Water Under the Bridge (2003) User Reviews

Dreadfully useless and boring film . . . .

[saberlee44 · 1/10 · 27 July 2006]

The theme of this film, working through the past and making amends with what happened way back when, and forgiving those who hurt us, is something that most of us can relate to in some way. However, that said, in order for this theme to really work, there needs to be a main character (ANY CHARACTER!!) who evokes empathy, something that was null and void for me in this film.

Nick, who has just returned to San Francisco, takes an apartment, gets a job as a bartender, has a semi-thing with his single-mom landlady, fools around with some other woman, paints, and has flashbacks about his father, his mother, and a friend named Marco. Dull as they are, Nick's vague and uninteresting feelings reveal themselves through his paintings, his memories, and his behavior.

Expect to see this DVD in your nearest and dearest discount bin. It is painfully slow, offers characters who give nothing and who one probably won't ever think about again. The best part of the film is when it's over. Roll credits, roll! Be done with you, bad, bad film! Deciding I must have missed something, I watched the BEHIND THE SCENES hoping for some enlightenment. After watching about 10-15 minutes of the cast and crew being totally silly and off-the-wall (in a way that seemed funny ONLY to them), I gave up. Enlightenment was not to be had. I hung up and called the Dalai Lama! I really wish I could get the time back that I spent watching this film. I really do. I feel that my time was wasted. Oh, well, nothing I can do about it now . . . .after all, as my friend the Dalai Lama reminded me, that's WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE.

Craig Sheffer is so talented and interesting to watch. The rest of the movie is not.

[RobLuvsTheMountains · 3/10 · 4 December 2019]

This movie is slow moving. The acting is stilted and the plot and character development run at a snail's pace. The exception is Craig Sheffer. Every time he is in a scene the movie comes alive, is vibrant, interesting and entertaining to watch. It was the craziest thing to see: I was flabbergasted by the stark difference between Mr. Sheffer's talent and every one else's. My other complaints are in the "plot". I think the plot is about forgiveness. The writer was not subtle when he had a non speaking scene in which Jake is sitting on a church sign that says "GRACE." It's pretty lame when movie makers want to inject signs of religion without having the courage to actually flesh it out. Jake's mother is an alcoholic and Jake's father murdered Jake's best friend. The movie pushes the idea of forgiveness and restored relationships WITHOUT any admittance of guilt, or expressions of remorse or regret. Forgiveness is good for the soul, regardless of whether the offender regrets their actions, but for relationship to be restored there is a need for some honesty and repentance. Neither of Jake's parents admit any guilt or show any sorrow for the harm they've caused. Yet, the writers seem to want the viewers to be deeply touched by the scene in which Jake is holding his father's hand while they "pull the plug" after he has a heart attack. I didn't find it touching at all. The father had a heart attack because he was yelling at Jake. It may have done him some good to say how sorry he is for all the damage he'd done. So, all in all, the bottom line is I would give this movie 10 stars for Craig Sheffer's acting. Unfortunately the rest of the movie is not good.

I liked this movie

[nightbreed_16 · 10/10 · 16 April 2006]

I like water under the bridge because I like all the emotions of the story line with Marco's (Craig Sheffer) death and all the father son issues that the main star had played by (Scott Cooper) as Jake remember's when his best friend Marco was killed in front of him in his father's supermarket and his father (Tommy Hinkley) holding the gun. And also starring (Gabrielle Anwar) as Catherine, as an Landlandy aka a landlord. That Jake has an interest in. Also Jakes mother is an alcoholic played by (Theresa Russell). It was a well thought out film. Plus along side of the film is the behind the scenes look at the movie you will laugh your head off in some parts of the making of the movie.