WINTER SOLSTICE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
If WINTER SOLSTICE went any slower, it would have to come to a complete stop. This movie, which could easily be written off as just a guy flick, is a family drama without any dramatic moments.
But, starring a never better Anthony LaPaglia ("Without a Trace") as the father of two teens, this story about coping years after a tragedy will touch your heart, without ever manipulating it, and will tickle your funny bone, without ever appearing to try.
What is absolutely certain -- I can testify to this as the father of a sixteen-year-old boy -- is that Josh Sternfeld's writing and directing perfectly captures the words and actions of a pair of teens. These lads are still trying to deal with the pain brought on by the loss of their mother a half a decade ago. Her death and her absence are almost never mentioned, but it clearly haunts Jim Winters (LaPaglia) and his two boys, Gabe (Aaron Stanford), recently out of high school, and Pete (Mark Webber), still in it.
Unlike the typical jobs we find in movies, Jim owns a small landscape gardening and maintenance service. Designing gardens is a great outlet for his well hidden emotional pain, but, as he explains to Molly Ripkin (Allison Janney), a new neighbor, the maintenance is the hardest and most important part of gardening. Of course, this is a perfect metaphor for Jim's relationship with his two boys, lots of tough maintenance.
Gabe and Pete love their dad, but, like most teens, they want most of all to keep their coolness quotient high at all times, never doing what dad wants if they can somehow slide by. Gabe, a hard worker at a local produce wholesaler, clearly has some plans since he's been working double shifts to accumulate cash. Pete, on the other hand, has one gear -- neutral. He's about to go into summer school again since he spends all of his class time in a self-made cloud. Neither boy is openly rebellious, but neither will accept much direction or advice.
All of the characters are certain to earn your respect and your sympathy. Calling to mind another such fine film, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME, WINTER SOLSTICE is an exquisite and sublime experience that speaks to us with an honesty and a subtle power that is rarely captured on film.
WINTER SOLSTICE runs 1:29. It is rated R for "language" and would be acceptable for kids around 12 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, April 22, 2005. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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