3 May 2011
I simply wanted to watch this film because of it’s poster.
Anyway, this film stars Rachel Bilson, newcomer Tom Sturridge, Jamie King, Matthew Davis, Scott Mechlowicz, Richard Jenkins and Blythe Danner. Directed by James Keach, this romantic drama is about a jobless juggler named Will Donner who follows his childhood sweetheart Emma Twist from California to her home in Pittsburgh. Emma goes home to be with her dying father (Jenkins) and her mother (Danner, yes she’s Gwyneth Palthrow’s mom, children.) and to leave her complicated life and failing career as an actress.
Her boyfriend Aaron follows her home to confess about her infidelity to her father. Meanwhile, Emma spends the whole day with Will and reminisces the days when they were both young and admits about the status of her relationship with Aaron. Later she finds out that Will has been following her all the way from California and asks him to promise not to follow her ever again. Will painstakingly keeps his promise and leaves town.
After a couple of minutes of watching Will drift into tears and memories of the past, we are sent into a version of why Aaron, Emma’s boyfriend, had to follow her back to her home. As it turns out, upon confronting the guy Emma had allegedly slept with, Aaron bursts out into anger and kills the guy. Afterwards, Emma knocks on his door and ask for his forgiveness. She also mentions about Will following her around town. Aaron asks for his name and later on uses this to put all the blame on killing the alleged “other guy” to Will.
After Will gets bailed out and disappears fully out of Emma’s sight, a series of unfortunate things happen around Aaron and at the same time Emma’s father dies, too. Emma realizes that Will is someone of whom she’s truly worth having and the wait doesn’t seem to be forever after all.
Newcomer Tom Sturridge plays the squinty-eyed romantic Will Donner who for some weird reason doesn’t fail to play the role of the stupid and naive yet he can still look like he can kill you in a second. Rachel Bilson seems like she’s still portraying Rachel Bilson, effortless and still in a very The O.C kinda way (the show, not the disorder). Although you can’t blame her, ’cause her role is quite minimalist, it’s just that there’s always some other character who fills in the way she delivers, in this case it’s just Sturridge’s.
Richard Jenkins plays the father, who convincingly sounds courages to the fact that his character will die soon as the film progresses. My favorite part would have to be the bathtub scene, wherein he finally unleashes the real side to his wife, played by Blythe Danner about her attitude towards her husband’s situation.
This movie has a lot to work out on but since it’s already out there I guess there’s nothing else that we can do but watch it. If only it weren’t for the big heart on the movie poster, I wouldn’t be interested in this. However, there were parts that I did like, most parts were okay, most parts were just incredulous to begin with. The part wherein Will’s brother, played by Scott Mechlowicz bails Will out of jail and talks to him at the back of the car is reminiscent of Elia Kazan’s On The Waterfront and the infamous “I coulda been a contender Charlie, I coulda been a contender” scene. It fails to deliver the same strength though, as the movie yet again drifts to another conflict.
All in all, I can suggest this movie to those who’re into seeing boys pour out themselves over and over again.
Under The Fire Tree 
mababaw pero kinilig ako. ibang tama sa kin?