Big Eden

Rating:
Summary: cookin up a storm in Montana
Review: I loved the idea of this film. However, I must acknowledge the struggle that many gay people I know have undergone, and in doing so I find the townfolks' attitudes in this movie a little too unbelievable. I have had friends from small towns in rural America who have come out of the closet as gay, and they have been disowned by their parents and treated poorly by the entire town. If only the world could be this way! until it is, one can only dream about such a town as Big Eden.

Rating:
Summary: Something completely different....
Review: I wanted to like this film a lot more than I did. It's a wonderful idea and a pretty good fairy tale, but I didn't find the relationships credible, and some of the actors don't apparently have the ability to carry off this rather brilliant idea.

I doubt very seriously that the people in a small Montana town would encourage a homosexual relationship, but that's what makes the idea of this movie so much fun. I never bought into the passion between the main character and his childhood buddy. The actor who plays Henry, the lead character, is limited in his expression. The other actors do much better. Personally, I'd never believe that a successful artist with a fabulous loft in Brooklyn Heights would give it all up to move back to a town he desperately tried to escape after high school. The cabin he returns to, where his grandfather lives, is essentially a faux rustic palace. This would be a great place to spend a summer.

Ultimately, though, the film is disappointing because the pay-off is delayed but expected. I guess you could say that I loved this film, but I didn't like it all that much.

Rating:
Summary: Life Should Be Like This
Review: Set in the fictional town of Big Eden,Montana, this is an old fashioned romance. In Big Eden, color & sexual preference doesn't matter. Everyone cares about everyone else. The characters are real people(no gorgeous actors here) and you really like them & care about them.
If Big Eden really existed, I'd move there tomorrow.

Rating:
Summary: If Only We all Lived In Big Eden
Review: I saw the theatrical release of Big Eden last summer and found the film to be a delightful concept of what the world should/could be like. The people of Big Eden care about each other and take care of one another. The fictional Montana town is a place where people are accepting of difference that exsist between one another and build upon those differneces.

Henry returns home to Big Eden, after living a long period in New York for what he things will be a temporary visit to take care of his ailing grandfather At home he finds himself and the dreams he think will never happen.

The charaters are well developed and the comic pace, mixed with the emotions of its charaters, contiues through the film. A well written plot give a sense of reality to a fictional town in which we all wish we could live.

Anyone who has ever felt different will desire a "Big Eden" of there own.

Rating:
Summary: loved it
Review: This movie was great. I lived in Montanna for a while and the movie shows a great area with intesting people. Trys to tell you that being gay is normal. A lot of people coudl learn that lesson. Check it out

Rating:
Summary: The story of my life...
Review: I realize that we live in a world where there is much bigotry and hate, however my own personal experiences growing up in the mining towns of Goldfield and Pioche, Nevada strongly echo the themes in this film. I have always felt there were more people looking out for me and encouraging me to find my soulmate than there were bigots and homophobes. Strangely enough a lot of these folks were Mormons, of all things. Would more people had the gentle "coming out" that I had, and would there were more movies about simple hearts like this that are non-explotive and dont aim to tittilate or shock, simply to show that the world is also full of sweet souls.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I'm having trouble understanding all the rave reviews on this one. I'm very happy that films like this one can be made but they just haven't gotten it right yet.

I expected MUCH more from this movie after reading the synopsis on it's official website. It dragged in more than a few places (the opening scene, Henry and Grandpa on the porch, Pike preparing countless meals) and left me dry in the end. The Henry/Pike thing didn't work for me at all. It felt very forced.

I found myself feeling VERY sorry for Dean in the end. He was never quite honest with himself and ended up settling for something he didn't really want.

Overall this film didn't end up being the idealistic fairy tale that it professes to be.

Rating:
Summary: 'Eden' is a Slice of Heaven
Review: 'Big Eden' chronicles the return of a successful New York artist (Arye Gross) to his small town home in Montana to care for his ailing grandfather. The most frequent charged leveled at the film by critics is its unrealistic depiction of such a gay-friendly rural community, where it seems all the residents are bent on helping this artist find a boyfriend/significant other.
I think the title says it all--you know going in that this ISN'T necessarily an accurate depiction of the liberal sensibilities of a small town; "Big Eden" is simply stating that, in a perfect world, this is how ANY town, big or small, would react--with love and support--to the return of one of its own.. If you keep this in mind while viewing it, it's a genuinely moving and funny experience. The joy comes in getting to know the denizens of Big Eden--no one is truly bad or malevolent. Occasionally misguided and overzealous, perhaps. The cast is uniformly excellent, with Gross giving an outstanding, restrained performance. The scenery is utterly astounding, as most of the picture was shot on location in Glacier National Park.

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent Film
Review: It was a total surprise to me when I paid "Big Eden" a sixth visit during its limited run in my home town. Yet, each time I've watched it, the film just gets better and better. There is more and more to discover.At first I thought it was just a nice film, then a more rich movie, and now a genuine masterwork. Its prophetic enactment has a depth that becomes almost limitless. All within the guise of a simple romantic drama."Big Eden" is a great family film, highly recommended for all ages. It demonstrates the beauty of human relationships better than most films ever made. Words are completely inadequate to describe the revelation experienced by this masterpiece. A film for all time.

Rating:
Summary: Charming, Beautiful and Uplifting
Review: Let's get this out of the way first: OK, so what if this film is not gritty realism? Does anyone really go to the movies for a dose of reality?
Actually, this is filmmaking at its best - imparting a vision of a better world.
The better world of Big Eden is a world where people respect their neighbors and help them to acheive their dreams. It is a world where sexuality is a non-issue and love is everything.
This is a beautiful film, beautifully done - well worth seeing.
Everyone should build a little Big Eden in their soul.