OVERALL REACTION TO THE MOVIE AND ITS PLOT:

I didn't enjoy this movie. My enjoyment of anything I do for entertainment depends on whether it makes me feel good or feel bad. This one did the latter.

I am an "adult child of an alcoholic." Because of that, there are components of this movie that pushed my buttons--abandonment (even when the parent is present physically, they can be absent emotionally), financial insecurity, inability to control the parent who is not in control of himself, hyper-responsibility at a young age, absence of a feeling of being nurtured by the dysfunctional parent, and the list goes on. This movie also pushed some buttons that I think are basic human fears--being poor and unemployed, being alone and homeless, being taken for granted and being used by someone you love.

The crowning negative blow for me, leaving me wishing I hadn't watched this one all the way through, involved a scene near the end where Charlie donned scuba gear and then submerged into a brownish, foul-smelling waterway (which Miranda insisted was the sewer), risking his life as part of an obsession to find a hidden Spanish treasure.

Any interest there could've been in the dream of finding a buried treasure just wasn't developed for me by the handling of the story.

The ending did not bring my mood back up.

THE PLAYERS:
I think Michael Douglas is a good actor. I usually enjoy his performances but don’t necessarily enjoy the movies he's in since they often have dark content.

Douglas plays Charlie, a character I couldn't get to know very well. There were inconsistencies in his character that bothered me. The movie begins with him just being released from confinement in a mental institution. That set the stage for my constantly having to ask myself, based on his appearance and behavior, whether he was supposed to be well or still a few bubbles off center. Maybe the author/director wanted to use that element of confusion to build suspense, but it just made it hard for me to get a handle on his motivations and follow along. If he was actually cured of his mental aberrations then he had no excuse for his lazy preoccupation with himself and his dreams. He not only made no effort to try to provide for himself or even pick up after himself around the house, but he was responsible for selfishly squandering any resources his daughter could gather as a result of her hard work. Did he ever take a bath? Comb his hair? Or was this lack of concern for personal hygiene used to make his sanity more of a question mark, just for effect? If he was still off balance after being released from the institution, then the outcome of the story doesn't seem plausible. Many scenes tried to convince us he cared deeply for his daughter, but in others he blatantly disregarded her welfare to an exaggerated degree. Who the heck was he?

Evan Rachel Wood played his daughter, Miranda. Her acting was very good, I thought. The frustrations of her struggle seemed real and expertly conveyed. Her character was more consistent than Charlie's but still had some confusing facets. She was responsible and independent far beyond her 16 years. She had been on her own for a long time since her mother left years earlier. She admits that her life was easier when Charlie was not a part of the picture. She had managed to feed and clothe herself and hang onto the house that she grew up in. She had a steady job and even managed to buy a car on her own. There had to be a lot of resentment about having to raise herself and, on top of that, stretch her resources even farther when she had her father to take care of after his release. She obviously didn't think he was cured and doubted that there was any merit to his wild treasure hunt ideas. Somehow, though, without letting me in on why, she suddenly started to go along with Charlie and was even willing to steal keys and take part in the breaking and entering crime that is a necessary step in pursuing the treasure. Unless craziness is catching, her personality change just didn't seem likely.

Willis Burks II played Pepper, Charlie's long-time friend. His character was warm, gentle, loyal and human. I enjoyed his parts in the movie. He did have cancer, though--just one more "downer" component that wasn't really necessary except to add more weight to the overall mood.

HUMOR:
There were very few scenes that mildly amused me, but they didn't make up for the many aspects of the movie that brought me down.

Stealing the keys and breaking into a gigantic Costco warehouse in the dead of night with the plan to jack-hammer through a concrete floor and then dig down 6 or 7 feet to find a buried treasure was so absurd that it was a bit amusing.

There was a group of middle-aged swingers,clad in skimpy bathing suits, at a party Miranda attended. I got a little chuckle out of that visual. In one scene at the party, Miranda's boss's wife, a slightly gross middle-aged woman, was trying to loan her a bathing suit. She offered Miranda one of her thongs! Judging from her unkempt appearance, I'd venture to say it probably was not washed after she wore it last. I almost gagged on that but then finally managed to laugh.



Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: None of the Above
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age