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The Shipping News 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Lasse Hallström
R, 118 min. (language, sexuality, disturbing images) |
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Starring: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Scott Glenn, Rhys Ifans, Pete Postlethwaite, Cate Blanchett, Jason Behr, Alyssa Gainer, Kaitlyn Gainer, Lauren Gainer
Producers: Linda Knowlton, Leslie Holleran, Irwin Winkler
Screenplay: Robert Nelson Jacobs
Cinematography: Oliver Stapleton
Distributor: Miramax Films
Released: 12.25.01 (Limited), 1.11.02 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
The Shipping News is an underwhelming film, involved in a struggle between its cold scenery and characters, eventually
succumbing to boredom and apathy. Based on the best-selling book by E. Annie Proulx, the film has a large mountain to
climb to equal the supposedly brilliant fictional story of conflicted characters leading conflicted lives. Although the cast has
top-notch quality, they're never really given a chance to grow into their characters enough to make them lifelike or
interesting enough to truly care about them. A mediocre script dispels any chance the film has to connect with its characters,
instead leaving the audience stranded and bewildered, confused and irritated.
The story revolves around the Quoyle family. Quoyle (Kevin Spacey) is a less than confident individual who meets his wife,
Petal (Cate Blanchett), on a whim, marries her, has a daughter, Bunny (Alyssa, Kaitlyn, and Lauren Gainer), with her, then watches helplessly as she cheats on him and
eventually leaves him. Devastated by his father's passing and Petal's death in a car accident, Quoyle is saved by his aunt,
Agnis (Judi Dench), who has come by to pay her respects to her departed brother. Agnis feels sorry for Quoyle and
Bunny, and offers to take them along with her to their past home in Quoyle Point, Newfoundland. There, Quoyle finds a job
as a writer for the local newspaper, The Shipping News, and meets Wavey (Julianne Moore), who has also lost her spouse.
Now, together, they will try and mend their lives and find freedom in their new home.
All the characters are obviously meant to find meaning and resolution to their struggles. However, this tried and true formula
for success backfires because it's simply not believable enough to take seriously. There is satire, irony, and a even a sense
of comic zaniness that director Lasse Hallström instills in his film - with unfortunate results. Unlike his masterpiece,
The Cider House Rules,
or even the entertaining Chocolat, the characters are strangely distant from one another - even Quoyle and Bunny seem unaquainted and
disconnected with each other. It's as if his characters are somehow connected to the dreary, cold, wet weather that is
constantly pushed to the forefront in almost every scene. It's a shaky premise on which to build a character-centered film,
and, as a result, falters before it gains any significant momentum.
The funny thing is, the performances aren't so bad. Spacey and Moore are predictably solid, and Judi Dench turns in another
fine effort for role as the wise aunt with a personal score to settle. Even Scott Glenn (the paper's owner) is a welcome
addition to the cast, spirting out wisdom and bits of encouragement for Quoyle to grasp onto. The problem is the performances
don't connect with each other - as if you have the finest ingredients that simply don't mesh well together.
As a result of its own pratfalls, Hallström is forced to fight a losing battle, relying on a few mild surprises to keep the film
afloat. And when the end comes, and what a strange end it is, you're all to eager to leave the film where you found it -
and quickly forget it. The Shipping News obviously aspires to be a moving, Oscar worthy picture, but by relentlessly
pushing a flawed storyline upon its characters, it chokes the life out of itself before the viewer has a chance to absorb its
message. Not even brilliant scenery can salvage a film that's lost at sea.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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