Ah, the art of the indie movie... A slightly quirky (in this case sometimes cruel quirky) character, some complicated family relationships (with back story, of course, meted out at the usual pace), a lot of long slow shots of someone lost in thought while melancholy music plays, moody chiaroscuro close-ups, the inevitable acoustic guitar with a soft, almost whispered voice over it, a central, often ritualistic event (this time it's Thanksgiving - it could have been a funeral or a wedding) that brings long-separated characters together, an entirely predictable if not always believable mating dance, a few touches of self-consciously crass humor (just enough to show we're dealing with a rebel)...
The actors are all good, and it's a joy to see J. K. Simmons move in this particular territory. Very nice photography, too. But it's way too long and almost a parody of slow indie pacing. Not a bad film, if you haven't seen too many indies. If you have, and are waiting for the wonderful surprises the best of these can bring, in this case I fear you'll end up feeling, "Here we go again...."
The actors are all good, and it's a joy to see J. K. Simmons move in this particular territory. Very nice photography, too. But it's way too long and almost a parody of slow indie pacing. Not a bad film, if you haven't seen too many indies. If you have, and are waiting for the wonderful surprises the best of these can bring, in this case I fear you'll end up feeling, "Here we go again...."