This movie reminded me in a way of the underrated (in my opinion) British movie The Martins. It shines a light on people who at first blush aren’t too likable – Amy Adams’ Ashley is a beacon of unadulterated childlike joy amidst people initially either too up their own butt with city snobbery or who have neglected their own needs completely; even she herself has her flaws, allowing the father of her soon-to-born child to be as completely detached and passive as he is.

By the end of the movie, I wanted to hug each and every one of them. The ending, I have to admit, is kind of predictable, but I think this was maybe intentional. Adams infests Ashley with such joy and optimism that every smile brings another batch of tears as you know how broken she will be when the end comes – only to finally surprise us once more by holding on. “Don’t worry about her, she’s a firecracker,” her mother-in-law says at the end. She’s a character I will never forget. That said, Amy Adams is the one who’s been getting all the attention, but I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite from this perfect ensemble of actors who realise every single character just as well as the cast of Pieces of April, a similar tale of family friction, did.

I can’t wait to see this again, it’s an instant fave.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 17th, 2006 at 8:50 pm and is filed under 5 hearts, Movie Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.