Sunshine State (2002)

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.

Director:

John Sayles

Writer:

John Sayles

Stars:

Alex Lewis, Alan King, Angela Bassett

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Ambitious land developers descend on a tiny Florida coastline community, inhabited mostly by local yokels and elderly African Americans. Many of them don't want to see their homes and businesses sacrificed in the name of "progress" (a.k.a. condos, hotels, strip malls, and so on). But the city council appears to be all too willing to let them come in and develop the land. In addition, one weary hotel owner is thinking about giving in and selling. Meanwhile, one prominent African American athlete suddenly becomes interested in buying out his aging neighbors. So now that the wheels of progress appear to be in motion, it seems that a minor miracle is the only thing that can stop it.

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Plot Keywords:

florida | african american | neighbor | business | land developer | 

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Taglines:

Greetings from ...

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics [us] - trailer, synopsis, etc.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 2002 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Terra do Sol

Filming Locations:

Amelia Island, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£25,888 (UK) (26 July 2002)

Gross:

$3,064,356 (USA) (15 November 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anarchist's Convention Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Sayles:  almost gets hit by the golf ball in the closing scene.

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Goofs

During the conversation between Desiree and her mother on the beach, the door to the house is suddenly closed, though there is no evidence of anyone having closed it and it makes no sound.

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Quotes

Delia Temple: I must say, my youthful aspirations had nothing to do with becoming the Sarah Bernhardt of Delrona Beach. We adjust.

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Connections

References Traffic (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Buccaneer Daze"
Music by Mason Daring
Lyrics by John Sayles
Performed by the Delrona Beach Festival Choir
Courtesy of Daring Music

User Reviews

Good film, tedious story, shows us nothing new.

"Sunshine State" peers into the lives of a clutter of characters who occupy a small Florida beach town at risk of a hostile takeover by land developers examining the local's reflections, ponderings, musings, and interactions in the onslaught of imminent change. "Sunshine State" is technically and artistically excellent, imbued with a strong sense of local flavor, and hangs firmly onto that which is safe while failing to show us anything new. One can only wonder how dull must be one's life to find the lives of such boring people interesting. A tedious watch at over 2 hours and a bland PG-13 fare, "Sunshine State" will be most appreciated to more mature audiences who can better identify with the experiences of the characters and who are more inclined to be philosophical. (B)