This is a great movie and my only criticism is that the narration was mostly unnecessary and did not always make sense. The acting is spectacular, the irony of the intertwined lives believable, the editing impeccable, the tone and ambience well established. It's a worthy example of Americana in its Southern Gothic modality, despite its Midwestern location. And it's a great critique of the religious-and so hypocritical-fundamentalism that has so hegemonized US society.
In sum, I'm docking it only for the narration and only for its excess at that. A little of it would have gone a long way precisely because the movie is so well done that we didn't need a narrator to guide us through it.
In sum, I'm docking it only for the narration and only for its excess at that. A little of it would have gone a long way precisely because the movie is so well done that we didn't need a narrator to guide us through it.