En route vers Manhattan

Daytrippers is a progressive drama about a family that takes an adventure into New York City after Eliza (Hope Davis) discovers a love letter that may uncover an affair between her husband and somebody named Sandy. Anne Meara does a good job as the typical East Coast, controlling mother. The indie-film queen Parker Posey plays Eliza's little sister whose boyfriend Carl, played by Liev Schreiber, is an exaggeration of the young, snobbish, know-it-all author. The family is hardly functional which makes this film particularly honest.

The key to Daytrippers is not the plot, which never fails to keep you watching, but the dialogue and the situations. Pay close attention to the characters that the family meets in the city. They all embody some kind of contradictions that make you think a little bit. Look for the scene where Marc Grapey begins describing his sexual exploits by condemning such practices.

If you are looking for a drama that provokes you, this is one of them. There are no happy endings and none of the issues raised are resolved. Fans of Parker Posey will especially enjoy her performance in this one.

Greg Mottola makes a very auspicious debut with "The Daytrippers". He directs a terrific cast in what is something of a rarity; a true ensemble piece. Rather than a road movie, this is a street movie with various stations in lower Manhattan. As the journey progresses so too does the family begin to unravel in a manner which is both funny as well as genuinely moving.

All give dead on target performances, with highlights from Ann Meara and Lieve Shrieber (whose unravelling is particularly poignant). Hope Davis is as wistfully wonderful as always with Parker Posey, Stanley Tucci, Pat McNaramra and Campbell Scott rounding out the ensemble.

A trip you may want to make.

... a believably bickering family, portrayed by skilled actors, w/some wonderful ham stuff by Anne Meara and Parker Posey, and more subtle stuff from Hope Davis and Liev Schreiber. The story had a distinctly voyeuristic feel, as if the screenwriter was exorcising some history and making it more entertaining, often hilarious (and interesting?) than a painful history he may have lived through. A cinema verite re-creation by world class skilled actors. As the family's lives unravel, driving around in a freezing cold NYC winter evening, there is a quiet lingering shot of the World Trade Center that is unintentionally haunting, and gives the film (made in 1996) an unintended resonance.

While I've been meaning to see this film for years, (I think the trailer was on the Reservoir Dogs VHS that I wore out before I bought it on DVD) it was one of probably hundreds of films that I put on my back burner. So when I recently saw it was on a pay channel I jumped on it, and am very glad that I did finally see this gem.

The Daytrippers involves a woman (Davis) whose resolve that she is happily married is tested when she finds an excerpt from a love poem that fell from her husband's (Tucci) clothes. She elects to go to her mother (Meara) for advice and ends up going on a day trip to NYC to ask her husband about it. Along for the ride is her father, (McNamara) her sister, (Posey) and her sister's boyfriend (Schrieber). Of course, if they were able to simply confront her husband it would be easy; unfortunately he is no where to be found, so they willingly engage in amateur sleuthing to put together the story while they drive around the city looking for him.

The plot is a fairly simple one, but the character development is the true star of the film. While Parker Posey is known best for playing `quirky yet intelligent' characters, her role seems more of a natural addition in this film rather than a run-of-the-mill portrayal for her. Meara is nearly maddening as a meddling mother, and McNamara, a well established character actor is heartbreakingly sweet as the weary father. Davis and Tucci are both fantastic as usual, and while Tucci's role is a small one, he exhibits his usual passion that makes him an exciting actor. Davis gives her character a palpable fragility that just barely makes room for the modicum of strength that is holding her together. In my opinion, the true breakout star of the film is Schrieber as Carl Petrovic, `the boyfriend'. His character has so many facets to his personality and becomes such a complex study that is so rare in a supporting character. And Schrieber's portrayal is brilliant and both comedic and heart-breaking in it's subtle profundity. Schreiber has been on my radar since I saw him in RKO 281 brilliantly portraying one of my personal heroes, Orson Welles, and after viewing this performance I plan to seek out more of his work.

The Daytrippers has been an independent film darling for years now and I can see why. It is an intelligent, emotional and well-written and acted film that will hold an appeal for most who take the time to view it.

--Shelly

This is a hilarious film... beautifully-written, hysterically-acted, excellently directed. Rent it. See it. Liev Schrieber is great, and so is Parker Posey. Greg Mottola will be, one day, a great director. He's also a very funny writer, and was able to make a story that's both moving and funny.