Elizabethtown

::I'm impossible to forget but hard to remember::

A couple good movies came this weekend--Elizabethtown and Thumbsucker. Drew and I went and saw Elizabethtown this afternoon. We had some differing opinions so maybe he will chime in with his later. Bottom line for me is that it was a step above most romantic comedies. I would see it again but was *slightly* let down at this first viewing. However, you go into it knowing that there is a potential for cheese and awkward acting.


The basic plot of the movie: Drew (Orlando hotness Bloom) is in the midst of some utter job failure when he finds out that his father has passed away unexpectedly while visiting family in KY. He is sent (by his mother and sister) to go claim his father's body. Along the way he meets Claire (Kirsten Dunst) and she fills a void that he has been missing. Ok, you're caught up. Onto the analysis.


1. Great, great, great soundtrack...Not because the songs chosen were all great, but because they complimented and summarized the scene really well. Of course, what would you expect from the guy who brought us Say Anything.

2. Kirsten Dunst was slightly off in this role. I normally enjoy her (except when she does exceptionally bad movies like Mona Lisa Smiles and Wimbledon). I REALLY enjoyed her in Eternal. However, her accent was poor and she was forced in quite a few scenes. Although, that may have been more a product of the writing.

3. My biggest complaint was that the dialogue wasn't always realistic. I think the script really captured the messed up, country, judgmental family but didn't do as good of job caputuring the emptyness and isolation of the individual characters. There were some scenes between Bloom and Dunst that were just flat out bad. She had a horrible southern accent and was delivering lines that NO ONE says. As romantic as it may be, no one discloses as much as she disclosed to a man she met on an airplane. Just am not buying it. However, the script did have a few powerful and not cliche lines.

4. The script also lacked some realistic time sequence. Bloom was gone for about 4 days and in that time his mother took up organic cooking, auto machanics and tap dancing. She learned so much tap dance that she was able to do a dance in honor of her deceased husband. Sure.

5. The only real relationship that was explored was that of Claire and Drew. Lots of tension was alluded to between Drew and Dad. Mom and the family. Drew and his cousin...but nothing was teased out. I hate to see all those cans of worms opened and then left squirming about.


I think that is about it. I would recommend this movie to others. But walk to the theatre--don't run.