SmugKitZine Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

taterdickens What a great film of an immigrant family in America and the changes that take place over generations. This is Levinson's account of his family in his beloved Baltimore. This was a time in America when extended families were the norm and the holidays that unified them. Points up the intrusion of technology (television) in putting distant between people. The film is told in a loving manner and speaks to a time in America that has long disappeared in conjunction with the country's flight from the inner city to the suburbs. Good ensemble cast and Randy Newman's score is great. Don't miss this under-appreciated feel-good movie!

Tom Although this film takes place 15 years before I was born, growing up in an ethnic family in the early 60's had changed very little.My family is Greek, but this film will appeal to any ethnic group especially first or second generation Americans. Back then we all still gathered at one member's home for holidays and on Sundays. We all dressed up (and still do) for church and holiday gatherings. Watching little Elijah Wood with his bow tie reminded me of myself at that age.Mr. Levinson through film, and Randy Newman through his haunting musical score did a magnificent job of recreating a world that has all but disappeared. A time when family was the center of our lives, children respected the adults and were expected to behave in a civilized manner, people didn't spend Sundays running all over town to football, soccer games etc, and the elder members of the family were revered instead of ignored or worse, placed in a home.We, those of us in the post-war generation would to well to look at this film as a guideline for how to bring values back into our lives and realize that we all need to re-think our priorities.If you want to relive your childhood for 2 1/2 hours laugh one minute and cry the next, I HIGHLY recommend this film

MissyBaby How can I explain how much I loved this movie? I can't. I just can't. I love it so so much, I can't explain it. I came across this movie by somewhat of an accident last year sometime. I did a Netflix search for "The Mists of Avalon." No "Mists of Avalon," but instead an Aiden Quinn movie called simply "Avalon." I pushed it aside and didn't give it a second thought. 5 months or so ago I was just browsing the same sight, once again, "Avalon" popped up. I watched the trailer, thought it looked good and put it on my queue list. It sat forever and ever, so I deleted it. Once again never giving it a second thought.Then 2 months ago I became very interested in the actor Tom Wood (Noah Newman from The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals and the adult Michael from this film.) I, of course, went to Netflix and did a search for him. "Avalon," however did not show up on the list. I returned my attention to a list I had written with all of the movies he's made listed. I typed "Avalon" in the search box and sure enough, it was the same "Avalon." I immediately put it in the queue and bumped it up to the top spot. A day or so later we received "Avalon" in the mail and I waisted no time in watching it. I was immediately in love with the characters and the way the family bonded together. My family is a lot like that, OK, we're not immigrants (oh somewhere down the line I'm sure we are, but that's not the point), we're not Jewish (we're in fact Missionary Baptists) and we don't live in a clump (ok, most of us do, but a few cousins and me and my parents live apart from the clump.). We have those conversations at the dinner table, we have those conversations at Thanksgiving, and Christmas and things like that.I was so touched by the simplicity but emotional impact of the simple line "I came to America in 1914....." I couldn't help but burst into tears.****SPOILERS**** My favorite scene had to be the scene where they had the family circle meeting at Gabriel's house and Eva kept saying it was "like a furnace in here!" And then without warning "An elephant just walked by the window." So funny the first time you see it.And of course I had to love the last scene when Michael and his son Sam went to see Grandpa Sam. I was especially touched by this scene because that is the same shape my grandfather got into shortly before he passed away last year. I did cry and remembered all the times my parents dragged me to the nursing homes and hospitals to see him, and I began to miss him again.So I guess the reason I loved this movie so much is because after seeing it the first time, Sam sort of brought my Grandpa back to me for a little while. The way he acted, the way he would take control of a situation, the way he told stories....Thank you Barry Levinson for that, even if no one else cares. You did a good thing for me. The final moments of the film made me think of what I'd tell my kids when I'm older....Michael and Little Sam walking out of the nursing home and Michael beginning Sam's story and passing it down...."He came to America in 1914......"Definitely watch this movie. Don't let it pass you by. It's amazing. Take my word for it.

cb795 The family members in this film could have been my own. This gentle look at the struggles and successes of an immigrant family could not have been more realistic or more beautifully filmed. Mr. Levinson deserves praise for his humor, pathos and eye for detail.The family members who bicker with each other about the little things, still share love and tradition. When success and the modern world move them apart from one another, some traditions get trampled, but the bonds of family remain.The scene at the end when the grandson brings his son to visit the grandfather, was perfect in its bittersweet closure to the saga. The Americanization of the family is complete with this 4th generation child who asks why the grandfather talks funny. The young boy is told by his father that the (great-)grandfather came from a different place to this country and found it to be beautiful.I highly recommend it; especially to those who do not remember THEIR immigrant ancestors.Thank you, Mr. Levinson.