I have to give a huge shout out to Ed Harris for being the Super Glue that holds this story together. His presence alone makes this 4 hrs. Watchable; however you've also got the last performance of Paul Newman, which in and of itself is a beautiful thing. Mix that with a stellar ensemble.
Like an old organ grinder, the story takes a little time to set up as we meet everybody and are slowly fed what we think is going to be a Charming town and story. But there are secrets in Empire Falls. We find the same imbecilic teenagers we see in our own towns. We find all the happiness, jealousy, adultery, love, betrayal that we find in our own lives. It's all here in Empire Falls. The ending seems ripped-from-the-headlines, but does seem like it could fit into this setting. And although I would have liked to have seen a little better acting from the teens, the adults pulled this one off quite nicely. A fantastic early example of a limited series and a wonderful way to say goodbye to Paul Newman.
Like an old organ grinder, the story takes a little time to set up as we meet everybody and are slowly fed what we think is going to be a Charming town and story. But there are secrets in Empire Falls. We find the same imbecilic teenagers we see in our own towns. We find all the happiness, jealousy, adultery, love, betrayal that we find in our own lives. It's all here in Empire Falls. The ending seems ripped-from-the-headlines, but does seem like it could fit into this setting. And although I would have liked to have seen a little better acting from the teens, the adults pulled this one off quite nicely. A fantastic early example of a limited series and a wonderful way to say goodbye to Paul Newman.