Because this came out during the summer of 2002, against big competition, I thought this would be better. The acting by Ashley Judd is extraordinary, as she continues to prove that she can handle much more complex roles than those given her thus far. Morgan Freeman's role is almost in a supporting actor category, but his change-of-pace character (which was probably originally written for a white man to play a white trash character) is refreshing. Freeman always adds zest and depth to every character he inhabits. Too bad he didn't have more screen time.
However, the problem is primarily the plot. It seems to be a combination of two pretty standard Hollywood storylines, merged for a "twist" at the end. By the time the movie was over, my questions were: "What was this really about? Why did I spend time watching it? If not for the acting of Judd and Freeman, was this worth my time?" The answer to the final question is, unfortunately, no.
However, the problem is primarily the plot. It seems to be a combination of two pretty standard Hollywood storylines, merged for a "twist" at the end. By the time the movie was over, my questions were: "What was this really about? Why did I spend time watching it? If not for the acting of Judd and Freeman, was this worth my time?" The answer to the final question is, unfortunately, no.