Elizabethtown
for language and some sexual references.
Reviewed by: Jonathan Wooten
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Teens, Adults |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Length: | 2 hr. 18 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2005 |
| USA Release: |
October 14, 2005 (wide) |
Making a lot of money and driving a nice car doesn’t mean you are necessarily a successful person in God’s eyes.
How good is good enough? Answer
Enjoy every moment, stop and smell the roses, etc. …because our time on Earth is limited.
Get to know your family, they are a gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
If God knows I am HURTING, why doesn’t He help me? Answer
Does God feel our pain? Answer
Suicide, what does the Bible say? Answer
Should I save sex for marriage? Answer
How can I deal with temptations? Answer
How far is too far? What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Answer
What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer
For a follower of Christ, what is LOVE—a feeling, an emotion, or an action?
What is true love and how do you know when you have found it?
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Christian answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more. Valuable resources for Christian couples, singles and pastors.
Teens! Have questions? Find answers in our popular TeenQs section. Get answers to your questions about life, dating and much more.
| Featuring | Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Biel |
| Director |
Cameron Crowe |
| Producer |
Tom Cruise Donald J Lee Jr Paula Wagner |
| Distributor |
 Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS |
Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “After causing the Oregon shoe company he works for to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, Drew Baylor (Bloom) is fired for his mistake, and promptly also dumped by his girlfriend, Ellen (Biel). On the verge of suicide, Drew is oddly given a new purpose in life when he is brought back to his family’s small Kentucky hometown of Elizabethtown following the death of his father, Mitch, as it falls to him to make sure that his dying wishes are fulfilled. On the way home, Drew meets a flight attendant, Claire Colburn (Dunst), with whom he falls in love, in a romance that helps his life get back on track.”
Even on an off day Cameron Crowe is capable of creating sincere and touching moments. Whether it’s John Cusack hoisting a boom box over his head in “Say Anything” or Kate Hudson dancing in an empty concert hall in Almost Famous he just knows how to burn an image into your mind. Delivering a movie that is cohesive over the course of two hours has not always been his strength though and this is the main problem with “Elizabethtown”.
Here he uses the premise of a young man (Orlando Bloom) returning to his hometown for his father’s funeral (comparisons to 04’s “Garden State” are unavoidable). This setup works because it forces the lead to reflect. Throw in the colorful kooky characters found in Elizabethtown, KY and you have the potential for a good film.
The problems start with the casting of Bloom. He’s a swell guy and easy on the eyes (um, so I’m told), but he just lacks the charisma necessary to carry a character-driven film. He and Kirsten Dunst do make a good on screen couple though, and this is a genuinely sweet love story.
Also present are some positive spiritual themes. Although the couple does spend the night together in a hotel room, the relationship is not consummated (Dunst’s character later remarks that “the kissing was better than a lot of the sex I’ve had”). Also, after failing in the business world Bloom’s character must ponder the true definition of success.
This is good stuff, but unfortunately the story never really gels. The fact that some 20-30 minutes have been cut since its festival run earlier this year might explain this. This director is far from a hack though, and there is a great film in here somewhere. Bloom’s road trip through America’s heartland in particular is quite moving. Crowe is at the top of his game as he melds images of landmarks such as the memorial in Oklahoma City with his trademark perfect soundtrack. Hopefully, like with “Almost Famous”, we will eventually be blessed with a different director’s cut.
Possible objectionable content: Moderate profanity, one instance of graphic sexual dialog.
Violence: Minor / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Mild
See our interview with writer/director Cameron Crowe
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
I thought Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst carried the film very well, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Better than Average / 4½
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
While Bloom and Dunst are good together, to me they are not the main point of the plot. Relationships—family and otherwise—are the important healing message herein, as well as gaining an understanding of the variety of ways people can deal with their grief.
The road trip home for Bloom, suggested and planned by Dunst, was an absolutely beautiful expereince for him; one worth considering re-creating in our own lives. Note: As a Christian, I found the scene of the couple waking up together in the bedroom unnecessary to the plot; but the rest of the movie’s story line is worthwhile.
Average / 3
Better than Average / 4
Offensive / 4½
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality:
There are humorous things, and touching moments, and some heart-warming events that make up the bulk of the movie. We enjoyed it for the most part. Kirsten’s character was a lot of fun as she sort of pursued Orlando. There were things we didn’t care for: the occasional curse word, implied sexual situation, Susan Sarandon tells a funny story for laughs that has sexual content, and at one point the music got really loud. (We wished we could turn it down.) There were also times we laughed out loud. The reviews are mixed. One critic I read did not like Orlando’s performance. I thought he did okay. Perhaps another actor could have made it more interesting. This film is rated PG-13, and I give it a B.
Average / 3½
The best part of the film was almost at the end when she sends Bloom on a cross the country road trip that she miraculously outlined and compiled complete with CD music in a scrapbook. One wonders when she had the time to do this since she popped up every few minutes in the movie by his side. The road trip was wonderful and fun and if they could have started the movie with this and gone backwards this film would have been awesome. This film just showed another poor example of how loyalty in a company is not reciprocated to a loyal employee when a project doesn’t go well. And even though Bloom and Dunst are not shown sleeping together its insinuated without ever having had a relationship or friendship other then talking on the telephone once all night.
…some moderate drinking with wedding guests and Bloom with a beer and Dunst carrying a glass of wine. One wonders if the 30 minutes they left out of this movie might have saved it or explained the obsession with the deceased’s blue suit? And can someone explain why Sarandon got applauded for tap dancing at her husband’s memorial service? Grief does do strange things.
Offensive / 3
However, what concerns me most is that I have read a couple of Christian reviews that find the theme of “redemptive love” in this movie. Where? A man on an airplane is thinking self-destructive thoughts. A stewardess “falls” for him for no known reason. (Presumably, for the female audience the fact that the man is Orland Bloom is expected to be sufficient reason.) She begins to pursue him. Yes, she is cute, perky, friendly, and giving. In fact, she goes to bed with him, while knowing that he does not want a relationship with her. [Spotlight’s reviewer’s interpretation that the relationship was not consummated is quite questionable.]
In the end, her winsome ways prevail, and our hero embraces her and life. (No real plot surprise there.) But her behavior is not a model of the self-sacrificial, redemptive love of Jesus. Her behavior is grounded on romantic fantasy that leads to self-destructive relationships built on infatuation and the appeal of “missionary dating” (dating to “save” the bad/lost boy or girl). This story element is what should stand out as “objectionable.” A Christian audience should be quite wary of such a message, not endorse it as an example of a sweet love story.
Offensive / 3
I would say this is the worst movie of the year and both of these actors’ careers will be hurt by this movie. Resist this one, even when its’ on the “Rental for $l.00” shelf. By the way, my sixteen year old’s comment after seeing the movie was “that may be the dumbest movie I’ve ever seen.”
Very Offensive / 2
Better than Average / 5
Average / 4
Average / 2½
To me, the scene where Drew and Claire (Bloom and Dunst) wake up the next morning didn’t seem that blatant to me; I didn’t even think about it until some female characters in the movie called Claire a derogatory name for being sleazy. To me, the beginning scene where Drew (almost, but then gets sidetracked) attempts to commit suicide set the whole tone of the movie, until the end, as a depressing one. Overall, I enjoyed going to the movie, but if you want to see it, I would suggest waiting until it comes out on video. It was an OK movie.
Offensive / 3
Good / 4
Better than Average / 4
Average / 4
There is a humorous side to the film and its mildly morbid stance on death, but there are also some lingering gems of truth. The plot seems a little slow after Drew reaches family territory, but picks up when Claire returns to the picture and becomes a very touching little statement about learning to cope with loss, whether it’s the death of a loved one or a massive failure. It’s the kind of movie that leaves you feeling thoughtful as you exit the theatre.
What really works here are the characters. Drew is something of a quirky guy, but it’s Claire that deserves all the credit for making his life wonderful. I would love to be a girl like her, to search out ways in which to enrich the lives of others. She genuinely cares about people, and their relationship is one that is more about understanding and sweetness than physical attraction. I think pretty much anyone can identify with the characters on some level, whether through loss or a family reunion, complete with screaming kids and bear hugs from uncles you don’t remember. For the writer/director, it was a personal journey. It’s also a personal journey for the audience.
My Ratings: Better than Average / 3½