Complete credited cast: | |||
Mark Ruffalo | ... | Jack Linden | |
Laura Dern | ... | Terry Linden | |
Peter Krause | ... | Hank Evans | |
Naomi Watts | ... | Edith Evans | |
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Sam Charles | ... | Sean Linden |
Ginger Page | ... | Natasha Linden (as Haili Page) | |
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Jennifer Bishop | ... | Sharon Evans |
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Jennifer Mawhinney | ... | Audrey |
Amber Rothwell | ... | Lauren | |
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Meg Roe | ... | Lollipop Girl |
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Jim Francis | ... | Joe Ritchie |
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Marc Baur | ... | Plumber |
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Patrick Earley | ... | Jim |
The movie is set in the Pacific Northwest; specifically, Washington state. We know this from a glimpse of a license plate, the craftsman architecture of the two houses, and the mature, rich landscapes in between. The setting, like the scrutiny of the four main character's lives, is defined by the narrowness of the camera's field-of view. The one commercial street in town is only seen in the reflection of a store window, a shot of a non-descript auto-yard, or the tunnel of a tree-lined suburban sidewalk. The lush, wooded landscape is understood as an immediate presence in the domestic and professional lives of the characters; a steep hill, railroad tracks, a rushing stream, and a path over an old steel bridge are revisited again and again by the characters in their capacities as lovers, parents and friends. Written by Chester Weir
Not a heart-wrenching film but illuminates with precision the dynamics of friendship, marriage and adultery. It shows a potent portrait of two couples whose marriages are going to break; has an enormous power and tells some uncomfortable truths. In this movie actions have consequences that are not resolved with a hug or a cry. The four grown-ups (as well as their children who are perfectly aware of the situation) are very talented and all deliver passionate and compulsive performances. The atmosphere lingering in the air is what impressed me the most, being the flick filled with very expressive glances and electrical silences. Mark Ruffalo and Naomi Watts always very gifted.