The Shipping News (2001): Dir: Lasse Hallstrom / Cast: Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett, Pete Postlethwaite: Intriguing title symbolizes persistence. After his bar hopping wife is found dead in an auto accident, Kevin Spacey and his daughter go live with an aunt in a house that bares a painful past. Flimsy subplots include incest, murder, false heart attacks, unfaithful spouses, etc. This distracts from core issues and hinder as oppose to develop character. Director Lasse Hallstrom has vision but no payoff. It is below his work in Chocolat but certainly an improvement over the overrated abortion drama The Cider House Rules, which, for some strange reason was given undeserved praise for being a disjointed piece of sh*t. Innovative performance by Spacey who survives the bland subplots by being genuine. Judi Dench plays the aunt who might have been more interesting had she not gotten caught up in useless melodrama regarding the past. She eventually resorts to pouring ashes down a toilet. Julianne Moore plays a withdrawing kindergarten teacher who predictably must get involved with Spacey then open up with a long speech about her past that we've long lost interest in. Cate Blanchett steals scenes as Spacey's sleazy wife. She delivers the most interesting performance in the film. Well made drama featuring a strong theme of healing traumas. Score: 7 ½ / 10
Review of The Shipping News
