Sunshine State

John Sayles is without a doubt one of the best writer/directors making films today and even though he doesn't get the backing and respect of Hollywood studio executives the actors in the business all know he's one of the best. Sayles doesn't give in to what the unsophisticated audiences of today expect. He keeps things honest and all of his work is based on personal choices. Like in most of his other films here we see multiple characters all surrounding one event. Here its the story of a resort town that is going to be taken over by a giant company and where most business's and residences will have to leave. One angle has Eunice Stokes (Mary Alice) living in a house that she has lived in for a number of years and she's proud because the house represents being elevated to middle class. Her daughter Desiree Perry (Angela Bassett) is an actress in the Boston area and she is coming to visit with her husband. While Desiree is there, she meets up with an old boyfriend Flash (Tom Wright) who had gotten her pregnant when she was 15. Another part of the film has Marly Temple (Edie Falco) who works with her father Furman (Ralph Waite) at the motel/restaurant that he owns. Marly meets Jack Meadows (Timothy Hutton) who is an architect and scouting the land. A romance blossoms between the two and its a clash of individual ideals. Marly hates working for her father and has become disillusioned and angry as life is passing her buy. Sayles complex script lets the viewer go from character to character and we become understanding of their complexities. The film shows how the characters who left the island went on to a better life and the ones who stayed have to deal with how life is changing all around them until it has finally found them. Its so refreshing to see Bassett in a good role. She's not cast as the girlfriend or some throw away supporting role, its a well written part that shows she is a terrific actress. Falco also shows that she can handle other characters and when "The Sopranos" is over she can step into any other role with ease. Well made and extremely well written, this is another interesting film to add onto Sayles growing resume of fine films.

Where Robert Altman wields gigantic casts like a battering ram, bombarding audiences with overlapping dialogue and showing off with tricksy camerawork, John Sayles draws us in to his richly observant tales by keeping things simple. He is a fine storyteller.

Sunshine State is a perfect example of why Sayles' laid-back approach works so well. This is a flowing, intriguing character study with a wry script delivered by a uniformly excellent and ego-free cast.

There is little by way of drama here, just a snapshot of a beachtown community in which lives frequently change but whose heart stays the same. Sit back and soak up the atmosphere.

THE SUNSHINE STATE (2002) ***1/2 Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Timothy Hutton, James McDaniel, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite, Bill Cobbs, Gordon Clapp, Mary Steenburgen, Tom Wright, Mary Alice, Richard Edson, Marc Blucas, Miguel Ferrer, Charlayne Woodard, Alan King, Alexander Lewis. Indie king original John Sayles scores once again in this expertly acted exploration of social class structure, facing past sins and not-so-rosy futures, interracial communities and ultimately the human condition with equal parts stark comedy and poignant drama. Falco and Bassett shine respectively as Floridian natives – one who never left the small resort town, the other finding out the old adage ‘you can never go home again' – and should be ear-marked for awards season.

One of those movies which goes nowhere with elegance. It touches on all the basic concerns of humanity: love, race, age, parents, and real estate. More than that, it handles all of them with honesty and kindness.

This movie should be watched late at night when the mind no longer knows where it wants to go. You can let it drift over you like a soft summer breeze. Hopefully in that state you will accept the fact that there is really no graceful resolutions or summations in life, just a review of how we dealt with all the little things which seemed so large at the time. The selection of actors for the movie also reflects the tone. Many very good artists who are drawn from television rather than the box office are able to use this vehicle to show us what they are really capable of.

SUNSHINE STATE is about Big Ideas. Grief, it even has a Greek chorus to comment on the action- how's that for being self-important! But since these ideas are delivered in such a heavy-handed way, it's oddly like watching a pageant put on by a civics class at Beverly Hills High School.

The story deals with a small town in Florida where real-estate developers are threatening to change the way of life. Other than the beach, the town doesn't have much going for it. Characters talk a lot about how they either got out or wish they had gotten out. There's a local pirate festival that nobody but the stressed-out lady who's ramrodding it seems to care about. But for some reason this mosquito infested area is supposed to inspire developers to want to spend wads and wads of money turning it into a hot tourist spot.

Out of respect for the actors, I didn't name any names. Sigh. If this had been done on Broadway it would have closed opening night and been forgotten. But that's the curse/blessing of film. SUNSHINE STATE will be around to haunt these good people for the rest of their careers. Between cable, tape, dvd's and whatever the future may bring, they'll have to explain to their grandchildren why they bet on a dead horse like this. Now THAT would make an interesting movie.