Box of Moonlight (1996)

I decided to write a review of this film while watching it, just to make sure the boring 112 minutes it takes to get through it are not a complete waste of time. This is sophomoric male fantasy, embarrassing in its stupidity. "Jesus Christ kid, that's an $1800 window," says Al as his new-found friend takes him on a shooting rampage. The entire film is one absurd and phony protestation after another from Al, followed by his gleeful compliance with every idiotic stunt of theft or vandalism the fool in the woods dreams up. Mid-life crisis? Mental breakdown? I don't know and the movie never prompts me to care. At this point in the film, people are seeing Jesus in a hamburger placard. Amusing? Now the two fools are getting beat up. I give up.

Fmovies: There were, indeed, some cute moments, and the acting was just fine. The script, however, presented us with people that were simply unbelievable - they just didn't act or react as any actual people would. A touch of the fantastic can be delightful - but the mother who affirms that her kid is studying (to his father) while he plays video games just doesn't exist. The husband/wife relationship was ... vaguely polite. The boss/work crew relationship could only be imagined by someone who has never actually had a job - certainly none that they did well.

One wonders where the writer/director lives - this movie gives the firm impression that they've never actually seen any people who weren't on a television screen.

That's a couple of hours I'll never get back.

This is a great little movie that few people have seen. It's about Al Fountain's business trip to the boonies. Al's an uptight, must to everything by the book kinda guy. Because of this, his workers make fun of him and his little boy is a little intimidated.

Once Al gets to the boonies, the work contract is cancelled. Al decides to try and find a lake he went to as a kid. This is the jest of the whole movie for me. Al realizes he is acting too "adult-like" and wants to find the inner-kid in himself. I think we can all relate to this on some level.

I won't ruin the whole movie because you REALLY need to see it, but by accident, Al meets Bucky (the Kid) and remembers what it is like to be carefree and childlike. I think in turn, that helps him with his familly life. Kudos to John Turturro and Sam Rockwell for their roles in this movie!

Box of Moonlight fmovies. We first meet Al Fountain (John Turturro) at a remote construction site in the country, where he is the foreman. Immediately, we recognize who and what he is: The Boss; obsessive and meticulous about the work, tenacious in regard to detail. At the same time, it is obvious that he is sorely lacking when it comes to his relationship with his crew. Not that he is a bad guy; neither overbearing nor abusive with his employees, he is, in fact, somewhat personable in his own way. It's just that everything in his vision is so clearly cut in black and white. In the world of Al Fountain there are absolutely no shades of gray. This is further established when he phones his wife and young son to check in and give her an update on the job. When he tells her that one of the guys has invited him to play poker that night (much to the chagrin of the rest of the crew), she is ecstatic and encourages him to go. Clearly, she loves him, but knows how he is. When he quizzes his son on his multiplication tables and the response is unacceptable, flash cards are ordered. When Dad gets home there will be another quiz. In a brilliant metaphor, we see the flash cards as they are perceived by the boy; they are huge, nearly as big as he is, Marley's chains he must carry wherever he goes without respite.

When the job is abruptly closed down, Al finds himself with some time to reflect on his life, which he uncharacteristically embraces, prompted by an incident at the poker game the previous evening. At this point the story really begins, and we follow Al on a drive through the country, which ultimately becomes a journey of self-discovery. Along the way he meets 'The Kid,' (Sam Rockwell), a charismatic, though somewhat naive young man who lives alone in the remnants of a trailer situated on a secluded parcel of land far off the beaten path. It is a lifestyle that Al, initially, simply cannot comprehend. When The Kid explains that he lives 'off the grid,' it is beyond anything Al can fathom. In the end, this movie is a textured tale of awareness and the importance of setting one's personal priorities. Extremely well presented and acted, it is touching and poignant without the unnecessary burden (in this case) of undue sentiment.

The supporting cast includes Catherine Keener, Lisa Blount, Annie Corley and Dermot Mulroney. In 'Box of Moonlight,' writer-director Tom DiCillo offers us a journey that is well worth the taking. I rate this one 9/10

Everything in this film is about subtlety... I think that's why it has such a lasting effect.

It's definitely one of those "mischievous" films... sort of an escape from reality that makes you wonder why you and others take themselves so seriously. It's something that will most likely linger with you for a while. This film made me re-evaluate the seriousness of my life. I think this is among the only films that actually has changed my life somewhat.

Sam Rockwell is an excellent actor. He also does not shy away from quirky roles that require liberal use of nudity. Just as in "Lawn Dogs," Sammy shows it all in "Box of Moonlight." The film is really an actor's showcase for John Tuturro too. He is perfect as the socially inept engineer who is "shown the (moon) light" by Rockwell. One can quibble about the choices the two characters make on their road to emotional "freedom," but the movie is charming none-the-less, and a nice companion film to "Lawn Dogs" in its depiction of life in south central America. This is an "Adult Fable," So suspend your need for action, and discover you have new needs: for character development, for dialog, for symbolism, for magic.