finding your inner joy
Added 8/29/2009
i love this movie. such a talented cast. i love uptight characters that meet kookie characters. finding his inner joy and the box of moonlight...
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Well Worth Seeing
Added 8/16/2008
Al Fountain (John Turturro) is an electrical engineer and The Boss. We first see him being managerial as he unpopularly puts his crew back to work at 4:45 after he catches them engaging in a bit of fun before quitting time. He's generally considered an "a--hole" by the guys, but actually he's simply an insecure, middle-class business type who's supporting his conventional family in suburbia. He very much wants to be liked but has a job to do. He's much like you and me.
The next morning he notices his first gray hair. This sets off internal alarm bells deep within his psyche. He realizes his life is passing him by. Is he really living? Time only moves forward, not backward.
The job he's working on ends early, so Al decides to take his bonus money and do something unconventional for a change. He goes on a hunt for a boyhood amusement park in the middle of nowhere. From this search comes an unexpected meeting with "The Kid" (Sam Rockwell), a young man living off the grid in an abandoned trailer. The kid amazes Al. The kid is a free spirit, a good soul, who is utterly indifferent to the rules Al and society live by. He becomes a catalyst for Al to delve into himself and find what he's been missing for so many years.
This movie is well acted and directed. It has the feel of a Coen brothers flick: unconventional, a bit mad, and highly entertaining. The "locals" also add a nice touch of realism. And John Turturro is perfectly cast as the uptight, out of touch, insecure Al who lends a helping hand, but finds he too is helped in more ways than he could ever imagine.
Pick this one up. It will stay with you.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Perfect little film
Added 4/5/2008
I missed this little gem when it was first released, so it came as a delightful surprise. It is wonderfully cast, with John Turturro doing a brilliant job in the lead role as a tightly-wound but emotionally clueless electrical engineer who exasperates his family and construction crew alike with his rigid, humorless ways. The physical and psychic detour that he takes when he encounters the charismatic, spontaneous, and morally flexible Sam Rockwell, makes for humor, dramatic tension, and mind-expanding explorations. The director's use of symbolism and surrealism, while not terribly subtle, is done with a light touch, keeping the film whimsical and not too pedantic. The film has much to say about the potent magic of childhood memories, the quirkiness and dark corners of our culture, and the ability to relate to our fellow humans. But, like the box of moonlight which forms the symbolic core of the film, all of this fits into a compact and charming package.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Delightful!
Added 11/9/2007
This delightful comedy is a 'feel good' movie about a serious man who thinks he's losing his sanity. Returning to a place where he had fun as a child, he runs into a younger man who teaches him that easing up is not only a more desirable way to live life, but may be essential to good mental health.
Chrissy K. McVay - Author
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Refreshing
Added 7/9/2007
I too was channel surfing and came upon this movie and could not change the channel. And it was my first introduction to Sam Rockwell, who is, WOW, so talented. The many looks and characters he played in the movies that I have seen since this movie, is astounding for one so young. Why haven't I heard of him before. And his movies are few and far in between it seems. I find I can't wait to see the next one. You won't be disappointed. A little bit of magic, and wonder is in this movie, you have to look past the bad reviews and judge for yourself and give it a chance to work its magic on YOU.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Overrated and Simplistic
Added 9/2/2009
From the glowing reviews I was expecting a thoughtful and interesting movie. Lawn Dogs is quite disappointing as the characters are so unbelievable (except for Rockwell's) as to render the film preposterous. The anti-yuppie bias would have been tolerable if it wasn't so asinine. You think even a craven father wanting to be on five boards would overlook someone hurting his daughter because his dad "might" send him some business? Or Mom's scenes where the 11 year old fully understands (and accepts) what is happening, and yet she carries on with an entire party possibly walking in a door. We get it--all the poor people are good and the rich (or wanna be rich, especially) are bad. Very believable.
The only reason I don't give it one star is the acting of Rockwell and to some extent Mischa Barton (although the dialogue and character is way too old for her age).
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An experience, a journey, a friendship to remember
Added 6/18/2009
The film is truely an experience to remember, I didn't keep any or very little expectations from this film and it turned out to be one of the very best films in Drama. The film is very rare and I consider myself lucky to have watch this film, it follows a unique story, an unusual friendship between a little girl and an adult man. The little girl played very smartly and beautifuly by Mischa Barton. Rockwell and Barton show a wonderfull strong chemistry on screen, simply remarkable performences delivered by both the co-stars. Its a very unusual film, yet a wonderfull experience. It's quite rare that films reach a level of perfection. 'Lawn Dogs' is certainly one of them. The emotions are potrayed beautifully and the film is simply beyond words. The dvd stands proudly on my shelf. A true gem.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Watch this ...
Added 5/17/2009
... you will not be disappointed! EXCELLENT movie with outstanding performances by all. Mischa Barton's amazing debut combined with Sam Rockwell's brilliance equals a most heart-wrenching tale. The unlikely friendship between a young lawn service man and a 10 year old girl, who are both "outsiders," is interlaced with the drama of an affluent neighborhood and it's dirty little secrets. The relationship between the two main characters becomes perverted in the minds of the other players, when in reality it's the only pure thing in the story.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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