Elizabethtown (2005)

I don't know why the Boston Globe Critic hated it, but I loved "Elizabethtown!" My wife and I don't go to a lot of movies, so we choose very carefully when we do.

This film was anything but predictable, and it really kept moving. It tells the story of a young executive, Drew Baylor(Orlando Bloom) who has just launched a new high-tech athletic shoe at a company a lot like Nike, Reebok, and their ilk. Early on in the movie, he learns that the shoe is a billion dollar flop and leaves in disgrace. For eight years he has worked day and night for the company, "married to his career," so to speak. So when his world turns upside down, he's so lost he attempts an almost clever suicide plan. Then, things really get bad. A frantic phone call from his sister tells him that his father has died, very suddenly while visiting his family in Elizabethville, Kentucky. His sister, and especially his mother (Susan Sarandon) take it so hard and can't even go to the funeral.

On the way Dtew meets a most unusual flight attendant, Claire (Kirsten Dunst in a delightful role) who shakes up his world. Drew of course is not his usual self with two major tragedies at once, and at first has a very difficult time mixing in with his father's family. An endearing performance by Paula Deen of the Food Channel leads the unlikely collection of his Kentucky family. Claire keeps showing up and brings Drew back into the world. You can tell from the brief flashbacks and other clues that Drew's father Mitch was really a great guy, and Drew comes to regret the fact that he had not spent much time with his Dad in his eight years as a Corporate Superstar.

I won't go into the story much more than that because that would be giving too much away. I'll just say that this movie took many delightful turns with Claire, Drew, and his zany family.

I think the most important thing I took away from the movie is that no matter how bad things get in your life, you should never give up. And of course, don't we all have a family back home somewhere made up of a homespun, delightful cast of characters? I have my own dear family back in Pennsylvania and Ohio. When all else fails, your family is always there.

Crowe has stuffed a great sound track into the many scenes of the movie. The cast is delightful. There are some really entertaining moments including Drew's cousin's rock band playing "Free Bird" and Susan Sarandon tap dancing to "Moon River." There are so many great lines, you'll laugh out loud! And of course the ending -- a surprise, but a delightful one!

Don't miss "Elizabethtown!"

Fmovies: If you're a cynic, you'll hate this movie. If, on the other hand, you appreciate movies that celebrate the rush of an unexpected love affair, weird but good-hearted relatives, and making the most of the time that is given us, this film is for you.

Drew Baylor is a young man swamped by disaster. Claire is the effervescent flight attendant who throws him a lifeline. Their romance plays out amidst a Southern family's turmoil over the loss of Drew's father. Alternately sad but sweet, funny and dramatic, Elizabethtown gives you the chance to spend a long, eventful weekend with these endearing characters. I wouldn't mind a return trip at all.

Orlando Bloom struck a perfect balance between humor and pathos. I'd go on a road trip with you and Sidi any day, Lando. Have you ever been to Wall Drug or The Corn Palace? I'll make us a mix map and we can roll on through the Badlands...

This movie is a salute to all of us whose hearts still reside in "Flyover Land". As for the cynics, you can keep all your sordid little crime dramas. Personally, I get enough of that just watching the daily news.

Watching the previews, one might expect some movie about a guy who loses a bunch of money. But that's just a hook. It's not really what the story is about.

This is one of those road flicks, where Bloom's character Drew is forced to go on a journey of sorts... and in the process realizes that while he was busy trying to succeed, he missed out on doing all the things that really matter.

This movie has all the markers of a Crowe flick... an awesome soundtrack for starters. What is unexpected about this movie, though, is how funny it is. It deals with some heavy subject matter (death, suicide, failure) in a way that's fresh... and light. There are some scenes that had the audience crying, they were laughing so hard.

It has many of the same American nostalgic qualities to it, that orange dusty tint to the American landscape that ultimately makes most people nostalgic for a home they've never had. The small town, where everyone knows your name (or in this case, your dad's name).

Crowe introduced this movie saying that a lot of the scenes were from his memories of childhood and his family's eccentricities, which you definitely see. He completely succeeds in capturing the moments (often embarrassing) that families share... and outsiders never get to see.

All in all, it's a fantastic gem. If you liked Almost Famous, you'll love this one.

Elizabethtown fmovies. Cameron Crowe has managed to capture life in a single film. I've never seen a Cameron Crowe film before, so I didn't know he was capable of that. Basic storyline, Drew Baylor has to go to Elizabethtown, Kentucky from his home in Oregon to plan the funeral of his father and meets an interesting young woman, Claire, who helps him feel like he can live again. You see, I have a Southern family, and when I say Southern, I mean deep fried, as in Tennessee and Mississippi. I saw in this film a true Southern family with all of its dysfunctions and with all of its love. Southerners do have a distaste for outsiders, a love of food, and a strange fascination with death, but once they know you, they will take you to their bosom. And Crowe manages to portray Southerners without making fun of them, which is not something a lot of people manage. He juxtaposes a wedding with a funeral and both are big affairs in the south as they should be in life. The last part of the film is a road trip mapped out by Claire (Kirsten Dunst) that Drew (Orlando Bloom) takes with the ashes of his father. He sees the place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. And he visits the memorial of the Oklahoma City bombing. I'm going to stop here and say that I am a native born Oklahoman, and I was in the third grade on April 19, 1995. It was nice to know that somebody who is not from Oklahoma remembered, respected, and honored the victims and the survivors of the tragedy in such a way. Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst both give wonderful performances (probably the best of both of their careers) in this film. Dunst is perfect at being sweet, Southern, and mischievous. Bloom is great when he's having his heart-to-heart with his father (who is in an urn) and he's laughing and crying at the same time. This happens in real life a lot, but you rarely see it in movies because so few actors can get to that place emotionally and sell it on screen. Overall, it's a beautiful film. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love.

I went into this movie not knowing what to expect. I left totally satisfied with the money I spent. As I watched this movie I reflected on my life and the relationships I shared with my family. It was quite relevant and rewarding. The soundtrack was exceptional and the acting was superior. I enjoyed this movie from the beginning to the credits. I was totally disappointed with Vanilla Sky and went to this movie really expecting to pan it. It was suggested I see it by the same person I saw Vanilla Sky with, of course they enjoyed Vanilla Sky. I thought this film should have garnered more Oscar attention, especially in a weak year. I would recommend this movie to anyone who really enjoys human life and film, it is that enjoyable. So if you are a fan of Mission Impossible or such don't waste your money, your tastes are not refined enough for this film. I have since bought the DVD and the soundtrack. I rank this as a must see for true movie goers.

I don't know. It seems to me that Americans have lost their taste for "small" films - films that emphasize character, rather than explosions and movement. You get the same sort of comments with movies like Tim Burton's wonderful Big Fish or Spielberg's Terminal. I will admit that the Dunst character is a cliché, but this movie is really about the extras, the characters that step out of the background, have their moment, and step back again. Paula Dean stands out as a woman to whom family -- *all* her family -- is all-important and who keeps it together with food and photographs. I'm not from Kentucky or the South, although I've lived South for a number of years. I'm not that interested in *my* extended family -- and in that respect I'm far closer to the Bloom character than to the Dean character. But I recognize that this film is a great portrait of a certain kind of family life. Also, the dead father becomes a very well-rounded character indeed, as you think about the contradictions of his life. This is a film that expects the audience to do a little work, and it pays very well for that work.