The Shipping News

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Richard R This film is magnificent. One of the greatest movies ever made. Those who fail to appreciate the genius of it simply do not understand humanity. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/24 Full Review X O I remember the book in the 90s. 35 years later I am watching the film. It can ruin it for you ... Spacey can't play dumb even if he tried. Blame it on Se7en, The Usual Suspects, and American Beauty, but he's not even even floundering or that gawky like he is playing someone who is dimwitted. Not the right speech syntax. Also, who fixes ropes WITHOUT GLOVES IN WINTER!? Also walking into an abandoned house without a chill? And the musical score is vapid. What the film grossly lacks is how Annie Proulx writes. Short sentences. Full stops. So hard to pull off, and she does. The film can't show this. She is giving the SOUND of living in bitterly cold weather. So impressive. Read the book. Forget the film. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/11/23 Full Review Obviously I am wired differently than most people, because I find it a very good movie. First of all the music is gorgeous and so well integrated in the film that it is almost part of the images. Casting is spot on. Acting could not have been better. Scenario is refreshingly out of the ordinary. Cinematography is unsurpassed. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/03/23 Full Review dave s While it tends to take some minor liberties with Annie Proulx' novel, Lasse Hallstrom's The Shipping News is certainly faithful in spirit to the source material. With his world falling apart in upstate New York, Quayle (Kevin Spacey) escapes to a small fishing village in Newfoundland, where he is able to touch base with his fragile roots and learn the meanings of friendship and family. The whole thing feels insanely predictable throughout as it becomes evident early on that Quayle, a simpering doormat from the start, will find his true calling (and maybe even love) in the harsh new environment. Despite this, it's got a fantastic cast (Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and more), stunning cinematography that captures the rugged landscape, and a subtle but effective score. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review colin m This was okay. A bit bland. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs and director Lasse Hallstrom have done a great job of adapting Prulx's story, with cinematic equivalents for some of the book's best prose. Spacey of course is one of the most brilliant actors ever to appear in a movie, providing Qyoyle with emotional eloquence even when he does not speak. Every performance is jewel-like, including Dench, Blanchett, Julianne Moore who befriends Quoyle, Scott Glenn, and the triplets playing the part of Bunny. The novel presented a real challenge to the filmmakers. Its dense descriptions of crafts and weather do not translate to the screen. The real action goes on inside the undemonstrative Quoyle and only an actor of extraordinary range and power could communicate that to a movie audience. The movie is good, but a lot gets lost in translation. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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