This film is truly heartfelt...
Added 1/29/2009
Jeff Bridges is definitely one of the best actors of his generation. Every time I watch him I'm baffled at just how naturally brilliant he is. I'm also baffled that he has yet to pick up an Oscar for his tremendous work, or the fact that he's been nominated for quite possibly his weakest performances yet snubbed entirely for his most impressive.
`American Heart' is one of his most impressive.
When I sat down to watch this film my only motivation was that of Mr. Bridges. I expected yet another sappy generic melodramatic film complete with clichés and manipulated emotions, but Jeff Bridges was enough to make me give it a try. What left me most impressed was the fact that it was none of those things. Sure, it had layers of predictability in the plot and subplot, but it was so honest in its delivery. It never feels forced even in moments when the director and the actors could have easily taken down the path most traveled. For instance, in a scene possessing a major character arch for Bridges he plays it with distilled emotions instead of flying into hysterics like most actors would feel urged to play it. He manages to appear real, and thus the film appears real.
`American Heart' tells the story of recently released convict Jack and his teenage son Nick. Jack doesn't know how to be a real citizen, let alone a father, but his desire to be a part of his son's life gives him the incentive to at least try. Nick is a wayward son, falling into his father's footsteps, but Jack is trying his hardest (even if at times it seems otherwise) to mold him in another direction.
The film is barely anything more than just that; a story about a father and a son, and it benefits from the simplicity. It allows us to get to know these two characters (based on real life runaway Dewayne and his father) and thus makes their development all the more effecting on us. I was very impressed with the direction taken here, the way the film seemed to effortlessly unfold with such subtle honesty, which is not what I expected at all.
My only complaint is the clichéd ending, which I was dreading would come. Even in it's clichés though, it is far from manipulative but remains just as subtle and raw as the rest of the film, so I cannot really fault the film for `going there'.
Jeff Bridges is phenomenal here, as per usual, but maybe even more so. This reminds me of his more subdued work in stellar films like `The Door in the Floor' and `The Baker Boys' (his two finest performances, yet both Oscar snubbed; go figure). He is brutally honest in his depiction on this man; no forced hysterics and emotional outbursts to contend with. He tells it like it is, and that is refreshing to see. Edward Furlong does a fine job interacting with Bridges; they have a nice chemistry. Lucinda Jenney (who looks a lot like Naomi Watts) is effective in her role, but she is merely a subplot and not really all that important to the unfolding of the film.
This is a film that is not seen by many but should be. I'm sure many have not even heard of it (this is the eleventh review for the film, so there you have it). Look it up, check it out and enjoy. This is a truly believable and engrossing father/son bonding film that will leave you satisfied.
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Fact: This is Jeff Bridges favorite film.
Added 12/2/2007
What does Jeff Bridges have to do to win an Academy Award? Looking through his body of work, I am amazed. He has worked hard in the industry, taking leads or characters that may have seemed silly to some and transformed them into iconic cinematic masterpieces. Who else could pull off "the Dude" as well as he could? It is my belief that both he and Jeff Daniels (whose role in "The Squid and the Whale" should have catapulted his popularity) will be the ones to watch in the growing future, if they are already not at the top of their game. I recently stumbled upon one of Jeff Bridges early pieces entitled "American Heart" and was again impressed with his ability to take a cliché character coupled with a choppy story and transform it into a meaningful, albeit mediocre, film. Bridges pulls in other actors, he defines the scenes, and forces you to see beyond the words and image and nearly jump headfirst into the life of whichever character he is currently playing; in this case it is ex-convict Jack whose son has followed him to Seattle to rebuild his life. This is one of those family dramas which connects two different souls, a father and a son, and gives us a glimpse into their rebuilding life. It is a film about second changes and how the choices we make ultimately effects the outcome. It is not a heavy drama, but stands above the regular rumble due in part to Bridges' amazing charisma and the tight direction by director Martin Bell. While not all elements work in this independent feature, it is the power and raw nature of the good parts that make this itty-bitty feature shine.
Jeff Bridges. Even in the early 90s he was making powerful cinema with strong characters and dedicated roles. "American Heart" could have easily fallen into the category of desperate father/son reunion fare, but instead it jumps beyond that into a world all its own thanks to our leading man, Mr. Jeff Bridges. He is nothing short of flawless in this film. His body image, his tone, his strength/courage/fears are all incredibly real and developed. When you watch "American Heart", you do not see Bridges playing a father role, but instead see the character of Jack in every scene. Through those squinty eyes and burly biceps, through the years of prison life dutifully planted behind his long, pony-tail hair, his youthful troubles beautifully (albeit randomly) placed throughout this story, Bridges becomes Jack. He becomes a man who has seen more in life than we have time to see, but yet we can see it through Bridges' character. Bridges is the lead and the obvious scene-stealer of this film and there is no way to deny his excellence. It is due to his ability that the other characters fall in line. Those surrounding him, Edward Furlong, Lucinda Jenney, Tracey Kapisky, and Don Harvey are devoted characters, but they do not measure up to what Bridges is pouring. The coupling of Bridges and a young Furlong is exceptional, but for me, it could have been more. They are father and son, the connection there is obvious, but it is when Furlong explores on his own, symbolically following in his father's footsteps, that we see a lack of character. He becomes annoying and more childish than mature. This is a growth film for Furlong, and in my opinion, there wasn't enough growing for Furlong to really make that pivotal change by the end. He should have had more interaction with Charlotte, who isn't used enough to perhaps add conflict between the two men. She is one of Bridges' backbone character, but is only used as more eye-candy for the screen. Then there is Bridges' old business associate who just happens to follow the rulebook for cliché, he was my least favorite character and more filler than necessary. My point? Without Bridges this would have been a forgettable film.
Characters were beautifully placed. Bridges claims this to be his favorite film, and his heart, his entire heart is in the character, but Peter Silverman's script could have used more grit. There was still a sensation of sugarcoating involved with the story. How simple was it for Nick (Furlong) to get to his dad, to not have to go to school, to live on the streets - these were are too simple for someone who may not have had the real-life experiences yet like his father. This doesn't mean that the story wasn't dark. This is a story of a family with nothing, who strives to have nothing more than just freedom and each other - it is a dark story and Martin Bell did a phenomenal job of making sure that we weren't distracted with unnecessary emotional pitfalls. His camera work and direction paired well with Bridges' powerful work, but it again goes back to the downfall of the story that will not allow me to give this film a perfect score. The relationship between Furlong and his pseudo-girlfriend is annoying, and ultimately distracting from the real story. There is no chemistry or emotion there, so when he tries to "free" her, it just feels like an event that needed to happen instead of "should be" happening. The stripper mother story, again, too much filler. Thankfully, these are all used up in the center of the film giving us a strong beginning and an emotionally beautiful ending. Powerful acting, strong direction, tight camera work - a couple of more hours spent on the script and "American Heart" would be an instant addition to the collection.
Overall, I liked "American Heart" because of the true work that everyone put into it. This was a project of passion, a story with characters that everyone wanted to be involved with no matter the chunkiness of the story. Bridges needs to win an Oscar, he should have won for this film. You, as a viewer, cannot keep you eyes off him as he struggles with the new life in Seattle and dreams of Alaska. Martin Bell understands the streets, or at least early 90s streets, and while the image of this film doesn't withstand the test of time, the overall tones and themes are powerful and unforgiving. Furlong tried to keep up with Bridges, but it was impossible. There were times he was just too childish and annoying, completely destroying the conventional character developed from the beginning. There are great moments in this film that stand apart from the classic Hollywood recycle, and for that I must give "American Heart" credit. If released today, I think it would be a runaway success, it would be a word of mouth film, while I cannot add it to my collection, it will be a film I will strongly suggest to others. Jeff Bridges. Can you believe the work he did in this film? The man has an undeniable eye for the trade that he is in, and he should not be afraid to exploit it further. With "American Heart", Bridges has rejuvenated my hope to find a great American actor.
Bravo Mr. Bridges, Bravo!
Grade: **** out of *****
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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a fantastic indie
Added 3/29/2007
My favorite actor is Edward Furlong (not just in this movie but in all of his movies) and this is in my opinion his best. This movie fortunately was an indipendant film and was not a hollywood movie (Hollywood messes a lot of things up with popularity) All of the actors are great the script is really good and the end is good and sad (the whole movie is very dramatic which is the thing i like about it besides the actors , furlong being number one) this movie has irony as well (you'll know when you see it) and massive realistic drama. if you like dramatic movies that arent shrouded in popularity and is filled with awesome actors, a sad ending and plus a good backround soundtrack, this is a perfect movie. (you'll be very suprised on how many kid stars there are and how good of actors they are.) plus it's made in Seattle and theres a good amount of punk rockers in it (suprisingly theres not too much grunge since it was made when grunge was mainstream0 ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Probably Jeff Bridges, Edward Furlong's best film
Added 3/15/2005
I am suprised how many have not seen American Heart, but for some reason this movie was fated to be a sleeper gem waiting to be discovered by the fortunate few. Good performances all around, a sensible script, and most importantly not too much syrup, unlike a lot of other family dramas that lay it on a bit too thick. If you like realism and want a film that explores the plot described above, then this is an excellent choice.
(...)
Furlong's characters exhibit reserve, introversion, and recklessness. Part of his character, not to say charm, is a mysterious dark side which may have a basis in reality, if media reports are to be believed.
6 out of 8 people found this helpful.
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ed furlong great as ever. jeff bridges is like no other.
Added 4/7/2004
2 great actors in one movie and one little actress (tracy kapisky that was never heard of again).
jack was a theft, he just got out and is wanting a strait life. he just wants to go get his dream and he doesnt want anyone meddeling in his buisness while hes getting his end and getting out. everything goes wrong. jack gets picked up by his near forgotten son nick carrying little more than a suitcase and a picture of a pig. nick wants to be reunited with his father. unlike jack hes actually been waiting around for his dad to get out so they could again be a family whereas jack didnt care. after many unsuccessful attempts to ditch nick jack takes in his son and tries to be any kind of father hes capable of which may not be much but fatherly love hed put away is only realised when grows fear that he may lose his son to crime.
along the story you also meet 3 other people. nicks best friend played by :Christian Frizzell ... Rollie
Rollies devoted but can be a dumb kid sometimes. hes a skater from the corner who sales for the post with nick. he is also associated with the group of hustlers that nicks friends with on the corner.
then you have tracey kapisky who plays Molly
Molly is Nicks big crush. shes loud mouthed, sly, street smart and pretty. shes also a prostitute and dances for private parties. nick wants to settle down with this one...
then you have Lucinda Jenney who plays Charlotte, the woman that Jacks been writing from a magazine called "american heart" in which they began writing letters while Jack was in prison. Charlotte isnt stupid. Shes also a good woman and tries really hard to be there for Jack and help him help himself and help him in any way she can. She also tries to be there for Nick but nick hates her because he doesnt care for the intrusion.
Then you have Rainey but im not telling you about Rainey..
2 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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This film is truly heartfelt...
Added 1/29/2009
Jeff Bridges is definitely one of the best actors of his generation. Every time I watch him I'm baffled at just how naturally brilliant he is. I'm also baffled that he has yet to pick up an Oscar for his tremendous work, or the fact that he's been nominated for quite possibly his weakest performances yet snubbed entirely for his most impressive.
`American Heart' is one of his most impressive.
When I sat down to watch this film my only motivation was that of Mr. Bridges. I expected yet another sappy generic melodramatic film complete with clichés and manipulated emotions, but Jeff Bridges was enough to make me give it a try. What left me most impressed was the fact that it was none of those things. Sure, it had layers of predictability in the plot and subplot, but it was so honest in its delivery. It never feels forced even in moments when the director and the actors could have easily taken down the path most traveled. For instance, in a scene possessing a major character arch for Bridges he plays it with distilled emotions instead of flying into hysterics like most actors would feel urged to play it. He manages to appear real, and thus the film appears real.
`American Heart' tells the story of recently released convict Jack and his teenage son Nick. Jack doesn't know how to be a real citizen, let alone a father, but his desire to be a part of his son's life gives him the incentive to at least try. Nick is a wayward son, falling into his father's footsteps, but Jack is trying his hardest (even if at times it seems otherwise) to mold him in another direction.
The film is barely anything more than just that; a story about a father and a son, and it benefits from the simplicity. It allows us to get to know these two characters (based on real life runaway Dewayne and his father) and thus makes their development all the more effecting on us. I was very impressed with the direction taken here, the way the film seemed to effortlessly unfold with such subtle honesty, which is not what I expected at all.
My only complaint is the clichéd ending, which I was dreading would come. Even in it's clichés though, it is far from manipulative but remains just as subtle and raw as the rest of the film, so I cannot really fault the film for `going there'.
Jeff Bridges is phenomenal here, as per usual, but maybe even more so. This reminds me of his more subdued work in stellar films like `The Door in the Floor' and `The Baker Boys' (his two finest performances, yet both Oscar snubbed; go figure). He is brutally honest in his depiction on this man; no forced hysterics and emotional outbursts to contend with. He tells it like it is, and that is refreshing to see. Edward Furlong does a fine job interacting with Bridges; they have a nice chemistry. Lucinda Jenney (who looks a lot like Naomi Watts) is effective in her role, but she is merely a subplot and not really all that important to the unfolding of the film.
This is a film that is not seen by many but should be. I'm sure many have not even heard of it (this is the eleventh review for the film, so there you have it). Look it up, check it out and enjoy. This is a truly believable and engrossing father/son bonding film that will leave you satisfied.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Fact: This is Jeff Bridges favorite film.
Added 12/2/2007
What does Jeff Bridges have to do to win an Academy Award? Looking through his body of work, I am amazed. He has worked hard in the industry, taking leads or characters that may have seemed silly to some and transformed them into iconic cinematic masterpieces. Who else could pull off "the Dude" as well as he could? It is my belief that both he and Jeff Daniels (whose role in "The Squid and the Whale" should have catapulted his popularity) will be the ones to watch in the growing future, if they are already not at the top of their game. I recently stumbled upon one of Jeff Bridges early pieces entitled "American Heart" and was again impressed with his ability to take a cliché character coupled with a choppy story and transform it into a meaningful, albeit mediocre, film. Bridges pulls in other actors, he defines the scenes, and forces you to see beyond the words and image and nearly jump headfirst into the life of whichever character he is currently playing; in this case it is ex-convict Jack whose son has followed him to Seattle to rebuild his life. This is one of those family dramas which connects two different souls, a father and a son, and gives us a glimpse into their rebuilding life. It is a film about second changes and how the choices we make ultimately effects the outcome. It is not a heavy drama, but stands above the regular rumble due in part to Bridges' amazing charisma and the tight direction by director Martin Bell. While not all elements work in this independent feature, it is the power and raw nature of the good parts that make this itty-bitty feature shine.
Jeff Bridges. Even in the early 90s he was making powerful cinema with strong characters and dedicated roles. "American Heart" could have easily fallen into the category of desperate father/son reunion fare, but instead it jumps beyond that into a world all its own thanks to our leading man, Mr. Jeff Bridges. He is nothing short of flawless in this film. His body image, his tone, his strength/courage/fears are all incredibly real and developed. When you watch "American Heart", you do not see Bridges playing a father role, but instead see the character of Jack in every scene. Through those squinty eyes and burly biceps, through the years of prison life dutifully planted behind his long, pony-tail hair, his youthful troubles beautifully (albeit randomly) placed throughout this story, Bridges becomes Jack. He becomes a man who has seen more in life than we have time to see, but yet we can see it through Bridges' character. Bridges is the lead and the obvious scene-stealer of this film and there is no way to deny his excellence. It is due to his ability that the other characters fall in line. Those surrounding him, Edward Furlong, Lucinda Jenney, Tracey Kapisky, and Don Harvey are devoted characters, but they do not measure up to what Bridges is pouring. The coupling of Bridges and a young Furlong is exceptional, but for me, it could have been more. They are father and son, the connection there is obvious, but it is when Furlong explores on his own, symbolically following in his father's footsteps, that we see a lack of character. He becomes annoying and more childish than mature. This is a growth film for Furlong, and in my opinion, there wasn't enough growing for Furlong to really make that pivotal change by the end. He should have had more interaction with Charlotte, who isn't used enough to perhaps add conflict between the two men. She is one of Bridges' backbone character, but is only used as more eye-candy for the screen. Then there is Bridges' old business associate who just happens to follow the rulebook for cliché, he was my least favorite character and more filler than necessary. My point? Without Bridges this would have been a forgettable film.
Characters were beautifully placed. Bridges claims this to be his favorite film, and his heart, his entire heart is in the character, but Peter Silverman's script could have used more grit. There was still a sensation of sugarcoating involved with the story. How simple was it for Nick (Furlong) to get to his dad, to not have to go to school, to live on the streets - these were are too simple for someone who may not have had the real-life experiences yet like his father. This doesn't mean that the story wasn't dark. This is a story of a family with nothing, who strives to have nothing more than just freedom and each other - it is a dark story and Martin Bell did a phenomenal job of making sure that we weren't distracted with unnecessary emotional pitfalls. His camera work and direction paired well with Bridges' powerful work, but it again goes back to the downfall of the story that will not allow me to give this film a perfect score. The relationship between Furlong and his pseudo-girlfriend is annoying, and ultimately distracting from the real story. There is no chemistry or emotion there, so when he tries to "free" her, it just feels like an event that needed to happen instead of "should be" happening. The stripper mother story, again, too much filler. Thankfully, these are all used up in the center of the film giving us a strong beginning and an emotionally beautiful ending. Powerful acting, strong direction, tight camera work - a couple of more hours spent on the script and "American Heart" would be an instant addition to the collection.
Overall, I liked "American Heart" because of the true work that everyone put into it. This was a project of passion, a story with characters that everyone wanted to be involved with no matter the chunkiness of the story. Bridges needs to win an Oscar, he should have won for this film. You, as a viewer, cannot keep you eyes off him as he struggles with the new life in Seattle and dreams of Alaska. Martin Bell understands the streets, or at least early 90s streets, and while the image of this film doesn't withstand the test of time, the overall tones and themes are powerful and unforgiving. Furlong tried to keep up with Bridges, but it was impossible. There were times he was just too childish and annoying, completely destroying the conventional character developed from the beginning. There are great moments in this film that stand apart from the classic Hollywood recycle, and for that I must give "American Heart" credit. If released today, I think it would be a runaway success, it would be a word of mouth film, while I cannot add it to my collection, it will be a film I will strongly suggest to others. Jeff Bridges. Can you believe the work he did in this film? The man has an undeniable eye for the trade that he is in, and he should not be afraid to exploit it further. With "American Heart", Bridges has rejuvenated my hope to find a great American actor.
Bravo Mr. Bridges, Bravo!
Grade: **** out of *****
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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a fantastic indie
Added 3/29/2007
My favorite actor is Edward Furlong (not just in this movie but in all of his movies) and this is in my opinion his best. This movie fortunately was an indipendant film and was not a hollywood movie (Hollywood messes a lot of things up with popularity) All of the actors are great the script is really good and the end is good and sad (the whole movie is very dramatic which is the thing i like about it besides the actors , furlong being number one) this movie has irony as well (you'll know when you see it) and massive realistic drama. if you like dramatic movies that arent shrouded in popularity and is filled with awesome actors, a sad ending and plus a good backround soundtrack, this is a perfect movie. (you'll be very suprised on how many kid stars there are and how good of actors they are.) plus it's made in Seattle and theres a good amount of punk rockers in it (suprisingly theres not too much grunge since it was made when grunge was mainstream0 ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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