!

Bonneville is a movie that is more like what Hollywood used to make for films. A movie with a real believable story and not all a bunch of digitized magic. Finally a movie where the actors can act like real people we can all relate to in our own lives.

Lange,Bates and Allan did a wonderful job of portraying three Mormon friends rebelling against her step daughters wishes to fulfill her late husbands desires. A wonderful film with feeling and happiness. Should be more like this..

Christopher Rowley did a wonderful job of directing this cast in a heart felt film. Drop of Water productions should go along way in the future.