Not Crowe's Best, But Bound To Be Underappreciated
ELIZABETHTOWN
by Shawn Snead / October 17th, 2005
From pop culture aficionado Cameron Crowe, comes his most personal film-to-date, Elizabethtown. A story about Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom), an athletic shoe desinger who just learned that it was his fault that his company was forced to close with almost one billion dollars in losses. Hopeless and drained, Drew decides to kill himself. But before he ends the movie, Drew learns that his father has passed away while visiting his extended family in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
At the insistence of his mother (Susan Sarandon), Drew flies to Kentucky to retrieve his father and arrange a funeral. On the way, he meets a friendly flight attendant named Claire (Kirsten Dunst), to whom he immediately takes a liking to. While struggling with the passing of his father, his professional fiasco, and an eclectic mix of relatives in Elizabethtown, Drew finds solace and hope in Claire.
I have always been impressed with Crowe's understanding of people. People, and the moments that all of us understand. Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, and the vastly underappreciated Vanilla Sky, all have these idealistic moments and scenes in them that define the film. In Elizabethtown, there is one scene where Drew is at his hotel, talking to Claire on the phone. They talk all evening, into the night, all night. Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Up" plays as Crowe mutes Drew and Claire's conversation. They continue talking and decide to meet up to watch the Kentucky sunrise. They never hang up. It's really a beautiful scene.
There are a few really great moments in Elizabethtown, but they come with their share of not-so-great scenes. The middle of the film feels quite awkward and for a while you feel as if you're watching two seperate films. It's really very sentimental at times, too sentimental. Crowe's script is flawed with a few of those overly sentimental moments, and a few nuance-free calculated turns and lines that'll make you scratch your head and/or roll your eyes. The ending, I enjoyed. Another highlight of the film.
The acting here, for the most part, is rather good. Sarandon shines as Drew's mother, and Dunst delivers a nice energy-filled performance. There is also a scene-stealing Paula Deen, playing one of Drew's aunts. But, you can't talking about the acting without mentioning Orlando. I've been very critical of Bloom in the past, I've been very disappointed with him in every role up to this point. Orlando is at his best here. While that's not saying much at all, Bloom gets a passing grade. Another performance on the same level as his previous work, he could have sent this film crashing down to the ground. While I don't know yet if he has the charisma or power to solidify himself as a leading man in Hollywood, he takes a decent first step in the right direction in Elizabethtown.
Another Crowe staple, his music, is as great as ever in this. From Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Me Up," to Elton John's "My Father's Gun," the soundtrack adds another layer to the film. He doesn't use it as a cop-out, or a crutch, but rather he uses it to bring a welcome, personal connection with the film. Nancy Wilson, Crowe's wife, also turns in another praiseworthy score.
As a whole, Elizabethtown is worth seeing even with it's flaws. Its pros outweigh its cons, and it is heartleft and at times, very funny. While not in the league of some of his previous work, Cameron Crowe has crafted another exceptional film worthy of praise and recognition.
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Paramount Pictures
Running Time: 2 Hours, 3 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual references.
Release Date: Friday, October 14th, 2005
Viewed: Friday, October 14th, 2005
Starring Orlando Bloom (Drew Baylor) Kirsten Dunst (Claire Colburn), Susan Sarandon (Hollie Baylor), Alec Baldwin (Phil Devoss), Bruce McGill (Bill Banyon), Judy Greer (Heather Baylor), Jessica Biel (Ellen Kishmore), Paul Schneider (Jessie Baylor), Loudon Wainwright III (Uncle Dale), Paula Deen (Aunt Dora)
Produced By Cameron Crowe, Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner
Written By Cameron Crowe
Directed By Cameron Crowe
posted by Shawn Snead @ 10/17/2005 04:01:00 PM
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