Rating: 
Summary: A tedious viewing experience, but better than the book
Review: OK, the book won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It had to be good, right? I struggled with it for about two weeks and managed to get half-way through and finally gave up. It is SO boring and there is no emotional connection to the characters. I mean, I could have cared less what became of their dysfunctional, lonely lives! So, when the DVD came out (I wasn't about to pay to see it in theatres!), I thought I'd see how the book turned out, and if the film was better than the book. The theme about redemption of self is great, though perhaps a bit overused these days, but again the plot moves along slow as molasses. The cinematography is great, with wonderful scenes of Newfoundland, or where ever this was shot. But the story just feels forced and the relationship between Julianne Moore (who's done much better work) and Kevin Spacey (who also has done much better work) never "clicks." They just kind of come together. There's no "spark." The movie moves slow as a schooner sailing into the wind, but it eventually gets there. The entire primary plot is boring. The subplots (especially at the newspaper) are actually better and more entertaining. (Though, as a former reporter, I question why a tiny little town's weekly newspaper needs a newspaper staff of four reporters!) If you have chronic insomnia, I'd recommend both the book and the movie. If one doesn't put you to sleep, the other most certainly will. In short, having seen the movie makes me glad now that I didn't bother finishing the book...
Rating: 
Summary: Lose Your Head Over This Flick
Review: The Shipping News is a good DVD. The star is the gorgeous Newfoundland scenery. The bonus materials on the DVD add to the experience after having seen the film. Hearing the care that was taken into selecting the location and finding out that the daughter Bunny was seemlessly played by triplets adds to appreciation of the film. I'm becoming a Kevin Spacey fan because he seems so different in his characters. Quoyle is different than KPAX or American Beauty. Yet, Spacey fills the screen and captures our interest while looking like Gene Hackman's son. Judy Dench is another tremendous star. The added DVD materials are helpful as the director tells how he pictured her for this film while working with her on Chocolat. The moment where she throws her brother's ashes down the outhouse hole is worth the price. Blanchett and Moore turn in top notch portrayals. The supporting cast members, especially Scott Glen, are all strong, making this a wonderful ensemble piece. The teamwork is evident. I recommend this film for its cinematography, its direction and the performances. It's good enough to make you lose your head! Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Just a short review!
Review: Kevin Spacey, please find a different character to play. Again, he's some poor victimized man who's turned into a weak blob of jello and then somehow finds himself. Everyone was some how victimized in this movie except for Scott Glenn. At least there was one man in this movie who had it together and knew what he wanted out of life. Having said that, it was a pretty good movie, a little weak on character development, but a good movie to watch with your wife or girlfriend. If your single, leave it on the coffee table, dig out your VHS copy of "The Dirty Dozen", dust it off, order a pizza, and enjoy a really good film.
Rating: 
Summary: Something truly different - - and wonderful
Review: I agree, that if you read the book first, you might be disappointed with the movie. But I also agree - - who cares? A movie is a different medium, and the story has to be told differently. What matters is what *is* in this movie, and what is there, makes this unmissable. The stellar cast is wonderful, but what I loved the most was the way it totally *captured* a part of the world that pretty much no other film would even attempt to portray: the northeast. Very few filmmakers try, and none have succeeded like this film. I was born and raised in Maine, and I found it welcomed me like home: the people, the accents, the life. New York critics thought it made the locals look like yokels, but the people of Newfoundland were *thrilled* with the movie, and how it portrayed them. David Ansen of Newsweek said, "It's a patient movie for impatient times." I agree with the person below who said it's a shame they cut any of it, it's under 2 hours and I could have watched it forever. (I saw a critic's screening, and saw a cut scene, and I'm hoping it's on the DVD.)
Rating:
Summary: Quietly Powerful
Review: This wonderful film is proof that great movies can still be made. It is not an action thriller or a summer blockbuster. It is a quietly moving story of a decent shy man who's only experience with love was heartbreakingly one-sided. Kevin Spacey plays Quoyle to understated perfection. His silence and simple words tell us volumes about the pain and turmoil going on inside him. Having married the only girl who ever really noticed him (Cate Blanchett in a fine performance) his only experience with love is associated with pain and ridicule.
When she leaves him and is killed in a car accident, he is left alone with his young daughter and a heart full of grief and anguish. That's when this movie really begins. He leaves what little he has behind and travels with his aunt Agnis to New Foundland where his family has a long (and not so sterling) history going back generations to a house pulled up a hill by rope by his ancestors. The dark and beautiful New Foundland coast stands against the harsh winds and is the perfect place for Quoyle to start his life over.
He gets a job writing for the local paper and slowly gains some measure of self respect. He notices beautiful Julianne Moore (in a wonderful performance) but can not articulate to her his slowly growing attraction to her and settles for the friendship she offers. As she begins to see the kind and decent man inside Quoyle he has trouble responding himself because of the damage done to his heart by his dead wife.
There is something magical about this film. There are colorful characters, mysteries unfolding about Quoyle's ancestors, the house his daughter hears speaking to her, and the larger mystery Quoyle must solve, can you love and be loved in return without pain?
This is a slowly unfolding and richly rewarding film that will stay with you a long time. Kevin Spacey gives one of his finest performances as a man finding his way and learning to heal. I can not say enough good things about this film. If you long for more than most movies have to offer then buy this film and remind yourself that quiet and moving stories are still being made. A movie you MUST own.
Rating:
Summary: Very good film!
Review: This has got to be one of the best films of the year. I really did like it. The performances, direction, and especially the Icelandic scenery were all perfect! This is a very powerful film about a lonely man who, after years of emotional abuse and low self esteem, learns to be accepted in the world. He also learns about his family history in the process, and befriends others just as lonely as he was. It's a story about the goodness of people, and how certain things go the right way when you least expected them to. I highly recommend this film!
Rating:
Summary: If you haven't already read it ...
Review: Very simply put: if you read the novel by Annie Proulx, you'll probably be disappointed with the film. If you haven't read the book and aren't likely to, it's likely that you'll like the film, perhaps even be enchanted by it. As someone who did read the book before seeing the movie, I had an odd feeling that Lasse Hallstrom was perhaps trying a little too hard to be "faithful" to his source material. He made a very concerted effort to touch on every important plot point -- but he didn't give any of them the chance to breathe. He didn't have time; he had several more plot points to hit before his two hours were up. This film was crafted by a wonderful director with a stellar cast. It made me wish, more than anything, that an American audience would have paid money for the three hour version. Another 60 minutes of film would have made the entire experience 120 times richer. But ... if you haven't read the book, or are a fan of either Julianne Moore or Judi Dench, you should check this one out; I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: So the Book was Better...
Review: The book is always better than the movie. Lets, as a general movie going audience, accept this as fact for right now. Are you with me? Now lets ask a question, do we care? Think about it. I, for one, do not. If I did not read the book (or even if I did) then why should I care if it was better than the film adapted from it. To me it's like saying the screenplay was better than the movie. General audiences do not read screenplays. It only matters what is on the screen. The book is not the movie. It is just where the idea for the movie came from. I am saying all this because every review I have read about this film has come with the caption, the book was better. Hurray, good for the book. However this is why I was not expecting much when I saw The Shipping News, but I thought Lasse Hallstrom is a good director and the cast is very good, could it be that bad? Not only is this movie not bad, but it is quite good. This is why I hate reading reviews before I see movies, and why, in general, I can't stand critics. Why didn't anybody see this film? Probably because some critic said, "the book was better." The critic probably didn't even read it. The Shipping News tells the tale of a guy who goes way down on his luck, and finds redeption in the most unlikely of places. It tells it well. There area lot of characters in this story. The names are familiar too, Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Scott Glen, Julianne Moore, and Kevin Spacey. They are all very good. Of course the story revolves around Spacey's character Quoyle, but each of the supporting players has their own role to play to flesh out different aspects of Quoyle. I thought it was done quite effectively. Every now and then a movie just strikes me. This happened with The Shipping News. I just related to it, and I enjoyed it. I could bore readers with the whys, but really there are plenty of other reviews to read if you want a more objective opinion about this film. I don't feel like beating this one to death. I just liked it. By the way, if you enjoyed this film I reccomend checking out other films by Lasse Hallstrom. I have enjoyed every film of his I have seen (just click on his name in the box to the left). Happy viewing.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautifully Shot Film, but Somehow Its Heart Is Missing
Review: My three star review does not mean just three, but a negative three. The film is good, but it hardly reaches the height of the director Lasse Hallstrom's other projects. But, before you say something in return, let me explain. "The Shipping News" has merits of its own, and that's clear from the beginning: its cast attached to the film, and the stunningly beautiful locations of Newfoundland. Kevin Spacy is a good actor, I know, and he proves it with his heartfelt performance of Quoyle, a born loser, who finds his new life with his daughter. Equally good is Julianne Moore, who is not afraid of showing her character's frail side with little make-up possible. This film also boasts the participation of Judi Dench, Pete Postlethwaite, Scott Glenn, and Cate Blanchett. Oh, and don't miss that Rhys Ifans can play a normal character, and he is good, too. And the story, simple as it is, has strong power to universally appeal to everyone's heart. Quoyle of the protagonist redeems his lost dignity and love as a human being in the new situation given as a chance to him, writing "The Shipping News" for the local paper. With the mystrious history of his family and the land itself, the story unfolds steadily, describing Quoyle's heart once hopelessly broken by his previous marriage. And you see the beautiful, but stern nature of Newfoundland, which tests the personality of him and all people surrounding him. Whatever you think of as a solemn drama about humanity, you find it here. However, as everyone knows, the critical responce to "The Shipping News" is not exactly kind so far, compared with excellent "The Cider House Rules" and lovely "Chocolat." The reason is, as far as I can guess, very simple. "The Shipping News" is too cold. Not cold-hearted, but it LOOKS very cold. Of course, it is shot in Newfoundland, but that's not the point. The point is, we got no chance to get to the heart of each character -- Wavey, Agnis, Tert, Jack Buggit, Nutbeem. We know they have their own past while the film introduces them to us, but not enough emotional power is charged before the film goes on. What is worse is, the sorrows and pains of them seem to be thrown into the film without being connected to Quoyle's character, whose family has its own history to be revealed. All these episodes look jumbled in the film, which, on top of them, depicts a deadly car accident and a beheaded man's body. The film, in other words, shows everything to confuse its point; it looks at the past and the present; looks at grim reality and mythical history. But it doesn't look at its heart, people. Though her acting is superb, Cate Blanchett is given too short screen time in the film; her character, unfaithful, spitfire wife of Quoyle, is very much missed after she is gone, because, though her character is flawed much, the film knows what it wants to be while she is on the screen. In "The Cide House Rules" and "Chocolat," the principal characters knew what they were doing; they are also flawed, but they lived thier life, and their portraits suggested life-affirming attitudes, which have been respected director Hallstrom's trademark. This attitude, I am afraid, seems to be buried among the cold nature of the locations. We don't see people's life; instead, we see a glimpse of their past, which is all shady and dark. I know the film's intention, and I respect it, but the film is too somber to me for all its good intention. Sorry, but if I must travel to somewhere with a broken heart, I prefer the chocolate shop of "Chocolat." Kevin Spacy's daughter Bunny is played by a triple -- Alyssa Gainer, Kaitlyn Gainer and Lauren Gainer. Did you notice that?
Rating:
Summary: news you could use...
Review: having never read the pulitzer prize winning book, i found this film to be quite fascinating and will surely order a copy of the book in the near future. shipping news boasts some terrific performances from such actors like kevin spacey, julianne moore, and dame judi dench. even cate blanchett was impressive although we only have the pleasure of seeing her on the screen for about 10 minutes approximately. shipping news is a story about loss, moving on, and building a future while occasionally glancing at the past. if you loved the cider house rules or chocolat, you will probably fall heart and soul for the shipping news. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.
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