Plot
Actress Reese Holden has been offered a small fortune by a book editor if she can secure for publication the love letters that her father...

Release Year: 2005

Rating: 6.4/10 (5,097 voted)

Critic's Score: 56/100

Director: Adam Rapp

Stars: Ed Harris, Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrell

Storyline
Actress Reese Holden has been offered a small fortune by a book editor if she can secure for publication the love letters that her father, a reclusive novelist, wrote to her mother, who has since passed away. Returning to Michigan, Reese finds that an ex-grad student and a would-be musician have moved in with her father, who cares more about his new friends than he does about his own health and well-being.

Cast:
Zooey Deschanel - Reese Holden
Darrell Larson - Director
John Bedford Lloyd - Leontes
Deirdre O'Connell - Deirdre
Mandy Siegfried - Ruth
Amy Madigan - Lori Lansky
Dallas Roberts - Ray
Ivan Martin - Bartender
Robert Beitzel - Rob
Laurie Kennedy - Nun
Will Ferrell - Corbit
Ed Harris - Don Holden
Mary Jo Deschanel - Mary
Amelia Warner - Shelly
Sam Bottoms - Brian

Taglines: Sometimes you go looking for something you want. . . and find what you need.

Release Date: 15 June 2006

Filming Locations: New York City, New York, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $28,091 (USA) (17 February 2006) (7 Screens)

Gross: $101,228 (USA) (9 April 2006)

Runtime: USA: 98 min  | Argentina: 98 min

Trivia:
The song that Corbit sings at the open mic night is "I Can't Tell You Why" by The Eagles.

Goofs:
Factual errors: In the movie, their car has a front license plate. Cars don't have front license plates in Michigan.

Quotes:
Corbit: Crack cocaine, huh? I've seen that stuff on Cops.
Corbit: Crack cocaine will fry your brain.
Reese Holden: Now there's a rhyme.

Moody and Paced, Rather than Bland

Rating: 7/10

Zooey Deschanel is quite easily the most interesting thing about this movie. It is slowly paced. It is an examination of one woman's journey through an emotional roadblock. There are many aspects of this film that are out of place and a bit frivolous, all indications of a young or new filmmaker. However, I think it deserves more credit that the above description.

This film surprised me with its various nuances, many of which are the difference between a love affair with New York City and the hate that develops when it's inhabitant realizes just how wonderful (and horrible) home can be. In addition to that, it has been some time since a film was able to be charming without being too forced, something I think they do not ultimately achieve, but it is not without merit.

As mentioned above, it is worth the price of admission to watch Zooey Deschanel work her way from solipsistic bitch to humbled and hurt woman. She is raw, honest, fun, and a bit of a fu*k up. Ed Harris brings her character a bit more alive, but he himself it not at his best. As an actor he does a fine job, though I have a feeling he was left out to dry a bit by the young director. Will Ferrel almost makes his way through without being funny, though he is not removed enough from his Saturday Night Live characters to really pull through. The audience I was with seemed to love him. I nearly didn't see the movie because he was in it.

When it comes down to it this film is a first-time film director used to working in a theater medium. The writing is strong, the story interesting and for all it's pit-falls and loop-holes, it still manages to make an emotional impact. Give it a second chance.

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