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Living a lie in order to protect other people’s
feelings may not be too smart, but sometimes it
seems like the right thing to do. In MOONLIGHT
MILE, a young man lingers in the home of his
accidentally murdered fiancée, even though the
engaged couple recently agreed to call off their
wedding. Because the bride-to-be’s parents know
nothing about this break-up, the groom-to-be stays
to help them through their bereavement. When he
unexpectedly meets and falls for someone new, his
masquerade becomes unbearable.
With a star-studded cast including Oscar-winners
Susan Sarandon (DEAD MAN WALKING), Dustin Hoffman
(RAIN MAN), and Holly Hunter (THE PIANO), I
expected something special from this unusual film.
And I wasn’t disappointed. Sarandon and Hoffman
play the grieving mom and dad with excruciating
realism. Sarandon’s "JoJo" faces each day using
sarcasm and a biting wit to hide her deep sorrow.
Hoffman’s character thinks if Joe joins him as a
partner in his business, he can still keep his
daughter close to him. Hunter, who appears only in
a few scenes, excels as an aggressive district
attorney trying to prosecute the daughter’s
killer.
But it’s Jake Gyllenhaal’s soulful performance as
Joe Nast, a young man in the middle of an
intolerable situation, that impressed me most. I
couldn’t take my eyes off this former "Bubble
Boy." Combining pathos and charisma, Gyllenhaal
pulled me into Joe’s troublesome world and kept me
there during the entire movie. At the end of the
film, I felt emotionally exhausted – but
completely satisfied, largely due to Gyllenhaal’s
stunning work.
Ellen Pompeo (OLD SCHOOL) provides strong support
as Bertie, a member of the walking wounded who
fascinates Joe. Suffering the loss of someone she
loved dearly, Bertie seems wary of further
attachments – but finds Joe hard to resist.
Because the relationship between Bertie and Joe
develops so slowly, I wanted to push these two
lost souls together as quickly as possible, then
force them to live happily ever after.
Written and directed by Brad Silberling (CITY OF
ANGELS), MOONLIGHT MILE soars above typical
romantic movies in its depiction of genuine
problems faced by people who care about each
other. Inspired by a real incident – the killing
of television actress Rebecca Schaeffer from "My
Sister Sam" (who was engaged to Silberling at the
time of her death), this provocative film deals
with substantive issues relating to love, grief,
letting go, and concern for other people’s
feelings. After the movie’s screening at the Taos
Talking Picture Festival 2002, Sarandon said she
agreed to appear in MOONLIGHT MILE because of
Silberling’s passion for the project. She made a
wise decision. This wonderful film tops my "Best
Movies of 2002" list.
(Released by Touchstone Pictures and rated "PG-13"
for some sensuality and brief strong language.)
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