Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

leosun-23078 This movie was pretty slow but after the scene where she drowns the kitten, I had to turn it pff. It was an unnecessary scene.

aceellaway2010 I give this movie a very low rating purely because of the opening irresponsible opening scene. The lead character played by Zoe D.( a career handicapped by awful last name) takes and nurses a sweet kitten, and then she zips it into a bag and throws it in a river. She had other options, she could have taken it to an animal shelter, she could have gone door-to-door and said "Please, I am homeless, can you take my kitten", She could have stood outside a Wal-Mart with a sign. SHE COULD HAVE TAKEN IT With her, but no she cold blooded condemns the poor little thing to a terrifying and long death. I did watch the movie because I am a strong Ed Harris fan, but hate the initial scene and the message it sends out, and that no one Director, Crew, Actors, would think this perpetuation that drowning is an acceptable way to kill. Not her fault but I find myself disliking Zoey D, and will probably not watch another of her films.

mickey dripping Oh gosh. How boring; how slow. This film has too many characters, hence the plot is hard to fathom. I sat waiting for something to happen. Anything to lift the pace above the turgid dirge which surrounded everything.. No suspense. No mystery. No laughter. No joy. I must take issue with those reviewers who praised Zoey Deschanel and her acting abilities. I disagree that she performed well. This lady cannot act. She delivers lines as if she is reading them. Her tone is a monotonous drawl. Her timing is awful. She consistently speaks as soon as the other actor finishes. The idea that she can come up with such pithy and witty comments without pausing to reflect on the statements made by others is not credible. And what a terrible whiny accent she has. She could learn a lot from the other lead female actor, Amelia Warner, who puts feeling, sincerity and intelligence into the role of Shelley.I watched it till the end but it totally failed to hold my attention or win my interest.

mschorr-1 The film does have a plot, but it is pretty much irrelevant. In short, a young actress (Zooey Deschanel), daughter of two tortured but successful authors, returns to her Michigan home some months after her mother's suicide in search of love letters written by her parents during her courtship and willed to her by her mother, with an eye to selling them for publication. Upon arrival, she discovers her father (Ed Harris), deep in alcoholic despondency, living in the garage while his house is occupied by two young people. One is Corbit (Will Ferrell)(yes, you read that right), a dysfunctional former Christian rocker who serves as something of a bodyguard for Harris. The other is Shelly (Amelia Warner), a former student of Harris' who lives in the house and helps care for him.The characters are subtle, many faceted, beautifully written and exquisitely played. The arc of the film is one of growing understanding and tolerance and the onion of their pain is gracefully peeled.The surprise in this film is Ferrell. He gives a quiet, controlled, thoroughly honest performance. As we have come to expect from him in his madcap comedies, he commits fully to this character and not a moment rings false.This gentle film is more than worth an investment of 98 minutes.