SUNSHINE STATE
Best John Sayles film EVER - Must see for fans!
4 stars (out of 4, for Sayles-fans)/3 stars for the rest [(2002)USA/Rated PG-13] - (2 hrs. 21 min.)
Written & directed by John Sayles
Characters/Cast
Marly Temple - Edie Falco
Desiree Perry - Angela Bassett
Delia Temple - Jane Alexander
Furman Temple - Ralph Waite
Dr. Lloyd - Bill Cobbs
Review:
After having to wade through the normal mindless 'summer' film fodder, seeing a movie with great acting and an intelligent script feels like - well - a trip to the Florida coast - and this film gives you BOTH!
Director-writer John Sayles ("Limbo") has finally gotten the 'indie' formula right on this one and I'm putting this it at the head of my top 10 list for 2002 (so far). With some of the funniest and most inciteful dialogue of the year, this film will soon be added to many critics' Top 10 lists by year's end, but don't wait till then - see it now!
I won't spoil the well-conceived symbolic plot that resonates on so many levels, but, I will hail the wonderful cast that populates this excellent soon-to-be cinematic staple. The two leading ladies in this one are veterans who know how to flex their acting 'muscles' and they both present deep, moving, and complex performances:
--first, there's Edie Falco (TV's "The Sopranos") as the middle-aged, but wizened motel owner 'Marly,' a savvy gal that can stave off loneliness and Real Estate buyers with equal facility;
--then there's the always excellent Angela Bassett ("Stella's Got Her Groove Back") as 'Desiree,' the newly married 'actress' who returns to her hometown with much ambivalence and many old scores to settle.
Not to be outdone, several senior members of the acting community provide excellent support to this winning cast:
--almost completely unrecognizeable, Ralph Waite (TV's "The Waltons") portrays Marly's father and practically chews up the scenery in his best performance to date;
--the gracefully aging Jane Alexander ("The Cider House Rules") plays his wife, 'Delia,' a first rate drama queen that garners many laughs with her eccentric and intelligent performance;
--the fine character actor Bill Cobbs ("Enough") is a delight as 'Dr. Lloyd,' the faithful defender of the old ways and the Lincoln Beach district.
In smaller, but equally exemplary roles, look for Mary Steenburgen ("Life is a House"), Mary Alice ("Down in the Delta"), and Timothy Hutton ("Ordinary People").
I could blather on and on about this one, so let me just sum up by saying - 'Check it out' - nuff said!
Supporting Cast:
Reggie - James McDaniel
Jack Meadows - Timothy Hutton
Eunice Stokes - Mary Alice
Francine Pickney - Mary Steenburgen
Terrell Bernard - Alex Lewis
Earl Pickney - Gordon Clapp
Steve Tregaskis - Richard Edson
Flash Phillips - Tom Wright
Greg - Perry Lang
Lester - Miguel Ferrer
Scotty Duval - Marc Blucas
Billy Trucks - Michael Greyeyes
Murray Silver - Alan King
Loretta - Charlayne Woodard
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