Or maybe this could be subtitled as "the little movie that thought it was good
"
Or maybe I should re-phrase it as, "the little movie that tried too be good," or "the little movie that didn't know what it was"- the list can go on and on. But let's just say if it wasn't for Thomas Haden Church serving as the executive producer in this, the movie wouldn't be where it is now: RELEASED.
It starts out mundane when we open with the titled character "Don McKay" (played by Church), doing his unremarkable duties as a high school janitor in Massachusetts (but probably filmed outside of L.A.). From there, he meets his supposed ex-girlfriend played by Elisabeth Shue who is dying from an unexplained condition. And of course, it never occurs to Church to ask why this attractive 40-something is dying when she doesn't even look sick or peaked. Doesn't that seem rather odd? It's weird to begin with in how Church goes up to see her in the first place (because that too, never seems to be explained)- and I don't want to edify the synopsis since this film is so mediocre and forgettable at the get-go. Let's just say that what seems to be somewhat of a quirky and pedestrian indie-film turns to switch to such a violent tone so abruptly, that it looks like two different films we're watching. And it's impossible to care for these characters or root for them in any way. But oh-well
Then there's the recurring theme that Church has lost touch with all of these supporting characters for 25 years. And it's so coincidental that none of these people have lives- or moved on with families since high school- but then that would ruin the whole "plot" to the movie if they did, so we just need to accept this. What galls me is the fact that Church even did this in the first place: his career never really took off after "Sideways," but I've never seen him in a more or equally memorable role since. And he was one of the best things to that film, IMO. Elisabeth Shue does a little more than I've seen her do in most mainstream movies, but there's really nothing likable about her in this (except she wears a slip through a third of the film). I guess I liked Keith David the most who showed more dimensionality than anyone else (and probably had about seven minutes of screen time).
I'd just wait for this to come out on DVD. And I STILL wouldn't recommend it unless you absolutely, positively have to watch SOMETHING for 87 minutes.
It starts out mundane when we open with the titled character "Don McKay" (played by Church), doing his unremarkable duties as a high school janitor in Massachusetts (but probably filmed outside of L.A.). From there, he meets his supposed ex-girlfriend played by Elisabeth Shue who is dying from an unexplained condition. And of course, it never occurs to Church to ask why this attractive 40-something is dying when she doesn't even look sick or peaked. Doesn't that seem rather odd? It's weird to begin with in how Church goes up to see her in the first place (because that too, never seems to be explained)- and I don't want to edify the synopsis since this film is so mediocre and forgettable at the get-go. Let's just say that what seems to be somewhat of a quirky and pedestrian indie-film turns to switch to such a violent tone so abruptly, that it looks like two different films we're watching. And it's impossible to care for these characters or root for them in any way. But oh-well
Then there's the recurring theme that Church has lost touch with all of these supporting characters for 25 years. And it's so coincidental that none of these people have lives- or moved on with families since high school- but then that would ruin the whole "plot" to the movie if they did, so we just need to accept this. What galls me is the fact that Church even did this in the first place: his career never really took off after "Sideways," but I've never seen him in a more or equally memorable role since. And he was one of the best things to that film, IMO. Elisabeth Shue does a little more than I've seen her do in most mainstream movies, but there's really nothing likable about her in this (except she wears a slip through a third of the film). I guess I liked Keith David the most who showed more dimensionality than anyone else (and probably had about seven minutes of screen time).
I'd just wait for this to come out on DVD. And I STILL wouldn't recommend it unless you absolutely, positively have to watch SOMETHING for 87 minutes.