FIVE NIGHTS IN MAINE (2016)

May 1, 2016

Dallas International Film Festival 2016

5 nights Greetings again from the darkness. Every young filmmaker should be so fortunate to have Dianne Wiest and David Oyelowo accept roles in their first feature film. With what appears to be little more than an outline for a script, these two top notch actors bring the weight necessary to make us care about their characters … neither being especially likable.

Written and directed by Maris Curran, it’s a story of two people working through their grief and guilt, unable to share the burden due to their inability to get past their own feelings. When a woman dies in a car crash, her husband Sherwin (David Oyelowo) and mother Lucinda (Dianne Wiest) are both devastated. Sherwin tries to drown his depression with non-stop boozing, and ultimately accepts Lucinda’s invitation to visit her in rural Maine (a long way from his home in Atlanta).

The two have never gotten along with each other, and it turns out they each had a strained relationship with the now deceased wife/daughter. What follows are some uncomfortable dinners and conversations punctuated with much awkward silence … or cruelly pointed comments from cancer-stricken Lucinda. An unusually reserved and charming Rosie Perez is at her least obnoxious in the limited role of Lucinda’s nurse (and Sherwin’s confidante).

There are few things that waste more energy than a competition over who deserves to grieve more. In fact, Lucinda has a line where she states that being a parent brings out the worst in people … in this movie, that holds true for grieving as well. These two characters are not their best selves as they struggle to come to grips with the gaping hole that now exists in their lives.

“It should have been me” is not an uncommon thought for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one … especially if they are haunted by the past. The sub-plot of the marital battle over whether to have kids becomes much easier to understand as we get to know Lucinda. As talented as Ms. Wiest and Mr. Oyelowo are, it still would have been nice to have a tighter script, and director Curran could have backed off the relentless hand-held close-ups without sacrificing the solitude and intimacy. Beyond that, she does have some good insight into the process of mourning, and how so many people hold those emotions down deep.

film website:

http://www.fivenightsinmaine.com/

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

RABBIT HOLE (2010)

December 31, 2010

 Greetings again from the darkness. It would be very easy to dismiss this film as a depressing story or a real downer for the holiday season. Admittedly, the timing of its release is a bit odd, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a very well made and extremely well acted film. This is a character study in dealing with grief … the breathless grief of losing a young child. The story is told with respect, warmth and even touches of humor. Based on the acclaimed play from David Lindsay-Abaire, director John Cameron Mitchell stays true to the individuals within the story and avoids a weepfest.

Nicole Kidman plays Becca, who is married to Howie (Aaron Eckhart). The couple are 8 months removed from the death of their 4 year old son who was killed when he chased his dog into the street. 8 months or 8 years. When in group therapy, Becca and Howie meet Gaby (Sandra Oh) who has been in the group for 8 years. Healing has its own timeline for each person. Becca has little use for the “God people” or the group addicts and quickly stops attending. Instead, she spends her time lashing out at everyone … her husband, her mother, her pregnant sister … even her dog and a lady at the grocery store.

Oddly enough, it is her bond with the high school boy who was driving the car that killed her son that helps her break through. She senses his pain and he understands hers. The story does a subtle and terrific job of showing how we are all touched by grief and how it affects the way we live our life. The best scene in the film is with Becca and her mother (Dianne Weist) in the basement. Her mother honestly tells her that “it” never goes away, but it does change. The grief becomes “bearable”. That’s really the goal.

No matter how many books are written on the topic, no blueprint will ever be one-size-fits-all for coping with the void and emptiness from the loss of a loved one. This story shows that if you can keep moving forward and keep connecting with others, the burden will become bearable.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you enjoy character studies with outstanding performances … even if they are based around the process of dealing with grief.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you prefer lighter fare in your holiday flicks – this certainly isn’t A Christmas Story

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Posted by David Ferguson