A Walk on the Moon (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'A Walk on the Moon' (actor Tony Goldwyn, of Ghost fame, is the 1st-time director, here) is a beautifully acted drama about infidelity during the lazy days of summer in 1969, when astronauts landed on the moon & the counter-culture would be celebrating sexual liberation over at Woodstock, NY. Pearl Kantrowitz (Diane Lane) is somewhat-happily married to Marty (Liev Schreiber), a TV repairman. Pearl met Marty when she was very young and had her very unexpected & unplanned 1st child when she was just a teen. Now in her early 30s, Pearl feels restless & 'trapped by life'; she's content, but wants more. As they have done for many a summer, Pearl & her two children stay at a quaint Catskill Mts. bungalow resort while Marty works in the city.
With her hubby around only on the weekends, Pearl nervously embarks on an affair with Walker Jerome (Viggo Mortensen), a blonde, sexy, free-spirited traveling blouse salesman -- Walker's gentle, easy-going hippie demeanor draws her to him. Meanwhile, her 14 yr. old daughter, Alison (Anna Paquin), is coming of age sexually {wears a peace medallion, finds a boyfriend, gets her period} and starts rebelling against the rules & regulations laid out by her parents. Marty's intuitive mother, "Bubbie" (Tovah Feldshuh) - who typically comes along on these trips - senses that something is quite awry in her son's marriage and, sternly warns him that he must start communicating more with Pearl about her need for a change in her life ... before it is too late.
Man's 1st steps on the moon that summer are used as an earthly AND metaphorical backdrop for the drama in this film. Pearl & her daughter represent an emergent clash of cultures & mood change that was happening in the U.S. from the 1960s into the '70s. It was a volatile time in American which included the Vietnam War, the yearning for new kinds of freedom, the sexual revolution, & changes in the way that families were defined. This theme is apparent and, the drama in the film highlights the theme ... I just don't know that it made for the most riveting of storylines. I like the film, but there's something unremarkable about it.
Diane Lane gives us a complex character who isn't the most likeable person, but we do understand why she feels how she feels. Credit to Lane for making us still kinda sorta like her despite her actions. Liev Schreiber is good as the stiff who works hard to support his family; he's the most sympathetic character in the film. Anna Paquin - so good from Fly Away Home & in her Oscar-winning performance in The Piano - is solid as the daughter whose rebelliousness mirrors her mother's in wanting to break-free of her own confines. Viggo Mortensen is somewhat typecast as 'the other man' at this point {as from A Perfect Murder}, but he executes the role very well; providing a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve sexuality & personality that is very appealing. Beyond that, some needed humor comes in the form of a few characters; particularly Tovah Feldshuh's self-proclaimed clairvoyant "Bubbie".
I admire the period feel & vibe of it all; reminding me in a good way of Dirty Dancing. Given that it was 1969, director Tony Goldwyn peppers the proceedings with background music from the likes of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, & more. The period details & sets, the iconic music, the bungalow colonies ... it all brings on a great sense of nostalgia. So yeah, I enjoyed this film. There are many laudable components to it. The hopeful finale shows that marriages can last if the parties involve agree to flexibility, change & understanding. That said, the build-up to that conclusion wasn't as riveting or satisfactory as I wanted it to be. Despite the stellar performances & cool 1969 vibe, the subject matter & execution of it could have been more involving. To that, I give the film a mild recommendation as something quite watchable, if not amazing.
With her hubby around only on the weekends, Pearl nervously embarks on an affair with Walker Jerome (Viggo Mortensen), a blonde, sexy, free-spirited traveling blouse salesman -- Walker's gentle, easy-going hippie demeanor draws her to him. Meanwhile, her 14 yr. old daughter, Alison (Anna Paquin), is coming of age sexually {wears a peace medallion, finds a boyfriend, gets her period} and starts rebelling against the rules & regulations laid out by her parents. Marty's intuitive mother, "Bubbie" (Tovah Feldshuh) - who typically comes along on these trips - senses that something is quite awry in her son's marriage and, sternly warns him that he must start communicating more with Pearl about her need for a change in her life ... before it is too late.
Man's 1st steps on the moon that summer are used as an earthly AND metaphorical backdrop for the drama in this film. Pearl & her daughter represent an emergent clash of cultures & mood change that was happening in the U.S. from the 1960s into the '70s. It was a volatile time in American which included the Vietnam War, the yearning for new kinds of freedom, the sexual revolution, & changes in the way that families were defined. This theme is apparent and, the drama in the film highlights the theme ... I just don't know that it made for the most riveting of storylines. I like the film, but there's something unremarkable about it.
Diane Lane gives us a complex character who isn't the most likeable person, but we do understand why she feels how she feels. Credit to Lane for making us still kinda sorta like her despite her actions. Liev Schreiber is good as the stiff who works hard to support his family; he's the most sympathetic character in the film. Anna Paquin - so good from Fly Away Home & in her Oscar-winning performance in The Piano - is solid as the daughter whose rebelliousness mirrors her mother's in wanting to break-free of her own confines. Viggo Mortensen is somewhat typecast as 'the other man' at this point {as from A Perfect Murder}, but he executes the role very well; providing a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve sexuality & personality that is very appealing. Beyond that, some needed humor comes in the form of a few characters; particularly Tovah Feldshuh's self-proclaimed clairvoyant "Bubbie".
I admire the period feel & vibe of it all; reminding me in a good way of Dirty Dancing. Given that it was 1969, director Tony Goldwyn peppers the proceedings with background music from the likes of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, & more. The period details & sets, the iconic music, the bungalow colonies ... it all brings on a great sense of nostalgia. So yeah, I enjoyed this film. There are many laudable components to it. The hopeful finale shows that marriages can last if the parties involve agree to flexibility, change & understanding. That said, the build-up to that conclusion wasn't as riveting or satisfactory as I wanted it to be. Despite the stellar performances & cool 1969 vibe, the subject matter & execution of it could have been more involving. To that, I give the film a mild recommendation as something quite watchable, if not amazing.