Although Christopher Lambert is known for action films such as the "Highlander" series, here he's in a most unusual role--playing a mentally challenged man named Gideon. What makes him unusual is that when the story begins, he's checking into a retirement home....and the residents are shocked to see someone this young living there. They also are incredibly slow in noticing that Gideon is disabled.
What intrigued me about this movie when it began was its cast. It's full of very familiar elderly actors--and I was very impressed to see the likes of Carrol O'Connor, Charlton Heston, Shirley Jones, Shelly Winters, Barbara Bain and Mike Connors. Now that is some cast!!
In many ways, Lambert's character is much like Chauncy Gardner in "Being There"....a handsome and very 'normal' looking guy who people often assume is not mentally challenged. In some cases, like Chauncy, folks even think he has great depth of intellect...mostly because that's what they want to see in him. He also has some amazing abilities underneath it all...and he's also, oddly, hiding something.
So is it any good? Well, good or bad, I was excited to see Lambert doing something different...as too many actors get pigeon-holed into playing the same type roles again and again. This combined with the cast, make it worth seeing. Be forewarned, however...it's DEFINITELY a box of Kleenex sort of film as there are some very sad plot elements.
What intrigued me about this movie when it began was its cast. It's full of very familiar elderly actors--and I was very impressed to see the likes of Carrol O'Connor, Charlton Heston, Shirley Jones, Shelly Winters, Barbara Bain and Mike Connors. Now that is some cast!!
In many ways, Lambert's character is much like Chauncy Gardner in "Being There"....a handsome and very 'normal' looking guy who people often assume is not mentally challenged. In some cases, like Chauncy, folks even think he has great depth of intellect...mostly because that's what they want to see in him. He also has some amazing abilities underneath it all...and he's also, oddly, hiding something.
So is it any good? Well, good or bad, I was excited to see Lambert doing something different...as too many actors get pigeon-holed into playing the same type roles again and again. This combined with the cast, make it worth seeing. Be forewarned, however...it's DEFINITELY a box of Kleenex sort of film as there are some very sad plot elements.