Next Stop Wonderland (1998)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers:

Brad Anderson (writer)
Lyn Vaus (writer)

Release Date:

21 August 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Being alone is fine. Being alone together is perfect.

Plot:

An unlucky in love nurse finds her life taking a detour when her mother places a personals ad in the paper, while on the other side of Boston, a plumber is trying to change careers.

Plot Keywords:

Personal Ad | Nurse | Marine Biologist | Love | Plumber

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Hope Davis	...	Erin Castleton
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Sean
Callie Thorne	...	Cricket
Ken Cheeseman	...	Rick
Pamela Hart	...	Berit
Diane Beckett	...	Seana
Jeremy Geidt	...	Bookseller
Alan Gelfant	...	Alan Monteiro
Dave Gilloran	...	Aquarium Volunteer
Luz Alexandra Ramos	...	Thalia (as Luz Alexandra)
Emma Shaw	...	Bailey
Kemp Harris	...	Ben
Neil Gustafson	...	Yuri Spinov
Holland Taylor	...	Piper Castleton
E. Katherine Kerr	...	Candice (as Katherine Kerr)

Also Known As:

Last Train to Wonderland (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | South Africa:A | Australia:M | France:U | Hong Kong:IIA | Spain:T | USA:R | Italy:VM14 | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Robbins Entertainment

Trivia:

Though the film cost a mere $1 million to make, it was purchased by Miramax for a staggering $6 million after a bidding war broke out amongst studios at the Sundance Film Festival.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the first scene, wherein Erin is being dumped by Sean, the cat in her arms keeps switching positions between shots.

Quotes:

Erin Castleton: But wouldn't you say that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds?
Alan: Well, actually, its "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." That's Ralph Waldo Emerson.

A subtle, magical realism

I love this movie's realism, juxtaposed with a certain magic, i.e., fate, karma, destiny - and the question of whether these elements exist in real life. Here, the possibilities unfold and are played out as quietly, subtly and unexpectedly as they can and often do in real life.

What surprised me most is that when I was doubting whether our heroes (Alan and Erin) would get together at all, I realized that it was okay - disappointing, but okay - if they didn't; as long as they found happiness, that would be fate calling the shots. The movie as a whole puts a positive spin on being alone with yourself, on the importance of taking the time to find what you really want and need. Which is something we all need in life, but how often does Hollywood promote that philosophy?

All the actors were terrific, especially the two leads, Alan Gelfant and Hope Davis; they were people you might really know - quietly passionate in their pursuits, sometimes just struggling to get through the day. There's a lot of humor too: in the prickling, loving tension between Erin and her mom; in the bar-table philosophies spouted by various characters; and particularly the in blind-dating montage - I will attest to how true to life this is!

See this movie - heck, buy it. The more you watch it, the more you get out of it.