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Peter T. Chattaway (Vancouver Courier) says, "The film is longer than it needs to be, thanks to a gratuitous epilogue, and it plays into that Black Hawk Down mentality of disconnecting military valor from the politics that are served by that valour. At its best, though, K-19 is a suspenseful film that sheds light on a little-known part of our recent history"

David Bruce (Hollywood Jesus) examines how the story shows God working great things for the world by changing the heart of one man. "The centerpiece in the film is the transformation of the Harrison Ford character from a heartless institutional man to a caring individual. Somehow God is in the backdrop of history working things out. This film illustrates in graphic detail just how close we came to blowing up Planet Earth. In every crisis event God is there, truly. Otherwise humanity would simply no longer exist."

Others caught up with John Sayles's latest film, Sunshine State. This complex web of stories about a Florida island community emphasizes the rewards of being adaptable in a changing world and the dangers of romanticizing the past. This tension is clear not only in a confrontation between wealthy developers and the community's longtime residents, but in the troubled relationships of a single restaurateur, her parents, and her public (Earlier reviews here).

Darrel Manson (Hollywood Jesus) praises the film as "a valuable chance to consider the world we are in not only on the surface, but also behind the smiles and the tears that make up life. Sunshine State has been called preachy and didactic, and that's a fair assessment. But it is important for us to look at the tension of the real and the perceived. And Sayles does a good job of showing us many of the ways that we cover over the realities that we wish to avoid."

I bought a ticket this week as well, and found it to be one of the most truthful and rewarding films I've seen this year. The actors, especially Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Timothy Hutton, and James McDaniel, are completely convincing in their complex roles. It is refreshing to see a film that shows how challenging and confusing it can be to love one another. Most mainstream tales would have you believe that broken relationships and fractured communities can be easily fixed with a confession, some tears, and some laughter right on into "happily ever after." By portraying the bitter with the sweet, Sayles's world is far more realistic, and thus when it arrives at a hopeful conclusion we are left with more than pithy platitudes. (My full review is at Looking Closer.)

So, if moviegoers bypass the Powers that be and seek out more rewarding fare like Signs and Sunshine State, they might find that summertime at the movies isn't a waste of time after all.

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July (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46