Amazingly good, heavy heavy heavy flick

ethylester

I have so many good things to say about this movie, but a lot of people on here have already said them. I will say that after viewing this movie for a second time, I was full of angst and sadness. I cried. I couldn't believe how terribly things worked out for this family. It is SUCH a tragic story and it did not have to end that way at all! What a lesson in life! Every character just kept making one wrong move after another. I couldn't believe how many bad decisions were made by every character. These bad decisions just set off more bad decisions and angered all the wrong people and it just got worse and worse until BANG! Man - what a horrible way to end it. And it didn't have to be that way at all. All it took was for one person - any person in the family! - to let go of their pride for one second and everything could have been saved.

I really got a lot out of this movie. The father and son relationship was so delicate and touchy, it was very painful to watch the two of them interact. When one person says the wrong thing, it gives the other person the instant opportunity to jump all over them and slam the door in their face. This happens over and over and it's a painful experience. You wanna just grab everyone and say TALK TO EACH OTHER! DON'T YOU SEE WHAT'S GOING ON?!??!? AAH!!

The acting was remarkable. Robbie Benson was a genius actor. Ben Gazarra perfected the sensitive, temper prone/irrational, yet hurting and loving father figure. The mother's character was best summed up by her father who said something like, "I've taught her well; when a good man tells her what to do, she listens!" And that's exactly what she did the whole time - listen. She did nothing else. Didn't talk, didn't make any effort to stand up for herself. It was quite a shame.

One last comment about the "he is free man" part. I do not think this man should have gone to jail. If you look at the circumstances, he had no choice. The jury was right in letting him go.

I don't know how anyone can't be moved by this movie. Beware though, this movie is HEAVY. You might cry and you might get sick to your stomach if you're as empathetic as I am. I know I couldn't stop analyzing it for hours after it was over. 9/10.

score 9/10

ethylester 21 April 2004

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0152643/