By Ashleigh Holmes
April 11, 2008
I know this is going to be hard for most of you to believe, especially after my confession in the 27 Dresses film review, but I kind of hated Evening. I know! It seems ludicrous that I would even think to utter such a statement. It’s practically the very embodiment of a “chick flick,” but it just wasn’t convincing enough for me.
Toni Collette and Natasha Richardson play sisters who come home to say good bye to their terminally ill mother, played by Vanessa Redgrave, who is actually Richardson’s mother. Redgrave’s character, Ann, begins talking what Connie (Richardson’s character) thinks is feverish nonsense about “Harris.” The younger sister, Nina, played by Toni Collette, is intrigued to think that her mother had an alternate life that she never even hinted at with her daughters.
Through dreams and medication induced hallucinations, we are transported into Ann’s past. Young Ann, played by Claire Danes, is the maid of honor in her well-off best friend’s wedding. She’s also quite good friends with her best friend’s alcoholic little brother, Buddy, played by Hugh Dancy. Harris, played by Patrick Wilson, turns out to be the old housekeeper’s son.
And here’s where we come to the unconvincing part. EVERYONE’S supposed to be simply mesmerized by Harris. Buddy loves him. We soon find out that his sister, even though she’s the bride-to-be, loves him, so of course, Ann gets wrapped up in the intoxication with Harris. Patrick Wilson’s cute and all, but I just didn’t get how EVERYONE could be SO in love with him.
I was also irritated with the helpless mooning of Older Ann. I realize that she’s on her deathbed, and everything about one’s life is placed in stark relief at the end of that life, but to see how free and confident and hopeful Young Ann was, and then to watch her become Vanessa Redgrave’s character was a huge disappointment. And I know love doesn’t really have a timeline or boundaries or rules, but I just didn’t get how she could still be in love with Harris 40-something years later.
There were some nice moments in the film, but they were too few and far between. I did actually shed a quick tear just before the ending, and for a moment, I thought that perhaps the film would redeem itself, and then it ended with the biggest cop out of an ending I’ve ever seen, which solidified it for me. I wouldn’t say don’t watch it, but definitely don’t expect too much from it.
© 2008 – 2009, Ashleigh Holmes. All rights reserved.
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I didn’t like the movie Evening either. Although I fell asleep during the movie I still didn’t like it and won’t view it again.
I liked the movie immensly and from a hopeless romantics point of view, love never fades it remains forever untainted and colorfull in ones memory.
I just now saw this movie and the ending was just as you described…and I was waiting for that point when the movie would change and it would all tie together and maybe that Harris comes to see her or something…I don’t know SOMETHING! Super boring but you want so badly for it to come full circle you end up watching it only to feel cheated out of two hours even if at home. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT FOR PEOPLE WHO REALLY LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THEIR MOVIES. It would be good for the people who watch a movie and are satisfied by it just making sense to them and with this one you don’t have to think BC it again
so boring!!!
I loved this movie, it was poetic, and colorful, sure it may have been a slow moving movie, but it was beautiful, and it is possible for 3 people to love one person, it happens, and Old Ann’s ..well we dont know what she was dying of.. maybe it was causing her to act the way she did.. maybe i am thinking too into the motion picture, but it was realistic.. to me.. i loved every moment and the music was gorgeous, love it
Dear Daniel, watch this movie when you are after 50, when you lived most of your life, had made mistakes, have regrets and wonder how it would different.
Anyone, who think about how they live life, who thinks about choices they made, would love the movie.
This is NOT a chick flick. This is a movie about how all it not matter at the end.
To Daniel – I am so sad you wrote such a review and I even more sad that you had no cultural incline – just bubbling of young SEO writer. May be you should stick to Mattress Giant, Bound Tree Medical, Massage Envy, New LifeStyles and such writings. As writing about movies involves some cultured background. And based on this review you wrote – you don’t posses that.
In addition to the reply I just made to your other comment, Julia, I think it’s worth noting that “everyone who … would love the movie” is a careless generalization. No group of people share the same exact tastes. You feel strongly about this film. That’s great. But people who impose their tastes and preferences upon others as “what everyone should feel if they’re as good as me” doesn’t lend credibility to any argument. If you want people to respect your opinions, I recommend sharing why objectively something is good, or share your personal reasons for appreciating it. People who choose this non-attack style of presentation are typically respected and considered more because their words aren’t bleeding with bitterness and ego.
Just wanted to add the my previous post.
Few things against the reviewer:
Daniel wrote:<>
If Daniel know anything about art of telling stories, allegories or symbolism, I am pretty sure he will find something that probably not happening in the Mattress Giant commercials. Harris is not a fixation for everyone. Harris is a symbol of something idyllic that might have happened, or could happen or dreamed to happen. And the movie shows that at the end, it is all irrelevant.
Julia,
I actually did not write this review. I have never seen the film. One of our previous writers wrote it, and then moved on in her career. Her user account was deleted after she left, and unfortunately the attribution automatically defaulted back to the admin – me.
Thanks for your energetic critique. Perhaps you could show us what a movie review should look like. If it’s good, I’ll post it for you on our site. Your call.
I forgot to mention, though, that I appreciate your comments, because you’ve reminded me to fix this issue so that attribution is given properly to all past authors.
Thanks!