If Erik Jendresen, who wrote the screenplay and Meg Ryan, who directed and portrayed Mrs. Macauley, sees this story as darkly as they have, I can but feel sorry for both.
Outside of the name of the town as well as the names of the characters, this film bears no resemblance to the well rounded and splendid version of "The Human Comedy" released in 1943. In fact, characters of some import are missing in this film! If anything, I consider it the darkest side of that story which relates more to the mindset and attitudes of today rather than those of 1942-43.
The threads that bound the original story together are absent. There are no threads that bind in this film...not in the story or the characters. Everything seems far too superficially developed, insights discarded, small town togetherness, familial feelings and thoughts are simply not present. Outside of Sam Shepard, who portrayed Willie Grogan, the casting is dead wrong and for the studio to hawk this as a Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks film is no less than cheeky. In my opinion, they sought to make a buck using their names.
I cannot recommend this film to anyone for any reason. For me, it has no saving grace. That Meg Ryan undertook its direction and "bought" the screenplay is sheer folly. I truly do not believe that Ms. Ryan or Erik Jendresen understood the people, characters or period in which this film takes place. Being familiar with the music of the era, I did not hear one piece that touched on it.
Outside of the name of the town as well as the names of the characters, this film bears no resemblance to the well rounded and splendid version of "The Human Comedy" released in 1943. In fact, characters of some import are missing in this film! If anything, I consider it the darkest side of that story which relates more to the mindset and attitudes of today rather than those of 1942-43.
The threads that bound the original story together are absent. There are no threads that bind in this film...not in the story or the characters. Everything seems far too superficially developed, insights discarded, small town togetherness, familial feelings and thoughts are simply not present. Outside of Sam Shepard, who portrayed Willie Grogan, the casting is dead wrong and for the studio to hawk this as a Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks film is no less than cheeky. In my opinion, they sought to make a buck using their names.
I cannot recommend this film to anyone for any reason. For me, it has no saving grace. That Meg Ryan undertook its direction and "bought" the screenplay is sheer folly. I truly do not believe that Ms. Ryan or Erik Jendresen understood the people, characters or period in which this film takes place. Being familiar with the music of the era, I did not hear one piece that touched on it.