Sunshine State
by John Sayles
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alan King, Angela Bassett, Edie Falco, Jane AlexanderDirector: John Sayles
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.0; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.0
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 141 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-11-19
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of Sunshine State
Movie Review: Heart and home
Summary: 5 Stars
Sayles produces an ensemble film with lots of characters moving emotionally, and some staying in place. As with many of Sayles's films, it has a mixed-race cast, something I don't see in many films; he makes a point of discussing ethnicity and identity in many ways. The acting is good, based on Sayles's good script. There are a couple character types from classical theater, like the seer (the doctor), and the Greek chorus (the 4 golfers), that I really appreciated. With interludes of these larger-than-life characters, the movie is more than plot- or entertainment-driven. I also found a lot of suspense in the movie, with questions as simple as "Can we go in here?" or "I'm glad you're here, I've been wanting to talk with you" making me wonder where a scene would lead because the characters don't know where it will go.
There are 2 major plots surrounding 2 excellent actors, the beautiful and angry Angela Bassett and the pretty but sad Edie Falco. Desiree (Bassett) appears to be condemned by old friends and her own mom as a teenage runaway returning almost impossibly late to reconnect, when in fact her parents sent her away. Hers is a strong story of the possibility of recovering some good feelings about her childhood home now that she is in a loving marriage with a really mellow guy (James McDaniel - excellent in this film).
The seer talks about history and the vitality of Lincoln Beach (in the movie), a beachfront neighborhood based on and filmed in the real American Beach, which was a resort founded by a black-owned insurance company for its employees during segregation. Sayles's commentary on the DVD covers a lot of historical detail, but there's enough in the movie to be intriguing and provocative. In this context of aging home owners whose kids have moved elsewhere, we meet what you might call a "face man" for development in Lincoln Beach that is a foil of the development happening overtly in the historically white neighborhood next door, in Delrona Beach. Alex Lewis gives a nuanced performance; he is really good.
I found the movie to be visually interesting, for example with the Greek chorus of golfers. Their movements are mundane, yet at times like a dance around the gesturing perorations of Alan King. In his commentary, Sayles talks about how closely he story-boarded much of the film to make economical use of the actors' time; I wonder if this helps explain how carefully positioned the actors were relative to each other and how good the lighting was, throughout the film.
I thought Terrell, the young cousin who lives with Desiree's mom, was a key character in the film, as an ensemble film, very believable in his character, and a good actor. Given how closed off he was for most of the film, he did a really good job relaxing a little with Desiree's husband, and he's perfect when they part.
I think the film did a good job showing the complicated affection people feel about their childhood homes, their aging parents, and perhaps their duty to a place as well as to people. Well, there's always a lot to say about a Sayles film, but I won't drone on. I loved it.
Summary of Sunshine State
Writer-director John Sayles weaves together the beauty, grime, and history of Florida in Sunshine State. The rumbling approach of real estate developers on a sleepy island sets the leisurely paced plot in motion. Sayles takes his time introducing his characters, gradually revealing how their lives intertwine, and, as always, teases magnificent performances out of his actors. Edie Falco is quietly brilliant as Marly, running an old-guard motel as progress marches on, and regarding the men in her life with a wry practicality. Mary Steenburgen gifts a small role with marvelous, spoiled humanity in a deft comic turn, and Angela Bassett slowly unfurls her character's depth with the elegance of a true pro. Sunshine State is a simple story, but never clichéd, possessing a glow worth basking in. --Ali DavisSimilar DVD Movies
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