DVD/VIDEO: Winter Solstice
WINTER SOLSTICE (2005)
My Rating: **** ½ (out of *****)
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, Aaron Stanford, Mark Webber, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Michelle Monaghan, Brandon Sexton III
Director: Josh Sternfeld
My Review:
Winter Solstice is perhaps the most subtle film I have ever seen. As such, I suspect that this small gem will be completely lost on most viewers. For those who can set aside their desire for frenetic action and tidy solutions (which we all have to some degree, due to society’s increasing movement toward instant gratification and immediate resolution), Winter Solstice offers an extremely rewarding look at family life in all its richness, complexity, and beauty.
Jim Winters (the superlative Anthony LaPaglia, one of today’s most sincere actors) – a widower – lives with his two sons, college-aged Gabe (Stanford) and high-schooler Pete (Webber) in suburban New Jersey. Gabe is restless, longing to move out and start a life of his own. Pete is slacking at school, and seems to be in the early stages of a destructive life path. A kind woman (Janney, always on target) - who is looking after the home of one of the Winters’ neighbors for a few months - strikes up a conversation with Jim. The connection is awkward, but sweet and genuine. Ultimately, Jim and his sons are forced to re-engage, as they have all drifted apart and ceased communicating with one another, each in his own way.
As mentioned, this is a very subtle film. There is next to no action, and on the surface, there isn’t much that changes from the opening to the closing of this brief 90-minute journey. The profundity of Winter Solstice comes from the way it conveys emotion and meaning without using words and explicit actions. The outstanding actors – especially LaPaglia, Stanford, and Webber – communicate worlds of pain, anger, loss, love, and tenderness with very little dialogue that would directly suggest such emotions. These performances consist largely of facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, silence, and timing, and they are exquisite, every single one. In fact, there are so many breathtaking scenes of startling relational honesty that it would be impossible to list them all. Two of the most noteworthy come when Gabe and Pete take an impromptu swim in a local lake, and when Jim and Gabe seek each other’s forgiveness after a heated confrontation. The interactions between Gabe and his girlfriend Stacey (Monaghan, a lovely portrayal) are likewise brimming with unspoken heartbreak and longing.
Writer-director Josh Sternfeld, clearly a New Jersey native, perfectly and lovingly captures the look, feel, and essence of life in the Garden State. Having lived in northern New Jersey for six years, I can verify the authenticity of Sternfeld’s locales (Go Dairy Queen!), and the demeanor and dialogue of his characters is spot on. This lends extra weight to an already impacting picture, especially for those who are familiar with the ways and customs of Jersey life.
In addition to the phenomenal strengths already described, John Leventhal works wonders with a simple, non-intrusive soundtrack that accurately underscores the quiet meaning of the events unfolding onscreen.
Winter Solstice, contrary to its icy title, is full of warmth, compassion, and loveliness. In a completely believable yet non-exploitive way, this is about as real as movies get. And about as good.
My Rating: **** ½ (out of *****)
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, Aaron Stanford, Mark Webber, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Michelle Monaghan, Brandon Sexton III
Director: Josh Sternfeld
My Review:
Winter Solstice is perhaps the most subtle film I have ever seen. As such, I suspect that this small gem will be completely lost on most viewers. For those who can set aside their desire for frenetic action and tidy solutions (which we all have to some degree, due to society’s increasing movement toward instant gratification and immediate resolution), Winter Solstice offers an extremely rewarding look at family life in all its richness, complexity, and beauty.
Jim Winters (the superlative Anthony LaPaglia, one of today’s most sincere actors) – a widower – lives with his two sons, college-aged Gabe (Stanford) and high-schooler Pete (Webber) in suburban New Jersey. Gabe is restless, longing to move out and start a life of his own. Pete is slacking at school, and seems to be in the early stages of a destructive life path. A kind woman (Janney, always on target) - who is looking after the home of one of the Winters’ neighbors for a few months - strikes up a conversation with Jim. The connection is awkward, but sweet and genuine. Ultimately, Jim and his sons are forced to re-engage, as they have all drifted apart and ceased communicating with one another, each in his own way.
As mentioned, this is a very subtle film. There is next to no action, and on the surface, there isn’t much that changes from the opening to the closing of this brief 90-minute journey. The profundity of Winter Solstice comes from the way it conveys emotion and meaning without using words and explicit actions. The outstanding actors – especially LaPaglia, Stanford, and Webber – communicate worlds of pain, anger, loss, love, and tenderness with very little dialogue that would directly suggest such emotions. These performances consist largely of facial expressions, tone of voice, body language, silence, and timing, and they are exquisite, every single one. In fact, there are so many breathtaking scenes of startling relational honesty that it would be impossible to list them all. Two of the most noteworthy come when Gabe and Pete take an impromptu swim in a local lake, and when Jim and Gabe seek each other’s forgiveness after a heated confrontation. The interactions between Gabe and his girlfriend Stacey (Monaghan, a lovely portrayal) are likewise brimming with unspoken heartbreak and longing.
Writer-director Josh Sternfeld, clearly a New Jersey native, perfectly and lovingly captures the look, feel, and essence of life in the Garden State. Having lived in northern New Jersey for six years, I can verify the authenticity of Sternfeld’s locales (Go Dairy Queen!), and the demeanor and dialogue of his characters is spot on. This lends extra weight to an already impacting picture, especially for those who are familiar with the ways and customs of Jersey life.
In addition to the phenomenal strengths already described, John Leventhal works wonders with a simple, non-intrusive soundtrack that accurately underscores the quiet meaning of the events unfolding onscreen.
Winter Solstice, contrary to its icy title, is full of warmth, compassion, and loveliness. In a completely believable yet non-exploitive way, this is about as real as movies get. And about as good.
R, for moments of strong language and emotional thematic elements
posted by Drew Miller at
11:06 AM
1 Comments:
I did see this one and really liked it... some good performances. Always love Allison Janney. You should see "Thumbsucker"... really great moments and message in a flawed film with family/teen/drug insights similar to but different from "Chumbscrubber".
11:57 AM
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