Moonlight Mile (2002)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Brad Silberling

Writer (WGA):

Brad Silberling (written by)

Release Date:

4 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In life and love, expect the unexpected.

Plot:

As he copes with the death of his fiancee along with her parents, a young man must figure out what he wants out of life.

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Language Learning | Writer | Photo Studio | Loss Of Fiancée

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Joe Nast
Dustin Hoffman	...	Ben Floss
Susan Sarandon	...	Jojo Floss
Aleksia Landeau	...	Cheryl
Ellen Pompeo	...	Bertie Knox
Richard Messing	...	Rabbi
Lev Friedman	...	Cantor
Bob Clendenin	...	Server #1 (as Robert Clendenin)
Jim Fyfe	...	Server #2
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Mrs. Meyerson
Richard Fancy	...	Mr. Meyerson
Marcia Mitzman Gaven	...	Fashion Plate
Allan Corduner	...	Stan Michaels
Holly Hunter	...	Mona Camp
Careena Melia	...	Diana Floss

Also Known As:

Baby's in Black (USA) (working title)
Goodbye Hello (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

Argentina:146 min | Canada:112 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:117 min | UK:116 min | Portugal:120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Portugal:M/12 (original rating) | Iceland:L | Finland:K-11 | Canada:A (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Epsilon Motion Pictures

Trivia:

Neighbor's Restaurant is really Haley's Liquor Store in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Massachusetts did not have the death penalty in the early '70s.

Quotes:

Jo Jo Floss: When I go to bed at night I do 4 things. I drop my robe, slide under the sheets, turn on my left side and stick out my ass. That's it. That's the signal. I just - I back it right up there because I know when I do, no matter how cold the damn thing is, no matter how difficult it might feel, no matter how desperately we want to kill each other it's gonna be met by this warm body on the other side that's gonna hold it. Two arms that...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Meet Me in the Morning

An underrated masterpiece.

"Moonlight Mile" is one of the most beautiful films ever to be made. Highlighted by phenomenal performances by Hoffman, Sarandon and Hunter, the film is truly inspiring, despite some overly-sentimental moments.

Brad Silberling has created an amazing piece of film. The story starts out quite shakily, but manages to quickly find its feet and, thus, saves itself from being another overly-indulgent, kitchy movie. Some might battle with "Moonlight Mile"'s pace, as the film takes its time in developing its characters. However, the film is character-driven and these developments are fundamental to the film's progression.

Holly Hunter's performance is Oscar worthy, even though her role is quite small. Judi Dench won an Oscar for her 8 minute performance in "Shakespeare in love" and I see no reason why Hunter should not have been nominated. Amongst a cast of film legends, Jake Gyllenhaal holds his ground. It is obvious that he has had less experience in the acting field, but his performance is still great. Gyllenhaal's climatic monologue near the end of the film will give you goosebumps. It is the best part of the film and in my opinion one of the best scenes in cinema history.

In a film about one of the most life-changing, traumatic experiences one can endure, subtlety rules. Little things drive the film and the characters in the film begin to appreciate the smaller things in life. And that's what makes the film so beautiful and so real. The subtlety of the comedy and romance is what makes the drama that much more bearable - which brings us back to the films central theme: coming to terms with loss and trying to move on from it. These beautiful little moments are what make the film.

One might have mistaken "Moonlight Mile" for a Cameron Crowe film as music plays a vital part. The film's music is as evocative as the action on screen and the film's epic moments are emphasised by the films perfectly fitted music.

This film has been overlooked and underrated, and should have received more credit. Silberling has crafted an outstanding piece of cinema, which is rich with emotion and evocatively inspiring. Some cynics may find the film too sentimental and will claim they predicted the entire movie, but if one is able to ignore the odd mushy moment (there's one or two), "Moonlight Mile" is a cinematic triumph. Treat yourself to this amazing film!