Elizabethtown (2005)

Ok movie!

I took my niece to see this movie at the theater when it first came out, mostly because he likes Orlando Bloom. I was quite surprised that I actually liked the movie as well. It is a very slow movie with alot of plots left undone, but the overall romance of the movie was pleasing to me. It's not a movie that I would want to watch over and over again but one that every once in a while, when you need to sit back and rediscover what's important in your life, I wouldn't mind watching. The acting for the most part is ok and they could have really made it a more touching movie but overall it's ok. I wouldn't discourage purchasing the movie, especially if you like any of the actors involved, but I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a meaty plot or any time of action. August 4, 2008

A very nice love story

And the acting on this one is not at all bad either...
It is sort of a "low impact" love story
where friendship flowers into something more.
I liked it... it might even become a classic?
The family and the failure of his shoe open
the hero to a new way of seeing his life.
What he thought was the end, becomes their
beginning. June 24, 2008

An interesting and fun romp!

I didn't think I'd like this film. Let's face it, it's billed and marketed as a 'chick flick'. However, the characters are tremendously sympathetic, the story is moving, and the 'place' is intriguing and likable.

Set in Elizabethtown Kentucky (an area I know little about), the film's premise is that in meeting his extended family, learning more about his father, beloved by the entire town, he's ready for a new chapter in his life. Orlando Bloom plays Drew Baylor, the character who has had a very bad week; first his shoe design totally flops (though I can't believe there was no test marketing to see that the shoe wouldn't sell), and then he gets bad news about his father.

On the plane to Elizabethtown, he meets a flight attendant played by the very likable Kirsten Dunst (Claire Colburn). She somehow knows that they are fated to be together, and she pretty much throws herself at him (maybe she loves shoes?). Anyway, the film proceeds on this thin plot, but the ride to the end is very likable, somewhat quirky (southern characters are almost always quirky, aren't they???), and always winning.

You are pulling for these two to end up together, in spite of a rocky path.

Four stars, mainly for the good feeling you'll be left with, and the over-all appealing characters, cinematography and art direction. Recommended, especially as a 'date' movie or as a change of pace from the usual multiplex fare. June 14, 2008

For Those Who Think and Feel

After catching parts of this at the gym cardio cinema occasionally, I was only seeing the early scenes with Kirsten Dunst. I didn't notice the feel of the movie being so similar to Crowe's other films. They make you pay attention to other peoples feelings. In these early previews, I thought this may turn into a Fatal Attraction stalker movie. Claire annoyed me despite her beauty. My goodness was I wrong! It's a feel good movie. It's supposed to make you appreciate the time you are here being alive, and for a limited time. Dunst is magnetic, what guy wouldn't like her? The quirky characters, the culture shock for the Bloom character and the up-all-night pace was riveting. A keeper for my collection! April 20, 2008

Rating of 7/10

Elizabethtown-7/10

I decided to watch this because it was the most recent work of Cameron Crowe. I had recently watched for the first time Almost Famous and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Jerry Maguire I had seen years ago and it remains as one of my favorites). Elizabethtown left me feeling slightly disappointed; maybe I had high expectations for it. When it ended, I was thinking "Eh...is that it?"

Now that a few days have passed since I watched it, I was able to look back on it to appreciate some things. I didn't like how the movie bored me in several parts and was slower paced than other of Crowe's work. However it had some interesting plot ideas, like a man who has to deal with a huge failure that ruins his career when he gets the news of his father's death. Nice idea, but the execution was unsatisfying.

A few random questions about Dunst and Bloom's characters were in the back of my head by the end of the film:

-How was Kirsten Dunst's character living in a mansion when she is a stewardess?
-Why is Orlando Bloom's character almost always smiling when he was supposed to be in melancholy or some state of depression?
-Is Dunst's character normally that overly friendly, or was she stalking Bloom...
-Why doesn't Bloom have any friends?
-Is Dunst supposed to have a Southern accent? April 19, 2008

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