TV star Joshua Jackson (DAWSON'S CREEK) comes into his own in this well-crafted indie. He plays Duncan, the angry loser of his rundown Minneapolis neighborhood, whose inability to keep a job stems from losing his father 10 years before. He makes ends meet by loaning his apartment out to his philandering brother (Steven Pasquale) for trysts with his many mistresses. Duncan's hockey buddies keep him propped up, but the poor guy is rudderless. His grandparents (Donald Sutherland and Louise Fletcher) hook him up with their nurse, a wayward free spirit named Kate (Juliette Lewis). As the romance between them blossoms, the grandfather's health deteriorates and he begins contemplating suicide; then Kate gets an offer to move out to California, and Duncan faces some tough decisions. Directed by James Burke, this all plays out in a series of tightly blocked, gritty, low-key scenes which nail the depressing mundanity of a Minnesota winter and let the tight-knit ensemble of actors strike a fine balance between dour realism and date movie whimsy. The Brent Boyd script succinctly encompasses a wealth of geriatric and blue collar types, all of whom stretch out and grow and change as the film progresses. The well-rounded characterizations of the grandparents alone make it worth a watch, with Sutherland and Fletcher both aces in roles that deftly shuffle alienation and empathy in a realistic manner.
Theatrical Release: September 15, 2006
DVD Features:
Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Stereo - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary
Interviews
Stars
Joshua Jackson: Actor
Donald Sutherland: Canadian Actor
Juliette Lewis: American Actress, NATURAL BORN KILLERS
Louise Fletcher: American Actress
Steven Pasquale: Actor: RESCUE ME series
Zack Ward: Actor/" The Club"
Timm Sharp: Actor, STARK RAVING MAD (2002)
Director
James Burke: Executive Producer, THIRTEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING (
Producer
Rick Bieber:
Scott Disharon: Producer, AURORA BOREALIS, (2006)
Jayne A. Larson: Producer, AURORA BOREALIS, (2006)
Sherri Saito: Producer, AURORA BOREALIS, (2006)
Screenwriter
Brent Boyd: Screenwriter, AURORA BOREALIS, (2006)
Composer
Mychael Danna: Score Composer
Cameo
Paul Westerberg: American Singer/Songwriter
Director of Photography
Alar Kivilo: Director of Photography
Review 1:
"Jackson and Lewis are paired persuasively. Lewis, in particular, is a charmer." -- Grade: B-
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.76 09/22/2006
Review 2:
"Ms. Lewis excels....[She] hints at an untapped talent for playing mature, textured women."
Source: New York Times
p.E10 09/15/2006