AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

PhillipMichaelH Director Brad Silberling isn't the greatest director to ever come out of American film but given that he was trained by working in television and then was even chosen by producer Steven Spielberg to direct his first film says that he is a worthy talent. After 10 years of working in television, Brad Silberling began a friendship with Steven Spielberg, who felt he was the right choice to direct a film which he was producing. The result was the 1995 blockbuster, Casper. While not the greatest film ever made, Silberling proved that he could handle a big budget special effects production and he didn't even have one film to his credit before then but also he showed how he could work well with actors and bring out solid performances. While I'm not defending Casper as a masterpiece, I think it has some inspired moments of comedy and drama in it that dealt with loss of a loved one and how to carry on from such a tragedy. The only thing I could have done without was the last minute of the film where the cast dance along to a Little Richard cover of the popular Casper theme song. Other then that, the movie works well.Silberling then decided to make a more grown up film but still dealt with the same themes of his first feature, the result was City Of Angels (1998) which was an American remake of the popular art house film Wings Of Desire from 1987. Again, not what most would consider a masterpiece but it still showed Silberling's talent with working with actors and it was also a well made film if you ask me. The heavily emotional scenes with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan caught the attention of acting legend Dustin Hoffman and then Silberling was able to make his dream project for his third film.Moonlight Mile (2002) is loosely based on a real experience. Silberling was dating actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989, who was killed by an obsessed fan. This unfortunate event inspired the idea for his most personal and best film to date. I won't give away too much in this review but I felt that this was a unique film about following your own heart and not focus on what is expected of you. Many films have done this in the past but Moonlight Mile has a different take on it because it is also about grief, keeping secrets and not opening up to people which I think makes it even more thought provoking and inspiring which I feel are the two most important elements to a film.So check this one out when you have the chance. Again, not the greatest movie I have seen in my life but it's still an interesting twist on subjects that have been repeated many times. Unfortunately, Silberling has made some weak choices as a director. I will not be defending his latest film Land Of The Lost with Will Ferrell but other then that, the rest of his work is rather impressive and while he hasn't reached the same heights as Steven Spielberg or many other directors who work in the genre he works in, he almost got there with this film. Let's hope if he does make another film, it will take us completely by surprise. We can only hope.

gradyharp MOONLIGHT MILE boasts one of the finest scripts written for a film. Written and directed by Brad Silberling ('10 Items or Less') this little film is so genuine and beautifully crafted and acted that it seems odd that it has not become a cult classic in the art film houses. The story melds tragedy with comic relief in such a successful way that it is truly a slice of life we all have or will encounter. And offering a tough situation as played out by four characters in the end gives us all a sense of balance: bad things happen and pass and what is important is that we each 'find our home', our stable survival place. The film opens in a small town somewhere in the early part of the 1970s, the Vietnam war still a cloud that casts shadows on everyone. Jojo and Ben Floss (Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman) are preparing to wade through the uncomfortable aspects of their daughter Diana's funeral: Diana was accidentally killed in a café when an unknown man attempted to murder his wife over a family dispute. Diana was to be married to Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Joe is in town for the wedding preparations and to reluctantly begin as Ben's partner in selling commercial real estate. In what could be a morbid atmosphere Jojo vents her just under the surface aggressions about how two-faced people are about mourning and funerals and burials. Somehow Jojo, Ben and Joe survive the day and Joe seems to be providing the stabilizing force by standing by his would-have-been parents-in-law. The three of them meet with lawyer Mona (Holly Hunter) to prepare for the trial of the murderer, facing the fact that if convicted the murderer could face the death penalty and the judge would be asking the family for their input on that decision. Joe seeks distance from the situation, meets a pretty postal clerk Bertie (Ellen Pompeo) while attempting to prevent the wedding invitations to go out in the email: later Joe discovers the Bertie waits tables at Cal's Bar and Grill at night, a gesture of devotion to the owner/boyfriend Cal who has been missing for three years in Vietnam. The song 'Moonlight mile' connects the two needy people and they head toward a lighthearted but anxious mutual feeling of companionship. Meanwhile, Jojo has been unable to continue as a writer since Diana's death, Ben buries his emotions about losing his only child by concentrating on the new 'Floss & Son' realty company, and the couple argues about life in general and all but adopts Joe as their only compensation for the loss of their daughter. Joe holds a secret: he broke off his engagement with Diana before the wedding - a fact that has many permutations to the actual incident in the café and the manner in which he feels Ben and Jojo will react to him. How this revelation comes to light in the courtroom makes a unique impact on all concerned and Joe's steadfast truthfulness actually mends the lives of the Floss family and his own perception of his future. Silberling's script tackles many issues and does so with genuine pathos and compassion, creating wholly believable characters that are gratefully fleshed out by this extraordinary cast. Susan Sarandon once again proves why she is one of our finest actresses on the screen today, while Gyllenhaal and Hoffman and Pompeo and Hunter match her every move. The power of this film comes in the quiet moments, moments when we are reminded what makes relationships work, how we all need to find that special harbor we call home. An amazingly fine film! Grady Harp

bzb2001 People grieve in different ways. In the case of 'Moonlight Mile,' the way people don't grieve may even come into question. There is a crassness involved when people assume they would act different. How do you know unless you're in that exact situation? Brad Silberling writes and directs 'Moonlight Mile,' a film as touching and heartfelt as it is off the cuff and quirky. As in Silberling's other efforts, 'City of Angels' and 'Casper', he has created a film that perhaps overloads on the whim and fanciful but lands as an entirely engrossing experience.Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the fiancée of a woman who is murdered in a small town eatery. We meet him as well as the woman's parents, played by Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman, at the funeral and we are surprised by the lack of emotion of any kind. But what does not surprise us is the undertones of pain. Sarandon's mother hides under a blanket of sarcasm and calloused annoyance of the clichéd behavior shown by family friends and well-wishers. Hoffman's father copes by staying busy. Busy with the funeral, busy with the business, busy with the sick dog, and ultimately busy with the murder trial.If there is a section of the film that can be pointed to as being not on par with the rest of the film it would be the preparation for the trial. Though it makes sense this would be included in this type of story, the tone does not ring true with the rest of the film. There is a strong performance by Holly Hunter as the prosecuting attorney, as she attempts to put the murderer behind bars, or worse.It should be said the film is based in part on the murder of Silberling's own fiancée, actress Rebecca Schaeffer. I feel that real life instance helped with the tone which is somber, yet whimsical. In fact there is a scene that involves a dog puking on the shoes of a hand-wringing relative at the funeral. So how depressing can it possibly be? The very best section of the film encompasses newcomer Ellen Pompeo who plays Bertie. She works at the post office and is enlisted by Gyllenhaal to retrieve the wedding invitations which were never halted. She also tends the local bar where she patiently awaits her boyfriend, who is MIA in Vietnam. She carries her scenes with a veracity that keeps her quirky lovability intertwined with a grievous glow of sadness just aching to get out. She is, of course, Gyllenhaal's moral dilemma. How can he care for his fiancée's family if he is suddenly in love with another girl? There is a subset of people who didn't like this film simply because it allowed it's characters to be human. Not all people grieve like your supposed to on TV. Maybe there isn't a lot of wallowing and screaming. Maybe the emotions are kept within and bubble to the top only momentarily. It is almost always more interesting what emotions an actor can hide rather than an over the top burst.It is also true there is no easy way to swallow 'Moonlight Mile.' There isn't a way in to it's core that is accessible without accepting these people for who they are. It can be hard to accept the whimsy or the humor when we are supposed to be sad that a person has died. It is hard to shift gears into a courtroom drama when we are also put in a position of watching a budding romance. But isn't that true of all of us? Can any of us be compartmentalized as sad or angry or distraught without having to also apply other labels of varying truth? In 'Moonlight Mile' we are not asked to rely on our own senses to complete the story, we need to rely on accepting someone else's. ***.5 out of ****

JSL26 I just watched the film uncut on Japanese TV. I found most of the film unfulfilling. The story was thin. Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon were straining to make something out of their roles. Jake G.'s blankness was irritating and Holly Hunter was a cipher.Nevertheless, it was worthwhile because Ellen Pompeo was absolutely perfect. As the commenter from Turkey said so eloquently: "Every man in this world easily in love with this character which Ellen Pompeo gave life." I might have to start watching Grey's Anatomy after this! One other good thing about the film was the soundtrack. The not-so-well-known Van Morrison songs ("I'll Be Your Lover Too" and "Sweet Thing") really gave the love story a boost.