Pie in the Sky

Some have described this as a sort of "When Harry Met Sally" for the West Coast, mainly because the two lovers meet repeatedly over the course of years. In this respect the two are similar but not in any other way.

The director's first feature is a reasonable romantic comedy about two "kooks" that fall in love whilst trying to find their respective dreams in live. Josh Charles dreams of being a traffic reporter like his idol John Goodman. Anne Heche dreams of a career in dance. The film follows their love affair from childhood to adulthood in LA.

The film tries to make the characters interesting by giving them quirks. Charles' interest in traffic is quite well explained but still seems strangely unlikely. The other characters don't fit their actions at all and aren't developed well - from Heche to Goodman they all seem to be written as "quirky" to be interesting, while their actions are written to move the story along.

The story tries to draw the traffic element into some sort of metaphor for life & love but again it doesn't really fit. Even the soundtrack, despite containing good songs, is the usual fare for this type of romantic film.

Overall a poorly developed film that never really convinces - from the quirks, the performances and the ending. Only the scenery and the idea of traffic as a metaphor for love is there to hold the interest.

Josh Charles is wonderful as a young man obsessed with...traffic? He longs to be a traffic reporter in the sky, but first finds on-again/off-again love with a perplexing Anne Heche (she's so flaky he can't get a grip on her, and neither can we). John Goodman has a funny supporting role, and the production values are first-rate, but this is short-film material stretched out too far. Terrific cast includes Dey Young, Christine Lahti, and Brent Spiner, but each has very little to do, and the film is flattened out by an overall lack of imagination and by its length. More cleverness was obviously needed; there's not enough substance here for the picture to stay the course. ** from ****

Okey! Get ready for a really good movie, this one is one of the best I've seen, and I'm quite tricky about choosing god from bad movies. Trust me on this, the story, actors, setting, it's all so complete.. Be sure to get this movie and spend a night wathing it with someone you care about. Humor and Romance..

I had a great time with this well done, quirky film. My crush on Anne Heche started with her engaging performance in this piece. The crush is no more, but my admiration for the movie, (and Ms. Heche), remains. The film is sweet without becoming saccharine. I recommend it.

Is love like a traffic flow, sometimes running smoothly, sometimes stalled and going nowhere? That's what Charlie (Josh Charles) thinks. Charlie has two great loves: traffic/traffic reporting and Amy (Anne Heche). Having met as children, the boy and the dance-loving girl meet again as teenagers and explore the wonders of first love. Yet, they are headed in two different directions, for college and otherwise. A break-up is inevitable. Years later, Charlie has traveled to Los Angeles to work at a television station and meets Amy again at a local coffee shop. She is a waitress, involved with a modern dance group in her spare time. Unfortunately, Amy is cold to the idea of rekindling the relationship and tries to discourage Charlie. Will he win her over or concentrate more on his career?

This is an offbeat romantic comedy. The swirl of characters surrounding the two leads are all a bit unusual but provide some laughs. John Goodman is wonderful as a famous traffic reporter. Heche gives a petulant performance which is very attractive at times and a bit offputting at others. Fans of movies a little less ordinary should be pleased with this effort. Others may find it pleasant but not particularly memorable.