Radio Inside

Basically,this is a film about a guy who thinks he's Holden Caulfield,keeps flashing back to when he's about six years old,talks to Jesus from a payphone,and can't keep his hands off his older brother's girlfriend.My mind started to wander after about fifteen minutes.Skip this one unless you're really desperate.The acting isn't all that bad,and technically nothing is wrong with it,it's just that the story isn't particularly interesting.

It's hard to put my finger on exactly what I liked about this movie. The three lead actors, especially McNamara and Shue are certainly a big part of it. The interesting locations (Miami Beach). On-screen exploration of a person's rather eccentric religious beliefs in a very creative way. Some very creative daydream/mood-setting scenes. I really connected with certain elements of the plot: a person's feelings of loss/guilt over the death of a family member, the big-brother/little-brother relationship, along with a few more standard movie plot elements like "love triangle", etc. Overall, the movie has a sort of slow, dreamy quality. Not a good movie to watch if you're in the mood for action, car chases, gunfights, etc. Overall, not a whole lot happens in the movie. It is largely a character study and is tightly tied to McNamara's character's perspective. I am generally conservative with my ratings, but I rated this movie very highly. I have seen it several times and i find myself thinking about it a lot, even though it has been quite a long time since the last time I saw it. Not having heard anything about it or seen a preview, this is one of a very, very rare category of movies for me that i selected off the rack at the video store (probably when they were out of the other five movies i wanted to get) and ended up being blown away. Now I feel lucky for having found it. I only wish it would come out on DVD (as of 6/01, it is only available on VHS).

With "Stealing Home," this is William McNamara's best work. He subtly and effectively delivers the conflict and angst of Matthew Anderson, who has recently moved to Florida and taken a job as a Life Guard after the drowning death of his father. Cinematography and supporting cast (pre-'Vegas' Elisabeth Shue) are excellent as well. The story never strays from Matthew's dilemma, complicated by a sudden crush on his brother's girlfriend. If only we all had a direct phone line to Jesus.

I think this movie had a catcher in the rye feel to it, you either loved it or you hated it. I really felt moved by this movie and I don't know if it was because I watched it alone one sat. night or because I felt my old Elisabeth shue crush come back... In all a great story that's well told and played out by characters that are easy to like. (also watch and listen for Matt's catcher in the rye reference in the phone booth)- Great Movie for adults.

Being a huge fan of Elisabeth Shue, i can't miss a movie with her in it. But nothing is happening here. Plenty of blah blah blah, slow pace and dull flashbacks. For fans only, fans of Elisabeth Shue... Five stars because it's not a low budget and for her beauty at this time, mid-90's.