It's like one of those New Yorker short stories, circa 1988 -- harrowing and totally without sentimentality or melodrama. They paint both parents as 24/7 narcissists of a very real, specific sort. They voice their concern and care for their boys as their actions continue 180 degrees away from their stated intentions. The tug of war is frightening, and so is the descent each boy takes. And it avoids one of those semi-sweet wrap-ups.
Linney is peerless, in my book, and lets herself look borderline slovenly (80s wear at its most bleak -- 60s duds from the closet, thrown together) and always slightly off kilter. She plays a sexually promiscuous woman who paradoxically never focuses on appearing "pretty," to men; a brilliant bit of character work. In the same vein, Jeff Daniels gives one of the most ego-free performances I've ever seen. He plays this man as bitter to the point of humorless, and then some. He's so self-absorbed, and therefore, so constantly needy and infuriating. His casting is brilliant, because he usually plays the stallwart type. And the boys are remarkable. See it.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 10/24/05 at 07:41 PM