A Walk on the Moon
by Tony Goldwyn
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anna Paquin, Diane Lane, Liev Schreiber, Tovah Feldshuh, Viggo MortensenDirector: Tony Goldwyn
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Letterbox, 1.85:1
Running Time: 107 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-10-12
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Miramax
Movie Reviews of A Walk on the Moon
Movie Review: This is a walk to remember...
Summary: 4 Stars
After I had seen and raved Lane's dynamic performance in `Unfaithful' I was told by many a friend to check out her riveting portrayal of, you guessed it, a cheating spouse in `A Walk on the Moon'. My friends all claimed that she is just as impressive and just as Oscar worthy here as well, but really, all they had to do was say Diane Lane and I was sold (I just love her). I don't know how this movie passed me by, but then again, 1999 was such a rich year for film that it is almost impossible to lay claim to seeing all of them. `A Walk on the Moon' may be a tad predictable (okay, a lot predictable) and it may be formulaic, but the rich performances and the nicely developed script help elevate this film higher than the subject necessarily calls for.
The film tells the story of Pearl Kantrowitz, a young mother of two who is taking the summer vacation with her family to the Catskills. Her husband Marty can only stay in segments for his profession is in high demand (he is a television repair man) beings that Armstrong is about to land on the moon and everyone and their mother wants to watch it on television. While Marty is away, Pearl finds herself falling for Parker, a hippie `blouse salesman' who is spellbound by Pearl's good looks and obvious charm. While Pearl struggles with her own desires she has to try and reel in her fourteen-year-old daughter Alison while avoiding the watchful eye of her mother-in-law Lillian.
`A Walk on the Moon' unfolds rather predictably, with Pearl engaging in an affair, her daughter testing the boundaries of rebellion and her poor husband uncovering the lines of deceit and falling to pieces over it all. The script does contain some inconsistencies and improbabilities (the whole Woodstock thing, while a nice touch, was a tad unbelievable) but the wonderfully fleshed out performances and the overall honesty of the films conclusion make this a very well done film.
Diane Lane is Oscar worthy as Pearl, such a warmly constructed performance that is almost as brilliant as her `Unfaithful' turn. In all honesty I can't for the life of me understand who she was Oscar snubbed for Meryl Streep's mediocre turning in `Music of the Heart' or Julianne Moore's overrated and boring turn in `The End of the Affair'. Lane towers over both of those performances by creating a real woman who is devastated and confused and liberated all at the same time. Live Schreiber, an actor for whom I am steadily becoming more and more impressed with, is amazing as Marty. As the film progresses and he uncovers the truth we can feel his emotions crush inward, and the way he goes from one extreme to the next is believable and heartbreaking. Anna Paquin is sensational as Alison, really matching Lane's ferocity, and Tovah Feldshuh is flawlessly moving as Marty's worrisome mother. Viggo Mortensen, who has turned himself into a fine actor, is less than engaging here. I've never seen the physical attraction there, so maybe that's why his character didn't sell me (in my opinion Schreiber is a much better looking man) but overall I found him underwhelming. He didn't charm me or fascinate me as he should have in order to sell his character.
As a whole I think that `A Walk on the Moon' works very well indeed. Sure, the script could have been tightened a bit, and Viggo could have been replaced, but almost every other element is right in line with where they should be. Lane is a revelation (why is she Oscarless?) and Schreiber is flawless. The honesty that `Unfaithful', the film, lacked (delving into the whole murder-thriller business was a big mistake) `A Walk on the Moon' has in spades.
Summary of A Walk on the Moon
Dustin Hoffman presents Diane Lane (MURDER AT 1600, JACK), Liev Schreiber (SPHERE, SCREAM I&II), and Viggo Mortensen (A PERFECT MURDER, THE LORD OF THE RINGS) in a provocative and sensual story about one woman's personal sexual revolution! It's the summer of 1969 and Pearl (Lane) is spending yet another vacation with her family when she realizes that the freedom of the times is passing her by. Following a chance meeting with a sexy, free-spirited young man (Mortensen), Pearl is soon doing the unthinkable: having a daring, passionate affair! Also starring Academy Award(R)-winner Anna Paquin (Best Supporting Actress, THE PIANO, 1993; SHE'S ALL THAT) in a powerful motion picture that's been called one of the year's best -- Pearl must ultimately decide between the love of her husband and children ... or the lure of her newfound desires!Although its tale of marital crisis unfolds a bit too cleanly, A Walk on the Moon--which was coproduced by Dustin Hoffman--offers a welcome relief from the juvenile assault of skull-throbbing blockbusters. The story is gently involving, the characters are authentic, and, best of all, Diane Lane is given a chance to show why she's one of the most genuine and underrated actresses of her generation. Here she plays Pearl Kantrowitz, a devoted housewife on a routine vacation in the Catskills with her TV repairman husband Marty (Liev Schreiber), 14-year-old daughter (Anna Paquin), and rambunctious younger son (Tovah Feldshuh).
It's the summer of 1969. Neil Armstrong has made his "one small step for man," Woodstock is about to happen nearby (leading to a barely plausible dramatic coincidence), and while her husband is away on business, Pearl is cautiously receptive to the seductions of "the blouse man" (Viggo Mortensen), a hippie salesman who offers the adventure and passion that Pearl sacrificed to young pregnancy and marriage. Once the stage for infidelity is set, A Walk on the Moon progresses predictably, but first-time screenwriter Pamela Gray stays true to the emotions of her characters, and actor Tony Goldwyn (making a smooth directorial debut) maintains precisely the right tone to downplay most of the movie's dramatic clich?s. Add to this a sharp dynamic between Lane and Paquin, whose performances create a substantial mother-daughter relationship. Graced by stolen moments and fleeting expressions that speak volumes, this unassuming little film is eminently worthwhile. --Jeff Shannon
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