Sunshine State (2002)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

John Sayles

Writer (WGA):

John Sayles (written by)

Release Date:

26 July 2002 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Greetings from ...

Plot:

A woman and her new husband returns to her hometown roots in coastal northern Florida, and must deal with family, business, and encroaching real estate development.

Plot Keywords:

African American | Florida | Land Developer | Vandalism | Ocean

Awards:

6 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Alex Lewis	...	Terrell
Alan King	...	Murray Silver
Cullen Douglas	...	Jefferson Cash
Clifton James	...	Buster Bidwell
Eliot Asinof	...	Silent Sam
James McDaniel	...	Reggie Perry
Angela Bassett	...	Desiree Perry
Edie Falco	...	Marly Temple
Amanda Wing	...	Krissy
Timothy Hutton	...	Jack Meadows
Perry Lang	...	Greg
Miguel Ferrer	...	Lester
Gordon Clapp	...	Earl Pinkney
Kyle Meenan	...	Dick Yordan
Mary Steenburgen	...	Francine Pinkney

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, a sexual reference and thematic elements.

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | USA:PG-13 (No. 38631) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 | Germany:o.Al. | Norway:A | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Amelia Island, Florida, USA

Company:

Anarchist's Convention Films

Trivia:

The restaurant that Reggie Perry and Desiree Stokes Perry stop at to get directions at is at a actual motel in Yulee Florida. The beach store that is supposedly across the street is actually several miles away on Ameila Island.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Early in the film when Francine is talking with one of the developers, they pass a sign in the foreground that says "Amelia Island", the filing location, instead of the film's fictional location, Plantation Island.

Quotes:

Marly Temple: The important thing is to keep that smile on your face, even when you're drowning.

Movie Connections:

References Lone Star (1996)

Soundtrack:

Behind the Dunes

The sum of all of its parts

Director John Sayles, from his own script, brings us to Florida to one week, and with the leisure of a vacationer on the beach reading a book, lets the the story unfold with an assured pace. Much like "Magnolia", but without the quick cuts and flashy editing, "Sunshine State" involves us in the intertwining story of as many as ten characters, each richly developed and well acted (Angela Bassett

and Edie Falco are easy standouts). On the surface the plot regards the

development (and oppostion) of some Florida beach real estate, but this really about people coming to terms with their past and trying to move on to the future. Of dreams crushed and realized. Of history and memory. John Sayles doesn't

provide any pat or cliched answers and allows us to reach our own conclusions. This is a smart film for a smart audience, and stands among John Sayles' best works.

"Sunshine State" is a film rarity, and a complete pleasure. This is a film that never quite found a place in theatres, but I hope it does on video. Seek this one out you'll be glad you did.

10/10