SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Noutions Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

djoshtodd Casey Affleck is really good in this movie. He is a real natural actor. This is a low budget prize of a movie. (Which is why I love it) It is cast well with a myriad of character actors you will all know. I won't tell you about this movie too much, because you just need to see it. It is funny and low-key. The plot & scenes change frequently, so you don't get bored watching this movie. Set in Indiana, the film reeks of middle-America the uglier towns on the country, the dope weather, a world with low ceilings and very few windows. The kind of world a young slacker or aspiring dude would leave because there are no opportunities. The way out is by bus, which Jim is supposed to take but somehow doesn't take at the film's end, for reason I can't remember. But worth watching it again. Peace

istomtom I just picked this off the shelf for the hell of it. Throughout the whole movie I was expecting Jim to say more. Maybe that's his appeal to some viewers, but the kid just needed to spit it (his feelings) out more. Come to think of it, the movie lacked dialogue! His character reminded me much of his character in The Last Kiss. I haven't seen many films with Casey Affleck, but I'd draw parallels to Owen Wilson in that his characters are all very similar, typecast so to speak. Casey Affleck is the melancholy quiet kid who lives in his own head. As I expected more from this film I rated it a 5. The case description is also misleading, he doesn't so much 'stumble into a romance' with Liv Tyler's character as they're getting it on in a hospital bed within hours of their meeting each other. I was expecting something more emotional of their relationship and it was HARDLY that.

vcgraves I was attracted to this film by its offbeat, low-key, 'real life' story line. That is, a twenty-something guy flops in the Big Apple and comes back home to live with his parents and even more floppy brother. It just might have worked but there's a problem. And that problem's name is Casey Affleck. Casey Affleck is nearly catatonic in this film. His acting mantra must be "exert as little effort as possible at all times". Or "why speak when you can mutter?" Or maybe "put yourself into a coma as soon as the camera rolls". Lips moving when speaking? Barely. Facial expressions? None. Muscles in face? Atrophied. Something? Nothing. ANYthing? Zip.

samkan Although I agree with many of the people that this was a good movie, I do not necessarily agree that it had a moral, taught a lesson, etc. The script, as economical as it was, was terrific, not to mention hilarious! There is hardly a wasted line, scene, etc. Nobody overacts. The actors simply just do their jobs. Some of the jokes had me laughing out loud at midnight; e.g., when brother #1 says "awesome" upon learning brother #2 has bedded Liv Tyler, #2 thanks him - to which #1 says "No, I'm thinking her standards are so low I've still got a chance".The movie is chock full of tiny lines of great dialog. Most are not crafted jokes but simply hilarious circumstantially, as when the protagonist comments on the strength of the stoner's weed and - in a casual aside - the stoner says, "Yeah, I put some crack in". Also, our hero so deftly manages to unintentionally insult everyone and everything while spilling his guts; e.g., believing he's offering profound insight into life but instead degrading the existence of his listeners. These asides and conversations, like much of the dialogue, are not stand alone funny but fit in so well to the mood and of the setting. The setting and circumstances - failed dreams in the Heartland - could be milked for much melodramatic value but is well treated here in a matter-of-fact manner. This movie is true farce. I hate to use clichés but Lonesome Jim is the perfect example of "What you see (and hear) is exactly what you get.Casey Aflleck could easily have played his role as manic or overly deadpan but finds a great balance. Overlooked is his dad's character, who pulls pathos out of middle America. Liv Tyler displays more skill here than in all her minutes in Lord of the Rings combined. And the stoner uncle, without exaggeration could be a candidate for Best supporting actor. But Mary Kay Place steals the show outright. She is the Everymom of all time. I lost my mom last year and my siblings and I can see now that what we interpreted as mom's naive cheerfulness was actually a profound strength. No small feat to create this observation in a movie which, at times, seems almost completely played for laughs. In fact, the uplifting effect of the movie truly appears as almost an afterthought. Creating something out of nothing is the mark of good art.