Moonlight Mile (2002)

Director:

Brad Silberling

Writer (WGA):

Brad Silberling (written by)

Release Date:

4 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In life and love, expect the unexpected.

Plot:

As he copes with the death of his fiancee along with her parents, a young man must figure out what he wants out of life.

Plot Keywords:

Fiancee | Death | District Attorney | 1970s | Funeral

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Joe Nast
Dustin Hoffman	...	Ben Floss
Susan Sarandon	...	Jojo Floss
Aleksia Landeau	...	Cheryl
Ellen Pompeo	...	Bertie Knox
Richard Messing	...	Rabbi
Lev Friedman	...	Cantor
Bob Clendenin	...	Server #1 (as Robert Clendenin)
Jim Fyfe	...	Server #2
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Mrs. Meyerson
Richard Fancy	...	Mr. Meyerson
Marcia Mitzman Gaven	...	Fashion Plate
Allan Corduner	...	Stan Michaels
Holly Hunter	...	Mona Camp
Careena Melia	...	Diana Floss

Also Known As:

Baby's in Black (USA) (working title)
Goodbye Hello (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

Argentina:146 min | Canada:112 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:117 min | UK:116 min | Portugal:120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Portugal:M/12 (original rating) | Iceland:L | Finland:K-11 | Canada:A (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Epsilon Motion Pictures

Trivia:

Neighbor's Restaurant is really Haley's Liquor Store in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Joe Nast and Ben Floss are walking down the street, the car holding the camera is reflected in the storefront windows.

Quotes:

Jo Jo Floss: [whispers] I dont know where she is. Everybody says that they do. But I dont know. And I'm scared for my baby
[sobs]
Jo Jo Floss: . And it's killing me cause not knowing, and I - I can't. I just can't. I can't - do anything.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

I'll Be Your Lover Too

Great performances highlight Moonlight Mile.

*** out of ****

While not quite a great movie (it just barely misses the mark), Moonlight Mile is still an excellent drama that showcases some of the finest acting talent around, wrapped amidst a beautifully told story of a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) who's trying to do what everyone expects out of him, but against the desire of following his own heart.

Moonlight Mile plays as a cathartic experience. The premise bears truth to it, as it parallels writer/director Brad Siberling's own real-life experience when his girlfriend was murdered by an obsessive fan. But most importantly, almost every part of this movie feels natural in its emotions and storytelling, not the result of some sentimental hackjob put together by a big studio. Siberling's intent is to portray a normal family dealing with life, loss, and love and whatever obstacles may come their way and he does a fine job of it.

There are moments Moonlight Mile doesn't entirely ring true, but those moments are glossed over by the acting. From Gyllenhaal to Ellen Pompeo to Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon, the cast is uniformly superb. Even though the climax is set in a courtroom (typically the setting for cliche hell in dramas), Gyllenhaal's emotional outpour makes the scene work almost magnificently.

An admittedly very irksome element of the film is the score, which is yet again another rip-off of the music to American Beauty. Moonlight Mile's straightforward, honest approach doesn't match the quirky tone of the score, resulting in a few off-kilter moments of balance. But otherwise, this is a first-rate, truthful drama, and certainly superior to the overrated and similary themed In the Bedroom.