Loggerheads (2005) User Reviews

Nice Try

[B24 · 6/10 · 26 January 2007]

The Sundance cable blurb suggested this was a "low-budget" film worth seeing. A few minutes in I thought I was watching the Lifetime channel for women, but then it showed some interesting story angles and some very nice scenery and I was hooked. The symbolism of sea turtles needing to return to their origins was a little heavy, however, as was the casting of attractive blondes to demonstrate genetic linkage and suggest I suppose why the adoptive mother might have picked the child in the first place. Minor comments.

Having come to this film without any foreknowledge of it, I did not catch on to the secondary theme until the red apple pie was about to be delivered to the new neighbors. I was also confused by the way scenes were begun and ended in different times and places until finally I realized how it was tracking in a technical sense to its inevitable conclusion.

Still, I was unprepared for the sudden turn about thirty minutes from that conclusion, in which the woman hired to find the son unexpectedly dropped her bombshell. Clumsy editing? I don't know. Normally when I like a film up to a point then lose interest as it dissolves into clichéd denouement I feel cheated. Yet this was such an excellent presentation on the whole I cannot find much fault. I guess I just missed something where redemption and reconciliation might have been more explicit.

Much above average for a so-called low budget film.

Soft breeze from the ocean

[lovefaithtruth · 8/10 · 2 August 2010]

You stand on the beach and the water comes rushing in. You feel the sand moving beneath your fingers - a sense of falling that is good - that's what this movie is about.

It slowly comes like the turtles and rests in your heart - the women are marvellous, each one of them - the love, spell binding and the tapestry of the story, warm like home.

Just like the loggerheads it comes to you, sorry you come to it cos you are drawn to it - this is the magic of storytelling - its a mystery really.

I am gushing with these words - see the movie and you will know what this vague non-sensical rambling (re my review) is all about...

North Carolina and homosexuals do mix

[socrates99 · 7/10 · 2 June 2005]

I thought the acting was impeccable. I especially liked Kip Pardue who has a gentle, winning way about him that might get him past the most rabid skin head. Ann Owens Pierce was also outstanding in a small but important role. But the story itself fails to convince at a couple of critical points. Still, by then, you will likely feel like forgiving these movie makers their missteps as they will have impressed you with quite a few good choices and their heart warming commitment.

If you go, don't expect too much (the reference to loggerheads is only minimally developed, for example). You will be taken through some affecting, new territory as well as more familiar issues done in a refreshing way. I found the movie's take on North Carolina beach life pretty attractive, and it left me wondering as to its accuracy.

Beautiful film and intriguing story about adoption rights

[kmotherbox-movies · 23 April 2005]

I caught this film at RiverRun Film Festival in NC. I enjoyed Kirkman's earlier film, "Dear Jesse," and I was amazed at how his filmaking had matured in such a short time. This is one gorgeous film, and it was well received at RiverRun. I love Kirkman's writing, and I was impressed with how he balanced the complexity of the three story lines. He could have dumbed down the script to spoon feed information to the audience, but instead he chose to use sound and dialogue to reveal the time line of the three story lines to the audience.

The cinematography was well done and showed the beauty of Asheville and the Carolina coastline. The performances by Kip Pardue, Bonnie Hunt, and Tess Harper were excellent. Most of the reviews I've read have emphasized Hunt, perhaps because of her name recognition and the fact that this is a first dramatic role for her, but Tess Harper's performance was equally riveting, and I hope she gets more attention for it.

A touching independent film

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 16 July 2007]

Kudos to Tim Kirkman for assembling a marvelous cast to tell the poignant story of "Loggerheads," a 2005 independent production filmed in North Carolina. "Loggerheads" (the title refers to large turtles as well as the normal meaning of the word) tells three different stories in three different time periods. The stories eventually intertwine. The first takes place in 1999 and stars Kip Pardue as Mark, an HIV-positive young man working to preserve the loggerheads. Kip is sleeping on Kure Beach in North Carolina until he is taken in by George (Michael Kelly), who lets him stay in the motel he manages.

In the second story, which takes place in 2000, an unhappy woman (Bonnie Hunt) who lives with her mother (Michael Learned) wants desperately to find the child she gave up for adoption but isn't having any luck until she meets a detective.

The third story is in 2001 and concerns a Christian couple, a minister (Chris Sarandon) and his wife (Tess Harper) who must come to grips with a sad family situation, but the minister's faith holds him back.

All three stories are beautifully told and acted. The normally funny Bonnie Hunt is here in a serious role, and she tears at the heart, with Learned offering down to earth, quiet support - they are an ideal mother and daughter. The juvenile-looking Pardue gives a sensitive performance as someone who seems totally alone, at odds with his world and has given up making sense of it. As the minister, Chris Sarandon is powerful as a good man who believes in a punishing God and of a different opinion than his normally acquiescent wife, Harper, who has a tough decision to make. There are two other standouts: Michael Kelly as George, who befriends Mark, and Ann Pierce, an Olympia Dukakis lookalike, as Harper and Sarandon's wise neighbor.

Though the pace of the film is a little slow, the stories are intriguing enough to hold the viewer, as are the performances. It's also very well photographed. One IMDb poster stated the ending was clichéd - perhaps it was, but it was nevertheless satisfying. This is a film from a director/writer who has something to say - catch it if you see it for rent or on the Sundance channel.

A little bit too quiet but very moving

[preppy-3 · 9/10 · 20 June 2005]

Three stories start in this film-- 40ish Grace (Bonnie Hunt) is living with her mother (Michael Learned) but can't forget the baby she was forced to give up for adoption when she was 17; Mark (Kip Pardue) is a young man obsessed with saving loggerhead turtles--he falls for sweet, gentle George (Michael Kelly); a minister's wife (Tess Harper) misses her son who abandoned her because of her husband's (Chris Sarandon) religion.

These three stories are all absorbing with excellent acting--just look at that cast! They all slowly come together at the end and leads to a very moving and truthful conclusion.

This is a character study but a very good one. It was a little too quiet for me (that's why I'm only giving it a 9) but I was never bored. Also it was shot on location in North Carolina which helps a lot. There's some stunning, absolutely beautiful cinematography here (one sequence toward the end with Hunt and Harper took my breath away). This is not for everybody but it is quiet, intelligent, beautiful and very moving motion picture. Recommended.

Wonderful!

[meredithchandler1973 · 9/10 · 15 October 2005]

First - let me say that I am not associated with the movie in any way and I paid $10.75 to see it. (I was reading the other comments and the only negative one I saw decided that all the other glowing comments were shills.)

I loved the way the stories intertwined. The acting was superb. Tess Harper and Bonnie Hunt were particular favorites for me. Like others have mentioned, I was very impressed by Ms. Hunt's dramatic work in this movie and hope she'll get to do more of it. The movie was quiet and thoughtful. Some might think it was slow, but I didn't feel that way. I was totally involved with the story and interested in the characters every step of the way.

A really wonderful film.

a poignant sleeper

[kate-449 · 9/10 · 28 January 2006]

This isn't a tidy little movie with a predictable end, predictable characters nor script— rather this is a compelling, profoundly moving film refreshing in how delicate it is. The performances are nuanced and the dialogue and story lines have a verisimilitude that left me feeling touched by the characters. They felt "real." That is rare in any film— that quality where you stop watching actors and start watching characters and feel their pain, hopes, dreams. I only saw this movie by accident as my boyfriend and I got to the theater to see another film which happened to be sold out and seats were available for this film. Lucky for me.

A magnificent movie!

[channinglylethomson · 9/10 · 21 June 2005]

I saw this film last night at the San Francisco Frameline Film Festival (6/20/05). This is a profound and moving filmgoing experience. I don't really want to say much about it but I encourage people to see it. One thing I particularly liked about it was the use of the Carolina locales. The film suggests that there's a whole world out there that Gay people have been deprived of. Yes, major cities like San Francisco and New York have been Gay turf for a long time. LOGGERHEADS dares to make the statement that we have to right to belong everywhere comfortably be it "the heartland" or the urban center. This film really is about "the heartland" -- a place where people have to grapple with their most personal issues and come out as better, stronger individuals. Between seeing LOGGERHEADS and Gregg Araki's MYSTERIOUS SKIN this week, I think the so-called "Gay Film" has really come of age.

Turtle Soup

[gryffindor249 · 2/10 · 14 October 2005]

Well, now that all of the director/ productions company's friends and relations have posted their shill reviews after seeing this at various festivals, I guess it's time to show reviews written by people who actually paid 10 bucks to see it.

Like the director's "Dear Jesse" (the only other one of his films I have seen), "Loggerheads" suffers from a lack of focus and too many ideas crammed into an indie budget. I swear, this guy might have better luck doing miniseries. I kept waiting for the various plot threads to come together, but they only intercepted at points blatantly forshadowed in a way obvious to all but the most dense viewer. It was like watching a season of Lifetime made-for-TV movies crammed into one, long (did I say LOOONG) sketch on the old "Carol Burnett" show. Maybe an enterprising male suitor could take his girlfriend to see this and then exclaim "Hey...remember all of the chick flicks we went to last year...the one about the adoptive mother...the one about the gay guy...the one about the Christian housewife. We went to THREE Chick Flicks last year; so now we have to go see Terminator 4!" I guess one has to do anything to cast a familiar actor to get funding, but what oh what is Bonnie Hunt doing in this flick? She isn't exactly known as a dramatic actress, and this attempted "performance" won't be sending Mr. Oscar to her door. I mean (speaking of Lifetime Original Movies), wasn't Valerie Bertinelli or Farah Fawcett available? Ms. Hunt has always come off to me as cold, maybe she should have played the other mom? I wish I would have chosen "Capote" to fill my weekly Gay-themed Indie Allowance..oh well, maybe next week. I think there is a good reason why Capote is playing at tons of theatres all over the NYC area and this one is playing at only one; let the distributors faith in this flick assure to to run in the opposite direction if you don't trust this review!

The Homing Instinct

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 19 May 2006]

Loggerheads are turtles, found along the coast of North Carolina, whose lives are unique in that the females always return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs, hatch their young who in turn by moonlight go out to sea only to return to their origin to repeat the life cycle. The film by the name LOGGERHEADS relies heavily on this phenomenon: it is set in North Carolina and is guided by the young man Mark (Kip Pardue) who opens the story sleeping on the beach in Kure Beach, NC where he studies and protects the loggerheads.

A complex and challenging film, writer/director Tim Kirkman (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, Dear Jesse) calls upon a true story to bring up questions of adoption in all the permutations of the triad, homosexuality, religious intolerance, bigotry, AIDS, and the longing for love and forgiveness. Kirkman sets his story in three years - 1999, 2000, 2001 - a fact that can be disconcerting until the flow of the film reveals the need to separate the events in time.

Mark is befriended by George (Michael Kelly) who is a kind young man, owning a motel, and who provides a room for the beach sleeper Mark. Mark quickly informs George that he has AIDS, thinking that George's kindness is a barter. But George is a true friend and their relationship grows slowly and with mutual trust as they learn the secrets of their pasts: George's lover 'drowned' in a mysterious accident; Mark ran away from his adoptive parents when they discovered he was gay; both men are tender and vulnerable souls afraid of further commitment.

Simultaneously we are introduced to Grace (Bonnie Hunt), recently recovering from a suicide attempt who longs to connect with the son she was forced to give up for adoption at age 17, and who lives with her rather rigid mother Sheridan (Michael Learned) who believes Grace should not try to discover the son she never knew. We also meet the minister Rev. Robert (Chris Sarandon) and his wife Elizabeth (Tess Harper) who are fanatics about gay people and even resent their neighbor Ruth (Ann Pierce) who places a nude statue of David on her lawn. The couple's son Mark is never discussed and the adoptive parents never communicate with him - but Ruth does. Ruth finally confides that Mark is ill and the wounds of separation open for Elizabeth. Meanwhile Grace has paid a 'finder' to locate Mark but the finder gives her a sad report. The three years of the story line make exquisite sense at this point as we realize that Kirkman has allowed us to be voyeurs into a human drama of immense substance, one that inexorably binds these disparate characters.

The cast is genuinely fine, with Kip Pardue, Michael Kelly, Bonnie Hunt, Tess Harper all giving highly sophisticated performances. But the credit for the impact of this stunning film goes to the writing and directing of Tim Kirkman. He has a way with film that is unique: we can only hope he will continue to make films of this quality, films that tackle difficult issues and are molded into realistic, non-manipulated dramas. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

A film whose power grows even after the final fadeout

[eslgr8 · 10/10 · 8 July 2005]

This is a rare film, one which moved me tremendously, but whose greatest power I felt as the haunting music of Mark Geary played over the end titles. Though I'd been a bit teary as several of the characters finally met at the film's conclusion, it was after the curtain went down, so to speak, that I really found myself crying as the impact of what I'd seen sank in. As another reviewer stated, this film shows how far the "gay movie" has come in just over a decade. The sophistication and complexity of the story, the depth of the performances, and the artistry of the writing/directing make Loggerheads a truly outstanding film. One comment: let's stop saying that an actor like Kip Pardue is "brave" for playing a gay part. He's an actor, and a good one at that, who chooses a part for what it offers him as an artist, and more power to him for that. The truly brave actor is an openly gay one who plays a gay role without concern that this will prevent him from playing straight parts in the future. No matter how many times Kip plays gay, assuming he is straight, he will have no trouble being cast in a straight role, not in 2005.

loved it

[msliberry-1 · 10/10 · 25 April 2005]

I thought 'Loggerheads' was wonderful. I saw it at the River Run Film Festival in Winston Salem, NC. The director/writer attended the screening as well. Afterward, he talked about the making of the film and it was very interesting. He indicated that the film may not be released nationwide. He seemed to think that it would play on the Sundance Channel and then be released to DVD. What a shame. It should be released nationally, in my opinion.

The actors were amazing and the story was so interesting. I loved the overlapping, intertwined stories. Bonnie Hunt was GREAT. She should do more dramatic work, because her performance was beautiful. The film itself was slow and deliberate in its pacing (kinda like the South) but it needed to be that way to develop the characters. I was riveted the whole time. Check it out, if you get a chance.

By the way--contrary to what one poster said, I know no one involved in the making of this film. I paid the ticket price and got more than my money's worth.

Haunting and refreshing

[extrarh · 10/10 · 12 June 2005]

I loved this movie. The cinematography, direction, and acting are fantastic. The NC shoot is exquisite (particularly the scenes at the beach). Using three different story lines that ultimately converge is a great way of drawing the viewer into the story and making it much more intimate and meaningful. There is a certain level of shock at how antiquated adoption laws and mores have been (and still are).

The ending is uplifting without being a "Hollywood" saccharin sellout. The bittersweetness of the closure is a wonderful way of reminding one that we can always do a better job of being human to each other - even when we don't understand each other.

Slow-paced like a turtle

[Turfseer · 3/10 · 30 September 2008]

At the beginning of 'Loggerheads', we're introduced to three pairs of seemingly unrelated characters. To make matters even more confusing, we're informed (via titles on the screen) that the action is taking place in three separate time lines (between the years 1999 and 2001). It takes a great deal of time but eventually we come to see how the three pairs are related: Mark Austin, a young man in his 20s, gay and HIV Positive is estranged from his conservative parents, Elizabeth and Rev. Robert Austin.

Mark is now a drifter and arrives in Kure Beach, North Carolina, a seaside town, where he meets George (sensitively played by Michael Kelly), a gay motel owner and they eventually become involved with each other. Meanwhile, Mark's birth mother, Grace (played by Bonnie Hunt) has come to the point in her life where she has decided to find the son she gave up for adoption when she was 17. Similarly, Mark's adoptive mother, also has decided to track her estranged son as she misses him (despite the misgivings of her homophobic minister husband).

'Loggerheads' we're told is based on a true story and that perhaps is its Achilles Heel. Director/Writer Tim Kirkman tries too hard to create scenes fraught with dramatic tension where there is very little to be found. Take Mark and George—they're both sensitive souls who have little to disagree about. There's some slight tension when Grace faces off against an Adoption Agency Director who is forbidden by law to give her any information about her lost son as well as a slight conflict with her mother who denies that she disapproved of her when she became pregnant as a teenager. No sparks fly either between Elizabeth and Robert since the good Reverend has adamantly insisted from the beginning that he has no intention of reconciling with his son.

'Loggerheads' is similar to 'Brokeback Mountain' in that the gay couple are the good guys and the straight males (for example, the Kure Beach cop and the Reverend) are the baddies. The biggest letdown of the movie is that there is no interaction (and hence no dramatic conflict) between Mark and either one of his 'mothers'. Mark is already dead before either the birth or adoptive mother has a chance to reconcile with him.

Kirkman's theme is both a plea for tolerance and an exhortation for family members to express their heartfelt feelings before it's too late! Kirkman's sentiments are for the most part well-intentioned but they do not make for good drama. Loggerheads moves along at a snail's pace without providing any new revelations (or suspense) regarding such topics as AIDS, Adoption and Homophobia. Ultimately 'Loggerheads' fails due to its slow pacing.

great film

[hollywdfla · 10/10 · 26 April 2005]

Saw this wonderful film at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Had the pleasure of having the Director there. The film was very multi-layered and pulled your heart in many directions.The acting was very good especially Tess Harper Bonnie Hunt and Kip Pardue (hottie!) Should be required viewing for any in the religious right. It might teach them something about compassion. The audience at the festival was very enthusiastic about the movie and kept the director busy answering many questions about location, filming and even how to make an apple pie with red apples. Would definitely recommend this movie to all audiences- it is not your typical "gay" movie- instead it is a movie that has gay characters- quite refreshing!!

Don't miss it!

[jencfuller · 10/10 · 21 April 2005]

I grew up with Tim Kirkman, writer and director of this movie. Loggerheads is everything he is....thoughtful, honest, probing, authentic and hopeful. I saw this movie in Nashville, and sensed that the audience was spellbound, as was I, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The beach, the mountains, the kitchen table, the barber shop, the sanctuary, the kiss, every frame was beautifully and intentionally shot. The cast is totally believable. I've lived next door to and gone to church with these people. Kirkman tells 3 stories that weave into 1 and they are rich with emotion and full of grace. The soundtrack is amazing. Don't miss it.

Wow - this is what Sundance is all about!

[boochmon · 9/10 · 23 January 2005]

Caught this film at Sundance, what a treat! What a great use of nonlinear story lines – subtly revealed to the attentive viewer. Kip Pardue takes another brave role and excels - he's played gay several times and never shies from controversial roles – how sexy is that! Bonnie Hunt was amazing, her pain and longing were palpable – hard to imagine another woman in the role – although apparently she signed on after another actress dropped out. I certainly hope this film finds major release because it's heads and tails above most of the shlock Hollywood releases. Motherhood, Family, and Sexuality intertwine in this wonderful film!

Beautiful movie that should be seen by all

[sozment · 10/10 · 1 May 2006]

I rented Loggerheads this past weekend and I can not begin to say how grateful that I am to have picked up that video.

Loggerheads is the most beautiful, mesmerizing movie that I have had the pleasure to view in a very long time. Too many times, movies as beautiful as this are put on the shelves at the local blockbuster to be passed by, when they deserve to have their own section and be spotlighted.

From the mesmerizing scenery of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the beaches of North Carolina, Tim Kirkman gives us a breathtaking view while enriching us with a magnificent and heart wrenching story of a lonely drifter, his birth mother, his adoptive family and how their stories all tie together.

It's 1999 and Mark, played by the beautiful and very talented Kip Pardue, is a drifter sleeping on the beach (Kure Beach) after leaving home at the age of 17. He is trying to save the endangered "Loggerhead Sea Turtles". This is symbolic as the story unfolds because the Loggerhead Turtles lay their eggs in their nest on the beach and then the mother's abandon them. The eggs are hatched and the babies find their way to the open sea by following the moonlight. And every year, somehow, the turtles find their way back to the same beach to lay their eggs again. Mark as you will discover, feels abandoned in much the same way.

He befriends George, played by the handsome and amazing Michael Kelly, is a very sweet soul who takes Mark in and gives him a friend and a place to stay. He becomes Mark's confidant and eventually his love.

The story takes place in 3 different years, which Mr. Kirkman takes great strides to help us, the audience, always know the year we are in.

In early 2001, we are introduced to Elizabeth and Robert, played by Tess Harper and Chris Sarandon. Robert is a minister in a small town called Eden. Elizabeth is his wife and we learn that they had an adopted son whom left home years ago upon their learning he was gay. They are very old fashioned in their beliefs and therefore, they let him go, never to try and find him. Thus, abandoning him, in my book. Elizabeth tries to come to terms with this decision throughout the movie but realizes as the movie goes on that perhaps this was not the right choice.

It's 2002 and Grace (played by the awesome Bonnie Hunt), living in Asheville, N.C. is looking for her son that she gave up at his birth. She was only 16 and her parents forced her to give him up for adoption. Since then she has felt only guilt and grief and needs to find him to feel whole.

This beautiful movie is about abandonment, guilt and trying to resolve these feelings. It shows us insight to why these characters feel the way they do and why they feel the need to change. It gives us a character such as Mark, who is sick, yet manages to stay positive with his own beliefs but yet is so full of emptiness and yearning for something that he needs.

I can't say how very beautiful and poetic this movie is. I can only recommend that you rent or purchase it.

Dud

[teddyryan · 13 April 2006]

I really was looking forward to seeing LOGGERHEADS. Nothing beats a nice, quiet indie flick set on the coast of NC. Nothing except a nice, quiet indie flick with decent character and a story that is actually interesting.

Aside from Kip Pardue and the guy that played George, I found this one to be a lights out. Sure it looked great and the camera work was nice. But, man, oh man - some of the people just killed it for me. Especially the woman in search of her son. That storyline was horribly played. The actor had little charisma. And the preacher - same thing. Mr. Kirkman needed to cast much stronger personalities like he did with Pardue and the guy that played George.

Deceptive title

[imntacrook · 1/10 · 10 July 2006]

I think the title was very deceptive. Imagine bringing it home for a bunch of 10 yr olds thinking it was a movie about saving turtles and finding out it is a movie that is meant to arouse sympathy for gays and their fight against AIDS. In addition, all the straight men in the film were portrayed in an unflattering manner. The preacher was a stiff intolerant, unaware dolt. The Kure Beach cop (I know most of them and they're great guys) was a nasty bastard. The Marine from camp LeJuene was a thief. However, the two gay guys were caring, intelligent, sensitive, loving, wonderful human beings.

In the movies extras, I think its Kip Pardue that states Kure Beach is full of misfits and outcasts. Holy moly where did he get that from? Its a great town full of wonderful folks. But then he perhaps is comparing them to the Hollyweird types that think its normal for two males to make out and hug and kiss under the town fishing pier.

The Adoption Triad: The child, the birth mother, and the adopting parents.

[NYCDude · 10/10 · 30 December 2005]

This is a beautiful, tightly written movie about three families and how they intersect. Its primary topic is adoption, and the quest of a birth mother to find her child (Mark) who she had given away for adoption. The three families are the child himself, now in his 20's, his birth mother, and the family who adopted him. It takes place in North Carolina with breathtaking views of the ocean and mountains of that state.

Homosexuality plays an important role in the film. Mark, who is HIV positive, was totally rejected by his father, a homophobic fundamentalist minister. He becomes a wanderer, and feels rejected and unloved. After he leaves home, he is befriended by a local, and connects with him.

But above all, it's a wonderful story full of human emotions, of longing, and resolution. And unlike similar movies with different plot lines that converge, the plots here were all intelligible, coherent, and held your interest to the end.

The acting and cinematography were superb. The loggerheads refer to sea turtles, and have metaphorical implications. The movie stays with you after you leave, and is well worth seeing.

A lovely, thoughtful film about a complex subject

[flannerycmd · 9/10 · 28 March 2005]

I had a chance to catch this film at Sundance and found it very moving. I have not always been a Bonnie Hunt fan but found her performance surprising and rich. All the performers were wonderful. It's a film about adoption and the grief that can come with missing someone you have never known. I had never thought about this topic before but found myself to be surprisingly touched. Also it's wonderful to see a film deal with complicated emotional issues with subtlety and grace. It looks beautiful, too: wonderful cinematography. I hope it comes to the theater because I've been telling my friends about it and want them all to see it!

A Very "Real" Experience

[Vulcan91 · 9/10 · 20 October 2005]

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Tim Kirkman's "Loggerheads". Tim is a graduate of NC State, and he was on hand for a Q&A session after the screening, so it was really interesting to get some insight into the film, and of course it is always rare to see someone from this area "make it" in the "business".

As for the film itself, I was very skeptical going in, having been unimpressed by the trailer and synopsis, but I was extremely surprised by how well-crafted "Loggerheads" was. The film is quite slow paced, and driven one hundred percent by its characters, which means even the smallest mistakes stick out, as there is no high style and 'noise' to mask them. It works out very well, though, as the performances were extremely good, and the attention to detail outstanding.

Kirkman weaves together three separate but interconnected stories, all taking place in North Carolina (one in the western mountains of the state, one in the middle of the state, and one in the eastern beaches). The film deals with such issues as homosexuality, religion, and suicide, so a delicate touch is required in making the actions of the characters believable. "Loggerheads" felt more "real" to me than any other film I have seen this year, but it could be the North Carolina locations and characters that made it seem that way. I doubt I would have connected with the film on the same level had it been set in another state, and I am not so sure viewers unfamiliar with North Carolina will fully appreciate some of the film's qualities. If anyone reading this sees "Loggerheads", I would be interested in seeing some discussion on that subject. And I definitely would recommend seeing it.

Screened at Sundance 2005--GREAT

[sweber-6 · 10/10 · 27 November 2005]

After seeing this film at Sundance in January 2005, it haunted me for months. Both the story and the actors' performances were heart-wrenching, especially when you know this is based on true events. Kip Pardue,with whom I was unfamiliar until seeing this movie, was particularly memorable in his role. Bonnie Hunt and Tess Harper, too, played their roles well. In discussing this film with friends, we pointed out all of the different ways the story depicted "loggerheads" situations--a great title choice. See it for yourself when it opens this winter, and perhaps you'll agree with me about its great dramatic storyline and powerful resonance. Oh, and don't forget your tissues.