Paradise
|
DVD Cover Information Actor: Don Johnson, Elijah Wood, Melanie Griffith, Sheila McCarthy, Thora Birch Director: Mary Agnes Donoghue Brand: Buena Vista Home Video Writer: Mary Agnes Donoghue Producer: Jean-François Lepetit Producer: Patrick J. Palmer Producer: Robert W. Cort Producer: Scott Kroopf Producer: Ted Field Writer: Jean-Loup Hubert DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language) Format: Color, DVD, NTSC Picture Format: 1.85:1 Running Time: 111 minutes DVD Release Date: 2004-08-03 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: Walt Disney Video |
| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $17.08 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $19.07 |
Your purchase is protected by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee. Amazon.com automatically transfers your payment to the merchant so you'll never need to pay a merchant directly. Amazon.com A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee covers both the delivery of your item and its condition upon receipt.
Movie Reviews of Paradise
Movie Review: Great acting and nice scenery, but....
Summary: 2 Stars
Having recently become a Don Johnson fan after seeing his marvelous performances in the "Miami Vice" tv series, I was very much interested in seeing him in other roles besides the never-to-be-forgotten 'Sonny' Crockett. Unfortunately, "Paradise" was a disappointment after my excitement to see Johnson and his wife at the time, Melanie Griffith, star together in what was supposed to be a 'family' movie.
Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith play Lily and Ben Reed, a couple torn apart after a terrible tragedy. Their love and affection for each other has died out and they live day by day hardly speaking to each other, hardly acknowledging the other's existence. That is, until a good friend's son, Willard Young (Elijah Wood), arrives in town as their summer guest. Will the Reeds finally rekindle their lost love for each other, and will young Willard, with the help of a country girl, Billie Pike (Thora Birch), learn to not be afraid?
The acting was well done and I have no qualms with any of the actors. Johnson and Griffith, by then seasoned veterans of the trade, play their roles with lots of heart and it's easy to feel for each of their characters as they strive to grasp some sort balance in their tumultuous lives. As for the younger stars, Elijah Wood and Thora Birch are also quite good for their ages. There are some awkward moments where though they are trying very hard to capture some dramatic moments, their inexperienced youth comes in the way at times. On the overall, it might be said that Birch may have been the better actress (both youths receiving 'Young Artist Award Nominations', though Birch is the only one who takes home the award for 'Best Young Actress').
I think my main problem with "Paradise" is with how the plot is presented. The plot is fairly good except that it is stretched too thin so that you really can't put your finger on what the message is. And when a good plot is stretched thin, too often do directors put 'unnecessary' subplots throughout the movie. But instead of doing it to make the movie flow better, the subplots in "Paradise" seem to burden the film with tediousness.
Not only are some of scenes out of place, they are sometimes 'cringe-worthy'. To give an example, the director wished to show a sense of every day life of the people in town. Often at times, Willard and Billie are left to their own devices to find their own amusement. And their 'amusement' consists of stealing a boat, doing dangerous stunts, and being 'peeping Toms', spying on Billie's sister and her boyfriend. Their spying on Billie's sister and her boyfriend at an 'intimate' moment was the most disturbing and disgusting. I found it totally unnecessary and made me wonder what kind of a director could ask a young actor and actress to participate in that kind of scene?
As mentioned in the above, this is NOT a family movie contrary to what some reviewers have mentioned. Besides some disturbing scenes with Billie's sister, there is also some profanity. And on the whole, the story deals with mature themes.
If taken in the right direction, "Paradise" may have been a good movie. Parents would have enjoyed watching the Reeds fix their broken relationship while kids might have been able to relate to Willard's struggles with the different kinds of fears he must face. But unfortunately, "Paradise" doesn't put too much focus on fantastic Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith while Willard's part in the movie wasn't quite uplifting or interesting. The story also ends somewhat disappointingly. There is just a hint of the 'hope' of what's to come for the characters and then immediately cuts to the closing credits. In my opinion, I would rather have seen how that summer changed their lives for the better and witnessed that change.
All-in-all, "Paradise" was never a big hit for a reason so if you're looking for a good drama to watch with the family, I recommend these films instead:
"Mr. Holland"s Opus" - Starring Richard Dreyfuss, this is a great film about the life a music teacher and how he touched the lives of many.
"October Sky" -An extremely uplifting movie about how a group of boys strived to fulfill their dreams. (Some strong language so maybe to be watched with older kids.)