6/28/12

People Like Us

Surprise! Your father had a second family he failed to mention... Only now that he's dead, does this big, big secret come out. In early June, writer/director Alex Kurtzman ("Star Trek" 2009) told our 2012 Seattle International Film Festival audience that his heart-warming film is inspired by true events, so I'll bet he has a story to tell!

Imagine how you would feel. This is the dilemma our hero faces when his father's attorney gives him a box of money with instructions about where to deliver it.
  • Chris Pine ("Bottle Shock" and "Star Trek" 2009) is Sam, instructed by his father's will to deliver $150,000 to a sister he never knew he had. Sam is a wheeler-dealer who has hit a rough patch, so he could actually use that money himself! This is Pine's best work to date.
  • Elizabeth Banks ("The Hunger Games") is Frankie, who only knows her father dropped out of her life and she never knew why. As a result, she has a pretty checkered past that only settled down after she herself became a parent.
  • Olivia Wilde ("The Change-Up") is Hannah, the moral center to her husband Sam's world. She never loses sight of what is the best thing for him to do.
  • Michelle Pfeiffer ("Dark Shadows") is Lillian, Sam's mother, who protected her own child to the detriment of any other. It is wonder- ful to see Pfeiffer playing an age-appropriate role and playing it well. Good for you, Michelle!
When everyone in the cast turns in such a fine performance, we can look to the director. It seems to me that Mr. Kurtzman can direct both huge spectacles and intimate films. This one is touching, intelligent, and offers a full cast of characters for whom we come to care. No gunshots, no blowie uppie stuff, just decent people searching for a way to do the right thing. And the ending is a pleasant surprise.
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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1072734233/
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