Paradise
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Movie Reviews of Paradise
Movie Review: Lovely
Summary: 5 Stars
A film that I enjoyed years ago, & still do. A nice film about relationships & overcoming emotional obstacles. Also one of Elijah Woods' early films, & he's adorable! I recommend this one(no car chases or special effects). Just a nice quiet movie.Movie Review: classic movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this movie in the 80's and I've always had a soft spot for Elijah Woods so I wanted this movie for my collection and I love it.Movie Review: paradise found
Summary: 5 Stars
this movie is so sweet and heartwarming it makes you want to know what happened after. i absolutely loved it.Movie Review: Paradise
Summary: 5 Stars
Years a go I had the VHS and wore it out... that says it all.Movie Review: This has to be the most over-looked movie EVER
Summary: 4 Stars
(Warning: Contains plot spoilers, but if you haven't seen this film, read this review anyway. You'll be convinced that this movie is a film you should see.)
I remember, back in 1991, when I was sitting in a theatre, watching as the end credits rolled, thinking to myself: "This film is going to be a huge hit, and it'll go on to be a classic."
Well, it wasn't much of a financial success; after about a month, it was gone from the theatres. To the best of my knowledge, neither Roger Ebert nor any other critic of note thinks of this film as a classic.
Funny thing is, everyone I've ever showed this film to, especially those of the feminine persuasion, has been entralled by this film.
Go figure.
Elijah Wood is perfectly cast as Willard in this role; he plays something of a noble innocent, much like he does in "TLOTR" trilogy. His best buddy, enacted by a very spunky, outspoken Thora Birch, wins over the audience almost instantly, as we come to know her as a very intelligent and kind-hearted young lady. And yet Miss Birch never steals the spotlight from Elijah; even back then, she was such a good actress that she could play her part most effectively and still not step on the other actor's toes.
That brings us to the adults; Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith play Ben and Lily Reed, a couple in the aftermath of their son's accidental death. Ben is a man trying to reach out to his wife, while his wife Lily punishes herself by refusing any comfort her husband may be able to offer.
Don Johnson very much does NOT play Sonny Crockett here. There's none of Crockett's cockiness, nor is he a jaded man-of-the-world like Nash Bridges. "Ben" is a shrimp boat captain, estranged from his wife after the accidental death of their son; he's a good-natured man eternally in a foul humor. And yet he is harboring hope that somehow, a way forward, beyond trajedy, shall be found.
Melanie Griffith plays her part more quietly and more subtly than anything else I've ever seen from her; her portrayal of Lily as a woman of great emotional depth who is, at the same time, very much someone you'd converse at the local coffee shop; she seems to be everyone's friend, yet she is alone in her suffering.
Enter Willard; both adults form a deep bond with him, which stands in stark contrast to the gulf that exists between themselves. This bond that Ben and Lily form with Willard, both individually and together, helps them to draw a bit closer to one another, and to begin to confront the pain that is tearing their home, and their marriage, apart. The issue confronting each of these three is courage; Elijah must find the courage to face issues in his life back home, and Ben and Lily have to find the courage to face the pain that is destroying so much of their lives.
The great thing about this film is that, in the end, all loose ends are NOT tied up. There's issues in Elijah's life he still must face, but he leaves Ben and Lily with a better understanding of who he is, and what sort of courage lies within him. As you'll see in the film's conclusion, things are not "all fine and dandy" for Thora Birch's character either; and Ben and Lily, whilst having found one another again, still have a life to try to rebuild.
And that's the point: There are no perfect fixes, and things don't always end happily, if they ever find their conclusion at all. The point here is that sometimes we meet people who help us to better know who we are, and that we have what it takes to face the things that scare us. Victory, of course, is still quite uncertain, but at least we have the courage to stand, rather than run. That, by itself, says something.
So why wasn't this wonderful film more successful?
My theory is that this just isn't the project that folks were expecting from Sonny Crockett teaming up with his wife, Tess McGill. People just were NOT expecting this film, especially not from these two, and taking too much of a hard turn can turn you right over. Perhaps that's what happened here.
This is a film that shall always be in my DVD collection; I can't imagine a film library that didn't include this movie. It's great for family viewing, and it's also something of an educational film to show teens, as it is demonstrative of how to cope with unimaginable trajedy. The characters don't pretend to be perfect, there's no "now everything will be o.k." ending, and all loose ends aren't tied up. Yet this film does have something important to say, and it is something many people would do well to hear.
Perhaps if this film came out today, in 2010, rather than in 1991, it might find a bigger audience. Granted, it would be promoted almost exclusively to women, but if a girlfriend dragged her man to see this, he'd most likely leave the theatre saying the following in a rather surprised, unsettled tone: "You know ... that was a really was a good movie."
This film came out at the wrong time, and tried to find an audience amoungst those who were expecting something much different. Perhaps that's why it never got a fair shake, but watch it anyway; you'll never forget it, and it will find a place to reside in your heart, as great films always do.