User reviews

It's a generic coming-of-age story -- think "The Member of the Wedding," "Summer of '42," "A Summer Place," even "Little Women" -- and there are moments where Mulligan might have omitted the soupy music, not used slow-motion, or played down the golden-lit prettiness of the setting. Otherwise, it's done with rare emotional perfect-pitch. Nothing's forced, every line has feeling, and the pacing is just right. Even the below-A-list casting helps: Bigger movie stars with more recognizable personalities might have overwhelmed the material. In particular, Witherspoon is excellent: Her line readings are fresh and original, and her body language is just right for a gawky, hoydenish 14-year-old on the eve of womanhood. Waterston is also very fine, even if he has to spend much of the movie climbing in and out of the family truck.

One senses that the film's makers were aware of its unpromising commercial prospects -- no big stars, no big car crashes, no special effects -- and consciously decided to make the best possible movie, box office be damned. It's intimate and honest, and it sticks to the ribs. If you find yourself misting up at the end, you don't have to feel you've been duped.

Reese Witherspoon plays Dani, a young country girl that falls madly in love with the new 17 year old neighbor, Court, played by Jason London. Court tries his best to make Dani realize that the difference in their ages would make a love relationship improbable. Soon the nubile charm of Dani starts winning over Court's will. Next enters the meeting of Dani's older sister, played by Emily Warfield, and the beginning of a short lived love/jealousy problem.

Tess Harper and Sam Waterston round out the cast. This is a fresh, free spirited; but heartbreaking drama that touches down deep. Feel free to cry.

"The Man In The Moon" is one of those films that I'd seen bits and parts of on TV all the time, but never quite seen all the way start-to-finish. As a big fan of Reese Whitherspoon, I finally decided to give it a rent and watch it properly. What I found is that despite the fact that I'm not nearly the target audience for this type of picture (I'm a 30-year old male), anyone who enjoys emotional films (and isn't that kind of the point of film?) will find something to relate to in this one.

For a basic plot summary, "Man in the Moon" focuses on 14-year old Dani (Whiterspoon) entering her adolescence in 1950s farm country. Her parents, Matthew (Sam Waterston) & Abigail (Tess Harper), are as salt-of-the-earth as they come, while Dani also looks up to older sister Maureen (Emily Warfield). One summer, Dani discovers that an "older boy" (older teenaged) has moved in down the way, and Court (Jason London) becomes the object of her burgeoning sexuality and adolescence in general. Does Court really like her, or is he just stringing her along? Feelings (especially those of the "first" variety) are complicated, and this is what Dani must discover as life continues to roll on despite her desire to have everything work out perfectly.

Like I said, it is easy to classify "Man In The Moon" as a "chick flick", and I can absolutely see why that is. The "gist" of the film is about a teenaged girl dealing with her feelings; the only thing separating it from hundreds of other more contemporary films just like it being the period setting.

However, I am the type of person who likes to try and look past such labels and find good films no matter what their reputation may say. I'm glad I did in this case, as "Man In The Moon" is really a well-made film in many aspects. Though I've never personally experienced the angst of teenage girl adolescence, I did go through an adolescence of my own and have younger sisters that somewhat help me relate. I think the point here is that this isn't a film that "only girls/women can enjoy".

Generally speaking, the cast of this film is solid, but it is truly Whitherspoon's performance that vaults into "cult classic" territory. In this her introductory film performance at the age of 14, Reese shows exactly why she would go on to have an acclaimed, Oscar-winning career. Even in a film that can, admittedly, get a bit cheesy and sappy at times, Reese is always the magnet that your attention will be drawn to. I'd be hard pressed to name another performance this good from someone this young (she is in practically every scene!).

Thus, despite not really having the scope or production value to be an "all-time classic" piece of cinema, "Man In The Moon" will tug at your heartstrings for its portrayal of those delicate, confusing, and incredibly exciting teenage years. It will hit closest to home with females, I would imagine, but I'm proof that all ages can enjoy a film that is obviously made with such care and features such mesmerizing acting from the lead player.

If there's any director in Hollywood who deserves a crown for conquering the coming-of-age genre, it's Robert Mulligan, director of To Kill a Mockingbird and Summer of '42. His last film was The Man in the Moon, one of the most revered modern coming-of-age films. It takes place in 1957, during the summer a teenaged Reese Witherspoon's life changes forever.

In Reese's first movie, she's a tomboy, but she's still adorable in her transition out of adolescence, and as she's done in almost every other film since, she melts the hearts of the audience. She stomps around in overalls and smacks her gum as if it never occurred to her to care about her appearance, but she's just as cute in those scenes as she is when she finally dolls up and tries to act like a regular teenage girl.

Fourteen-year-old Reese is very close to her older sister, Emily Warfield, but clashes at times with her parents, Sam Waterston and Tess Harper, who don't seem to understand her difficult age. When a new family moves in next door, complete with three teenage boys, everything changes. Reese gets to know one of the boys, Jason London, but as time passes, her feelings grow into more than just friendship.

There's a lot more to the plot, but I'd rather not spoil anything. Needless to say, there are all the classic elements to a poignant coming-of-age story, including domestic troubles, love triangles, self-discovery, tragedy, and the bonds of family. Just as in classics like My Girl, you're going to need your Kleenexes during this one. It doesn't matter whether you have issues with your dad, mom, sister, or remember a bittersweet time before you grew up, there are several scenes that will inspire tears. Reese has great chemistry with her on screen family, and I guarantee the parents in the audience will identify with Sam Waterston's protectiveness and wisdom.

This one isn't for the faint of heart, but if you're in the mood for a good cry this weekend, or if you're craving a nostalgia movie with lots of Elvis Presley songs, rent The Man in the Moon.

Kiddy Warning: I'd probably let my kids watch this one, but I just wanted to warn you, because everyone has different tastes, that there are some upsetting scenes and violence involving children.

I doubt I would have ever rented the film, it looked too much like just a teenage love story. However, a friend who's taste I respect, recommended it. I thought the film was excellent. "The Man in The Moon" is one of those rare movies that gets it right. A warm and tender story of a family, and growing up, without being maudlin. It was the first time I'd seen Reese Witherspoon, and she was indeed impressive. You knew she had something special about her, like seeing a very young Elizabeth Taylor, in an old MGM movie. This film is idealized, yet honest. Many of us grow up with both joys and some pain, and there is an unexpected twist, that when it hits -- it hits hard.

"The Man in the Moon" is a beautifully realistic look at life through the eyes of an adolescent. Director Robert Mulligan magically re-creates screenwriter Jenny Wingfield's autobiography of her childhood with gorgeous cinematography and a haunting, lyrical musical score. This film hits home as one of the most powerful and emotionally affecting films in recent times.

This film is incredible, all the acting first rate, especially Sam Waterston and an astonishing performance by Reese Witherspoon in her film debut. You will feel every emotion as this life changing summer in 1957 on the Trant family farm comes to a conclusion.

"The Man in the Moon" was a limited release in 1991, and you will love the fact that most of you're family and friends will probably have never heard of it. Buy this dvd and enjoy 100 minutes of pure poetic art. This film is truely the essence of filmaking at its finest.

Here's the kind of love story that I do enjoy watching. And mostly, it's for two reasons. One, it concentrates of young people, VERY young people. People who are still in their teens and are experiencing love for the first time, or at least think they are. All of us have been there in our lives and "The Man in the Moon" is a magnificent reflection upon our memories, maybe adding on a few more details and enhancing it further than any of us have experienced. The second reason is that is a love triangle. And I do believe that as teens, it's the most dramatic. And the story is so well developed that you believe the characters could really be in love, or are just so new to love that they just strongly believe they are and after a tragedy or so occurs, will believe it for the rest of their lives.

The cast of "The Man in the Moon" is full of great talented names. It stars Sam Waterston, who is truly a versatile actor, well capable of playing tough district attorneys as well as strict, yet caring and wise fathers as in this film. Also there is Tess Harper, Jason London, and a young, young Reese Witherspoon. You look at the young, talented actress as she is at age fourteen and you think that about ten years down the road, she's going to win the Academy Award. All members of the cast pull off great performances and with the dialogue of the compelling screenplay, they are enhanced into looking like real people in real situations. As if it all really happened. This the kind of movie that I would like to see come out more often. Love story or not. I would love to see films that make everything look real and is not phony or disbelievable in any way.

WOW what a film debut for the 14 year old at that time Reese! No wonder why she was cast for one of the leading roles and not for the extras she auditioned for... Her acting on the film explains her later took off in Hollywood. I think though that her recent movies don't do her justice.. Overall, a good film, with pretty scenery and good photography. Other than Reese and Mr Waterston, the rest of the cast is ok and so is the plot.

The movie had some great acting and setting, I would of really liked this movie if not for the last half hour. The characters of Court and Maureen were terrible people, yet by the end of the movie we're supposed to ignore that and feel sorry for them. Court was the worst, he was really friendly to Dani and all, they kissed, and they seemed like a cute couple, yet, the moment he laid eyes on Maureen he completely ignored Dani throughout the rest of the film. I would of liked the movie a lot better if Dani never forgave Maureen, Maureen said she cared for Dani yet didn't care enough to do something so low and not even tell her. This movie has a lot of things working for it, but I hate how the characters are handled.

I like romances. Here's what I liked: the scenery (I got the "feel" of living in rural Louisiana, and that was great); and Matt's good, fatherly words to Dani on the boat were worth the movie. Here's where the movie failed me. Though I love Sam Waterston, I'm a northerner who's now lived in the South for 14 years, and see here and elsewhere that when northerners (Sam's from Boston) try to play Southerners, they get so much wrong, which Sam does. I like his fatherly role, but his style, mannerisms, and accent are just out of place as a Louisiana dad. If I were a Southerner, I'd feel very poorly represented. Sometimes the writing was just bad, with characters saying things way too "philosophy of life-ish." They were little monologues that were out of place. Lastly, with the writing, characters are sometimes having all this emotion one way or the other when "all that" wouldn't be possible to have built up in the character in the short time frame that the storyline proposes. There's betrayal in the movie that is simply accepted by all the characters (but one), so the person wronged is never given any sense of consolation or true apology. That left me wanting. Maureen's character was flat--in the end, I needed some kind of character growth (realizations) in her that the writer(s) never delivered. That was disappointing.

NO SPOILERS HERE - "Introducing Reese Witherspoon." Without her, the film would have only been average, I suspect. This was her first film, and if I had actually seen it in 1991, might have commented, "This young actress is going to be a star." Well, she's become one. She really carries this film. It is set in rural Louisiana, in the 50s, and the movie starts with Elvis' "Loving You" playing in the background. This is Dani's favorite song, she is 14 and anxious to find out what it's like to be loved by someone.

I was 14 in the 50s, and grew up in rural Louisiana. Dani and her family could have been one of our neighbors. It was summer, the windows were open at night, and the two teen-age daughters slept on the screened-in back porch. This is the way it was, a simpler time before everyone had air-conditioning, and when you had little fear that a stranger would intrude.

This is a touching story of two sisters, one a tomboy who is just budding out and the other in full bloom and beautiful, having a fancy for the same 17-year-old boy. The filming is beautiful, the acting just right, the background music not intrusive. Good movie.

I own the DVD. While it is only ProLogic sound, and the extras are limited to the theatrical trailer, the sound and video transfer are first rate. It is a fine one to own, if for no other reason than to have Reese Witherspoon's first film.

SEPT 2020 edit: My wife and I watched it again, a nice movie that reminds us of our own growing up years.

A nice little gem. Every word of it. It is a small picture and it was nice. There ! Idyllic country scene and superb cinematography makes this movie very watchable. It is amazing that Witherspoon probably did her finest dramatic work the first time out. From the first look on, Witherspoon's Danny was absorbing and real. You could understand her. Perhaps you have a niece that went through similar experience, perhaps you were her in your adolescent years. Fine example of art imitating life. Jason London, the subject of her adolescent love, was also excellent in his role. Sam Waterston as the father in rural town showed perfect nuance of characters in that era. The only miscast was Tess Harper,who was wooden. It might not be her fault as there were hardly any lines written for her role even though it was a woman's screenplay. Overall very touching and we got the resolution we expect in the end.

Perfect movies are rare. Even my favorite films tend to have flaws - Rear Window looks a little stagey at times, Chris Elliot's character in Groundhog Day doesn't work, the music score in Best Years of Our Lives is too cheesy, the beginning of Nights of Cabiria is a little too slow - but this film is perfectly executed from start to finish.

The script is brilliant, the acting is superb all around (although Reese Witherspoon and Sam Waterston are amazing, the whole cast shines), the directing and the photography are inspired, and the music score is touching without being intrusive (like some Miramax scores that are too manipulative). Every sad moment is truly moving, every light moment makes me smile. This truly is one of the best films I have ever seen and I wish there were more films like it.

I am glad that Reese Witherspoon has gone on to stardom after this film, but I am sorry to see that her recent movies are so much more escapist and silly than this serious film which is about real people, real feelings and real problems. Brilliant! A must-see.

For its first 80 minutes, "The Man in the Moon" plays as a handsome, simply woven tale of family life in rural Louisiana, seen primarily through the eyes of two sisters. For its last 25 minutes, it plays out a pointless consequence of manufactured conflict that takes a potentially great film and disappointingly dispatches it as little more than one-off melodrama and an unsatisfying resolution.

Along with Tess Harper as matriarch Abigail, Sam Waterston shows his under-appreciated versatility as Matthew Trant, the stern, hard-working father of Dani, played with extraordinary aplomb by then-newcomer Reese Witherspoon, and her older sister Maureen, played by Emily Warfield. Maureen is looking toward college, while Dani tries hard to convince the world she isn't still a kid at the ripe age of 14. The conflict ensues when the recently widowed friend of Trant's moves into the adjacent farm along with her 17-year-old son, Cort, who catches Dani's eye as her first youthful love.

On the one hand, "Moon" draws a nicely articulated tale of 50's era family life, yet interrupts the tale with manufactured interruptions of tragic shadow that seem only to serve the purpose of...interrupting the tale and force the drama, as if the writers don't truly trust the material they've developed. Individually, the performances are authentic and on the mark, even if the story often isn't.

Despite the story flaws, "Man in the Moon" is a good work. It's just so frustrating to realize that a truly great work was but a stone's throw away.

Dani(Reese Witherspoon) has always been very close with her older sister Maureen(Emily Warfield) until they both start falling in love with their neighbor Court(Jason London). But it is not after a terrible tragedy strikes that the two sisters realize that nothing can keep them apart and that their love for each other will never fade away.

This was truly a heartbreaking story about first love. Probably the most painful story about young love that I have ever seen. All the acting is amazing and Reese Witherspoon gives a great performance in her first movie. I would give The Man in the Moon 8.5/10

It's one of those sweet and simple summer romance movies... for the most part. The ending is quite tragic and also a bit of a downer.

Reese Witherspoon was magnetic even in her youth. She's adventurous, bold and brazen. Full of spark. The actresses who play the mothers are quite steely and headstrong - a custom in the South, perhaps. The father's stern watchfulness and clear concern for his daughters' wellbeing translates well. The other sister is a beauty and is very good at using her feminine wiles to lead on the boy. The boy is, of course, charming and handsome. I have no complaints about the acting.

The movie is strongest when it shows Southern customs and traditions through the rough mannerisms of the actors, and when it uses dramatic moments to switch things up. Even the romance scenes make for compulsive viewing. I wouldn't say this is a perfect movie though.

I think its strongest points are also some of its weakest. It sees things exclusively through the lens of a Southern family and therefore it lacks a certain amount of self-awareness. One gets the sense that this family is quite enmeshed in the world they have created and nothing else really matters to them. It feels insular and a bit stiff because of that.

The story is pretty simple too. Sure, there is the climactic ending, and the the storm scene, but other than that it's a little tame and a little slow. It's not that the movie is boring - it's not - but it could use a bit of a boost or pick-me-up or dabble in other areas or themes that could make it a bit less "traditional".

It accomplishes what it sets out to, but it doesn't push any boundaries, and one gets the sense that similar stories have already been told in other movies. However, it's a solid watch and certainly a worthwhile one if you are a fan of the romance genre.

Honestly not bad, amazing actor choice and has an amazing plot. Some people don't like the plot twist but I feel like that's why it made the film so unique. It gives the audience something to think about past watching the movie. I mean i definitely was so in shock I thought about it even after watching the film.

Only thing I did not like was the characters IN GENERAL. Because why were they all annoying. Dani character gets glazed.... when all she wants is to be with a man 4 years older than her yet is still so immature, I mean she just learned to help out her family with chores?? Even her parents and sister mentions she runs off and plays around the area instead of helping?? Also I think she liked the idea of him being older that she liked Jason. Maureen was just straight up a terrible sister she flat out flirted with her sisters man like bye. Although, I feel like Maureen and Jason made more sense TBH. Jason don't even get me started he has to be some sort of pedo cause I feel like he just used Dani, his personality wasn't even the best. Also he had NO communication with Dani other then their interest in swimming. It felt like a play date more than an actual RELATIONSHIP.

As I watched this movie I began to feel very nostalgic. As a child growing up in a rural area I felt as if I was a kid again! The swimming pond (it's called a "tank" in Central Texas), the running through the countryside like a wild free spirit! The story was very believable and I totally lost it and cried toward the end. Through the pain we go through in life...life goes on and there can be forgiveness.

There isn't really a lot to the overall plot of this story. There is no great force of good conquering evil or anything like that. It is a simple story about young girl & her family on their ranch set in 50's. The story's merit doesn't lie so much in the plot as it does in the essence of the film. There was a deep rooted feel of innocence and country life that could bring back childhood memories for anyone who grew up a carefree kid. This was Reece Witherspoon's first movie and she did an amazing job! She portrayed an innocent rural girl who learns about boys the hard way and she was so believable! This movie is a bit more of a "chick flick" than what I typically like, but it is well made, drama worth seeing.