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. . . how good it was without all the bells and whistles and eye-candy special effects. This movie is a hold-over to a simpler time when the art of story-telling meant that even a very familiar and even predictable theme could keep you watching and leave you with a huge dose of good feelings and respect for the human condition when it reaches for the best.

I find Colm Meany to be a fascinating actor. Despite his successes in the Star Trek franchise he still finds himself attracted to very simple and down-to-earth human interest scripts. His name was the lobster-pot that drew me in. The bait was simple and basic fare -- some might say a little bland. But then "the moss happened"!

It's been a while since a movie has moved me to this degree of praise. It is a simple, very archetypal story: but written, directed, acted and produced unto superb effect.

And that's saying something! It's full of forgettable human caricatures that you couldn't care less about because their characters are never developed. You are simply told what it is you are to believe about them, just because The plot is jumpy and full of logical disconnects you are suppose to believe, just because. As the audience one gets the very real impression the creators of this disaster think you are an unmitigated mix of stupid and gullible, and just want to get away with blowing 125 million of Disney's money and stealing 90 minutes of your life.

As a foreigner traveling in America, I would classify this as . . .exemplary Amercian Cinema. The inclusion of guns and authority issues noted. But this is raw, truthful American cinema; no Hollywood/Disney fluff. This is the purest kind of family tauma about the remnants of a family trying to stay together. Again, the "Amercicanisms" of guns and violence and famly dysfunctionality overlooked, this is just good American drama. Kudos to the cast and writers.