4/10
Gorgeous cinematography, weak script, dull direction
6 August 2009
Do family films have to be devoid of edge and energy? This rather bloodless, tepid story should have been good. Even with an interesting concept, the story line has no surprises or revelations, and from time to time makes no sense. The main character and her boyfriend have zero, and I mean ZERO chemistry. Elliot Gould has the newspaper editor she works for is wasted, with some ploddingly delivered lines that might have been brighter had it not seemed as though everyone's dialog was delivered very slowly on purpose.

The charming kid actors struggle to bring something believable to the boring dialog and for the most part do the best job of making the film watchable.

The omnipresent and cliché score got on my nerves, never letting the story tell itself. This is worth watching, though, for the utterly breathtaking look of the film, especially the Amish farms in winter. Every frame is painterly and perfectly composed.
4 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed