Lonesome Jim (2005) User Reviews

The silver lining of a dark cloud

[sixtwentysix · 8/10 · 2 February 2007]

Casey Affleck does a good job becoming the unlovable loser that you're actually interested in watching in this film. And for what it's worth, I feel like this film did a great job avoiding indie cliché's. Jim is not really overly inept or annoyingly stupid; in the contrary he's just kind of a high minded loser fumbling about for the same things most people fumble about for. Love, self respect and meaning in life. He's someone that's thinking somehow they are above the standard human fare because he has a specialization in literature.

Growing up in the Midwest I can say this captures Midwestern life almost perfectly. The tone of the settings, the reactions of the characters and even the fact that it appears to be shot in that brownish tan time between winter and spring which always reminded me of the Midwest no matter where I went. The supporting actors all turn in very good performances and it's interesting to look at.

This was a good movie. Steve Buscemi has mastered the art of subtlety and after seeing this movie and reading a few user reviews, I gather it's lost to a large number of people. Much like Ghost World which he starred in, he gives you hints and details that allow you to find character motivations and to flesh out their inner workings. In other words, he allows you to use your imagination. The film is like Jim, sad and brooding but with the hint of a good heart trying to find a way out. This is very funny and melancholy piece that's well worth a watch for people who enjoy films like this.

Son Returns to his Midwestern Dysfunctional Family and Learns that Some Things Never Change

[WeRunWithScissrs · 8/10 · 23 April 2005]

I saw this film at the Philadelphia Film Festival, the East Coast Premiere of the movie. It was extremely well received by the audience with laughter throughout the film.

Having roots in the Midwest myself, I felt this movie did not resort to stereotypes about life in the nation's heartland. Rather I believe the movie accurately shows that small town life is slower paced and that everyone knows you and your business all too well. Even the little sight gag of seeing the 3 bars with similar names felt familiar to me and I couldn't help but chuckle along with the audience.

Jim (Casey Affleck) has returned home dehydrated and depressed and is looking for sympathy and attention from his family. Instead, his brother is soon in an accident and is briefly the focus of the family. Jim meets Anika (Liv Tyler) during his visit and her gentle observations about her small town life offers the grace that his family can never provide.

This movie reminded me of the Kenneth Lonergan film You Can Count on Me in both pacing and the way the return of the brother stirs up issues in a family. It reminded me also of a much less slick and lower budgeted Garden State

If you are in an independent film place, I would recommend this movie. If you are looking for big stars and big production, look elsewhere.

I personally would be interested to see what Mr. Buscemi could do with some bigger stars and a bigger budget. Clearly the director was working with many limitations on this film.

hilariously honest

[s33a2d17 · 8/10 · 1 February 2006]

Laughing about other people's misery is something many of us like to do. Lonesome Jim gives us ample opportunity to do so. The admirable thing is, that the events and comments that make us laugh out loud here, aren't contrived or even over the top. There are people like that, they talk like that, they put each other down like that and most of all: they get by, just like that. Jim goes out of his way to avoid challenges, and that is nothing uncommon. The movie is painfully honest about average people's lives, and that is what makes this movie not just funny, but also heart-wrenching to see. It *is* funny though, very much so, even. The laughter in the audience was so loud at times I couldn't make out the next sentence. The characters know not to expect too much of life, and they don't. But they get by, just like we do, and with a little love, a little companionship and a little bit of happiness, that is enough.

Pretty grim, is Jim, despite some sharp human observation; don't see it if you are already depressed!

[inkblot11 · 6/10 · 9 July 2010]

Jim (Casey Affleck) has just returned home to his parents house in the Midwest. Being an aspiring writer who loved living in Manhattan, this is cruel and unusual punishment. However, his two part time jobs didn't pay the bills so, thank goodness, Mother Sally (Mary Kay Place) is happy to see him. Father Don (Seymour Cassel) is less enthusiastic, probably because the couple's other son, Tim (Kevin Corrigan) is living with them, too, thanks to divorce and a low-paying job. Naturally, the parents urge Jim to "do something", after the first few days, so the young man reluctantly accepts a job at the factory run by his mother. He also meets a beautiful, single-parent nurse, Anika (Liv Tyler) at a local watering hole and they begin a relationship of convenience. But, nothing ever seems to make Jim come out of his perpetual "funk" and he fails to connect with anyone, except perhaps a pot smoking co-worker. Will Jim bring everyone around him down, too, even his always-sunny mom? Can he get his "act together"? Viewers who put this into their DVD players may not feel like watching after the first half hour. It is fairly depressing, despite some sporadic but successful "gallows" humor. However, those who choose to stick it out may appreciate the sharp life observations. The cast is really very nice, with Affleck doing a truly great job in a difficult role. Place, Cassel, Tyler, Corrigan and the other lesser role players are impressive, too. Appropriately, the setting is fairly nondescript and won't charm anyone while the costumes are well-chosen but far from attractive. The script has its moments of humor and pathos, almost too real for comfort. Then, too, the slow pace and undistinguished edit hurt its success, too. There are some fun moments, as when Jim goes bar hopping among the three local watering holes, named Riki's 1, 2 and 3. But, all in all, this is a grim flick, which will never earn the word "entertainment". Therefore, stay away, unless you are a fan of the cast or a serious student of film-making. Lonesome Jim will ultimately attract only a few "lone wolf" admirers.

not bad

[charliecheswick · 6/10 · 18 April 2006]

this movie was pretty good , i enjoyed it. the dry sense of humour in this film will probably not be to everyones taste, but none the less , it does have a few gags in it that even the most cheery folk would laugh at.if you have ever grown up and left home and returned to experience the "small town mentality", then you will probably like this film . I did think the film could have done with an injection of adrenalin half way through as by that point u are kind of mystified as to why the lead character is still depressed. despite this, it was a pretty good attempt and overall it is a feel good film . the only major disappointment was the ending of the movie , which can be predicted after watching the opening ten minutes.i also thought the casting wasn't that great. affleck looks just a little too cool and smug as the lonely Jim , and Tyler plays the same character she seems to play in every other movie i have seen her in (mrs sexy + sensitive) .overall , this movie is not bad , but could have been better.

Intentionally Unfunny?

[tangoviudo · 7/10 · 18 August 2007]

"Lonesome Jim" was directed by Steve Buscemi - a fact I missed when I first watched it. I thought it was a tad too methodical in its portrayal of a guy who is the sole author of his own misery. The film poster says it all - he lives under his own dark cloud.

But Buscemi accomplished something quite well - he made the entire film feel like the inside of Jim's head. Casey Affleck proves once again where all the talent went in his family - not to Ben. And Liv Tyler continues to surprise, not so much with her talent as with her odd choice of roles. But I can't complain about an actress being TOO pretty for a part. Mary Kay Place is excellent in a completely unbelievable part - the all-forgiving, long-suffering mother. Only Seymour Cassell comes off perfectly straight as Jim's dad.

But the giveaway of the film is the character of Evil, who drives a scooter with a helmet painted with skulls. How he is eventually nabbed is truly hilarious - a touch that Buscemi couldn't have pulled off with a straight face. In fact, the entire film could be looked at as a kind of existentialist comedy. Jim tells his brother that his life is a tragedy, so his brother drives his car into a tree. The kids' basketball team hasn't scored a single basket all season - so in the climactic game they manage to score - one basket.

Set in Indiana, the film stinks of middle-America - the ugly towns encroaching on the country, the dank weather, a world with low ceilings and no windows. Just the kind of world a young person would leave because there are no opportunities. Trains are constantly driving through town, never stopping. The only escape is by bus - which Jim has to take (but somehow doesn't take) at the film's conclusion.

Ash air, light crumb

[Vincentiu · 22 January 2011]

Casey Afleck as axis. Story of a family. Sense of life as illusion. Twoo brothers, some words, a car accident. Drogs and a delicate love story. A child team and a game. A factory and strange relative. Few hope drops. Slice of small common America, it is lesson about values, expectation and ways. About things and their essence, causes and social terminals. Everything as world of old story. A film about nothing, as many others. But, in same time, a definition of limits and real aspect of travel to yourself. Casey Afleck is great in a genre of gray character who makes action heavy. A film for recognize the crumbs of light in the dark of soul.

like a mid-west winter...

[fnorful · 6/10 · 14 March 2005]

...a few bright moments to break up the grey times.

It's a fair representation of what so much of the midwest is about: a bit about futility, about a lifeless life, yet still containing a few bright moments. And having hope.

The digital film present a dull grey-red tone to the proceedings...not engaging to the eye but it seemed to fit the mood. The characters, while not sympathetic, were nicely developed. The events, even those seemingly "large" ones, do not develop the magnitude that might be expected. But that's how life usually works.

This is a much better view than the low marks indicate, but it's not great film-making either. It is a good Indie movie, and one that encourages a look at Buscemi's future projects.

Unpretenious, funny and Liv Tyler!

[samkan · 9/10 · 26 January 2007]

Although I agree with many of the people that this was a good movie, I do not necessarily agree that it had a moral, taught a lesson, etc. The script, as economical as it was, was terrific, not to mention hilarious! There is hardly a wasted line, scene, etc. Nobody overacts. The actors simply just do their jobs. Some of the jokes had me laughing out loud at midnight; e.g., when brother #1 says "awesome" upon learning brother #2 has bedded Liv Tyler, #2 thanks him - to which #1 says "No, I'm thinking her standards are so low I've still got a chance".

The movie is chock full of tiny lines of great dialog. Most are not crafted jokes but simply hilarious circumstantially, as when the protagonist comments on the strength of the stoner's weed and - in a casual aside - the stoner says, "Yeah, I put some crack in". Also, our hero so deftly manages to unintentionally insult everyone and everything while spilling his guts; e.g., believing he's offering profound insight into life but instead degrading the existence of his listeners. These asides and conversations, like much of the dialogue, are not stand alone funny but fit in so well to the mood and of the setting. The setting and circumstances - failed dreams in the Heartland - could be milked for much melodramatic value but is well treated here in a matter-of-fact manner. This movie is true farce. I hate to use clichés but Lonesome Jim is the perfect example of "What you see (and hear) is exactly what you get.

Casey Aflleck could easily have played his role as manic or overly deadpan but finds a great balance. Overlooked is his dad's character, who pulls pathos out of middle America. Liv Tyler displays more skill here than in all her minutes in Lord of the Rings combined. And the stoner uncle, without exaggeration could be a candidate for Best supporting actor. But Mary Kay Place steals the show outright. She is the Everymom of all time. I lost my mom last year and my siblings and I can see now that what we interpreted as mom's naive cheerfulness was actually a profound strength. No small feat to create this observation in a movie which, at times, seems almost completely played for laughs. In fact, the uplifting effect of the movie truly appears as almost an afterthought. Creating something out of nothing is the mark of good art.

Brilliant Aesthetic but script lacking...

[ryanjpoland · 7/10 · 24 January 2005]

I had the pleasure of viewing this film at the Sundance Film Festival with Director Steve Buscemi as well as the Director of Photography/Cinematographer, Editor, and Screenwriter in attendance. I really felt that the production aspect of the film was amazing especially being that it was shot entirely in Digital Video using Lower-end Pro-sumer cameras and transferred to film later. The Direction, Acting, and Cinematography were all outstanding making the aesthetic of the film very prominent. However the problem that I found with the film is that it was rather mediocre in terms of content. The film is what I would personally call a dark comedy with hints of romance. 27 Year old Jim (Casey Afleck) a depressed aspiring writer journeys back home to small town, Indiana after utter failure to assimilate and attain success in New York. The film then continues to explore his mundane and despondent existence in relation to his overzealous Mother, disinterested Father, and his similarly depressed Brother. Throw in a bit of impossible romance with a nurse named Anika (Liv Tyler) and the story unfolds. The film did have its comedic moments playing up typical daily occurrences that most people can relate to. Overall it was pretty good but I just felt it was lacking something in terms of screenplay, which may be due to the fact that Writer James C. Strouse is a first-timer in the world of screen writing. There is definitely potential in his later work, but I think this piece needed a little revising. All personal opinions aside I have to commend the filmmakers for the grassroots approach to production and after speaking to the crew members in attendance I was very impressed with their professionalism and their openness to express their ideas and offer other filmmakers helpful advice and encouragement.

A funny movie for folks not afflicted with depression

[steiner-sam · 5/10 · 9 June 2021]

The movie is set in the early 2000s in Goshen, Indiana. It's a dark comedy following the journey of a depressive 27-year-old man who has to return home to his parents because he's run out of money. I watched the film to see if there was any "Mennonite" connection in the movie because of its setting in "Mennonite country." The short answer is "no."

Jim Roush (Casey Affleck) moves home from Manhattan, where he's had to walk dogs while trying to be a writer. At home is his 32-year-old brother, Tim (Kevin Corrigan), who is even more depressive than he is. Tim is divorced and has two daughters. His mother, Sally (Mary Kay Place), is incorrigibly upbeat regardless of the direness of any situation. Don (Seymour Cassel) is mostly stoic throughout, though he presses Jim on his plans.

Jim meets a nurse in a bar soon after arrival. Anika (Liv Tyler) somehow finds this depressive guy engaging. Though they initially have a quick hookup in the hospital where she works, they start to hang out together, along with her precocious son, Ben (Jack Rovello).

After watching a basketball team that Tim coaches that includes his two daughters, Jim and Tim compare notes about their depressive lives. Tim then drives himself into a tree but survives with two broken legs. Jim takes over coaching the team and eventually brings on to the team as well.

Jim goes to work at his parents' ladder factory, where his mother's brother, Stacy (Mark Boone, Jr.), also works and uses their delivery systems to ship drugs. Stacy, who prefers to be called "Evil," gets Jim to open a bank account and gives him $4000 of drug money. Sally gets arrested for the drug operation, but Stacy refuses to confess. Eventually, Stacy gets out on bail, having made friends with all the women in prison.

Jim finally seems overwhelmed by it all and tries to get Anika and Ben to go to New Orleans with him. Initially interested, she ultimately declines because of Jim's inability to commit to life. However, it all resolves in the end.

This is a funny movie for folks not afflicted with depression. Mary Kay Place holds it all together; without her glass-always-half-full optimism, it would have sunk under its own weight. Anika does seem an odd match for Jim--she has a steady job and feels great responsibility for Ben. Jim is unmotivated and directionless.

Although there is much familiar-looking scenery, I saw only one horse-drawn wagon in the film and no references I would consider Amish or Mennonite.

Jim Strouse, the screenwriter for the film, is a Goshen native and used his parents' home and business as settings for the film.

Poignant Realism, with Jokes

[scif100 · 9/10 · 14 March 2006]

Annika (Liv Tyler) doesn't like the photo of a dour Ernest Hemingway that Jim (Casey Affleck) has on his bedroom wall. Jim says it's real life. She says it's depressing, and he replies, "Isn't that the same thing?" It's a funny line, but it's also much more. It describes the heart of this terrific new picture directed by Steve Buscemi. He's made a wonderful "small" film about the sadness and disappointment that is so much a part of life, and about how we each must choose to respond. Do we wallow in despair, or can we find hope, joy, and purpose? In "Lonesome Jim," we meet a range of genuine people who exhibit a range of choices -- sometimes conflicting responses within the same character. The casting is superb, and between Buscemi's measured pace and first-time screenwriter Jim Strouse's unpredictable (and semi-autobiographical) story turns, we get to know and care about these people...even though they each exhibit traits we definitely do not like. That's real life.

Rather standard indie drama fare

[Sandcooler · 6/10 · 9 January 2011]

This movie doesn't as much tell a story as it conveys a feeling, and that feeling is "mind-numbingly depressed". Casey Affleck is wonderful in this movie. He managed to be sad for 90 minutes without ever hamming things up, which makes that one outburst of joy he has very beautiful. Sadly, this film is somewhat held back by one rather typical indie cliché: its lack of pace. We're not just dealing with a slow-moving plot here, because there is no plot. It's just a slow-moving bunch of scenes. Most of the scenes go on for a bit too long, others are just plain unnecessary. Thank God the occasional dark humour can bring something extra, because parts of this movie are really quite boring. Nevertheless, Jim is a compelling character, and Steve Buscemi appears to be quite talented as a director, so this is still worth seeing.

Save me from this

[i_ashworth · 3/10 · 17 July 2009]

The only time I seem to trawl through IMDb comments is when I've seen a duff film. I guess I'm looking to find reassurance that it's not just me. For me, then, Lonesome Jim was a duff film packed with unbelievable characters in unbelievable situations which limped on lamely and boringly towards a cop-out hackneyed conclusion. So I check out what other people have to say and feel a bit like Jim, out on a limb, alienated, as page after page of multiple star ratings and plaudits leave me doubting my critical faculties. Yet maybe I should check the settings for the comments presentation, since after a while the gushing dies down and I'm relieved to see appreciations that mirror my own. I feel vindicated. It IS a rubbish film, it DOESN'T hang together and it DOES constitute a wasted evening sitting through it. Praise be to kindred spirits.

Not fun or cheery.

[JohnDeSando · 14 April 2006]

"Depression is melancholy minus its charms-the animation, the fits." Susan Sontag

Bug-eyed Steve Buscemi as an actor demands we keep our eyes on him, be he Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs or Tony Blundetto on HBO's Sopranos. His magnetism may come from insecurity in the shell of an out-there dangerous weirdo. But as a director Buscemi doesn't grab attention as as much as require an audience to be strange enough to enjoy loser, slacker guys whose boredom and inactivity are as palpable as the audience eyes that regularly peek at watches hoping the boredom will soon be over.

In Lonesome Jim, Casey Affleck plays feckless Jim, who's returning home to Indiana as a failed writer recently walking dogs for cash in Manhattan. It's surprising this character could get up the energy to hold a leash much less unleash imagination to a page. If Affleck is not this affectless in real life, then he's a great actor; if he is this torpid anyway, then let's wish him the same fate as his brother, who thankfully has been absent from the screen of late.

Buscemi listlessly creates a world where Liv Tyler's nurse is a welcome respite from slow-talking, slow-moving friends and relatives. Now Tyler is not the most dynamic actress, but her love of her own small boy and her growing love of little boy Jim provide the only energy in a low-voltage cast. Even the basketball team Jim coaches has been unable to score a single point all season.

Yet maybe the director has succeeded in creating a world so boring that while not artful is at least realistic. Mary Kay Place's mother, Sally, is so optimistically out of touch that she makes friends with inmates she has a hard time believing are criminals. As suicidal as Jim and his brother are in their depression, Mom is clueless in her optimism. Buscemi is expert at limning the realities of a middle America imprisoned in their destructive delusions.

Although Buscemi's Tommy in the acclaimed Trees Lounge has many of the loser qualities in his Lonesome Jim character, Tommy retains a hope of overcoming his alcoholism and regaining his ex wife. Jim has no such hopes nor does the film have characters interesting enough to survive the boredom on both sides of the screen.

Liv Tyler's Anika says to Jim, "There are so many fun and cheery people in the world. Don't you think you'd be better off with one of them?" The same could be said about the film: There are far more fun and cheery films than this terminally depressing study of ennui sans art. See Garden State or Trees Lounge for successful depiction of characters Roger Ebert rightly calls "sad sacks."

Buscemi Avoids Sophomore Curse, But To What End?

[Michael-70 · 7/10 · 28 March 2006]

This is Steve Buscemi's second film as a director and he shows that he has definitely got some film sense. Buscemi's has successfully avoided the "sophomore curse", but I don't really see the point of this film. This story about Jim an alienated young man played by Casey Affleck coming back home to Indianna all depressed is a common enough story, but there really has to be something unique about the telling of this tale for it to stand out. But there is nothing.

Perhaps that is the point. But what is the point about not making a point? Although I don't know this for sure, I would not be surprised to find out that this is a first screenplay and that the writer is a young man.

Still, the people in the film are generally good, Seymour Cassell as Jim's domineering dad and Kevin Corrigan as his stupid brother have all worked with Steve Buscemi as co-actors and Buscemi does get good performances from them, which is a major thing for a director to do, but to what end?

Overall, the story is not particularly original as a movie story although when these kinds of things happen to an individual in real life, it can seem like no one else has ever experienced anything like it before. Sort of like a woman getting and surviving breast cancer. It is a life-changing event for the individual, but that doesn't automatically make it an interesting story for anyone else.

There are tons of stories about people leaving their families and going off to the city only to discover that survival is harder than they think, so for this one to be noticeable, there has to be some kind of unusual hook. But there isn't.

Casey Affleck's character claims to be a writer, but I never believed that for a second. Affleck's character is not particularly verbose or poetic nor is he especially observant. He seems to just be a dull fellow, accepting the vicissitudes of this lack luster life he's been given.

This is part of the problem with the film; I never got a sense of the burning desire he must have felt once upon a time. The kind of desire that compelled him to strike out on his own that made him leave the comforts of home for the unknown in New York. Granted, I understand that he's been beaten down now and has returned with his tail between his legs, but I never even got a sense of what kind of writer he wanted to be. Was his interest in poetry? Was it journalism? Has he been nursing a screenplay for years? Did he fancy himself the next Kerouac? We never really find out.

Granted, he shows us photographs of various famous novelists and he seems particularly interested in the fact that most of them committed suicide either slowly by drinking themselves to death or quickly like Hemingway who shot himself with a shotgun. I have met writers who have been successful and writers who have been failures and he didn't seem like any of them at all.

Still, Casey Affleck is enjoyable; there is something about him I just like. His brother Ben has more charisma and presence, but Casey's sly smile and wit are vastly preferable to me. Watch Casey Affleck hold his own in Gerry along side Matt Damon if you don't believe me.

There are some throwaway bits that I would have liked to explore more, like when Mary Kay Place as Jim's mother ends up in jail and makes friends with all the nice ladies in County Jail, her natural perkiness is wonderful to behold. Also, when she comes home from jail on bail and sarcastically states that her husband must not have realized that bail was an option, we got a big sense of familial dynamics that said volumes about this family, but the scene is just let go as a joke. It needed to be explored more, although I don't have a clue how I would have done that.

Still, although most of the characters are boring twits, I was not bored watching them and that says a lot.

A Second Chance

[nycritic · 7/10 · 31 August 2006]

Quiet desperation affects Jim, the main character in Steve Buscemi's indie film. It seems he can't make it on his own and has returned to the small town where he grew up to reconnect with his family: his Pollyanna of a mother, his ornery father, and underachieving brother who works at a job just barely above minimum wage. Interestingly enough, life back home is as dreary as ever, and Jim's brother Tim (in an apparent and almost successful suicide attempt) suffers an automobile accident that lands him in the hospital. This, just as it seems things might get a little brighter when Jim meets Anika at a bar and they hit it off in an offbeat way.

LONESOME JIM is, like BUBBLE, one of those movies that tell stories of the mostly forgotten small-town people who live in the Midwest and have either dreams of making it big, have never been to a large city -- let alone a metropolis -- and are caught in a vicious cycle of a dead-end job that offers practically nothing but minimum wage. Despite the pessimism of several of the characters, it's quite sweet, really, and Mary Kay Place's performance as the ever-positive mother is touching even when her character gets framed for drug-smuggling and she has to smile at Jim's suggestion she read a depressing book.

Steve Buscemi proves he can be better behind the screen than in front as well. While his filming style is a tad flat and his choice of filming media might have been more due to budget, he pulls it off quite well, and his entire cast is on cue in their respective roles. In particular, Casey Affleck is quite touching as the lost Jim, and Liv Tyler is absolutely sweet in her role (even when she may be a little too pretty to be a believable small-town girl, I think). All in all, a charming, quirky movie by someone whom you wouldn't expect could tell this kind of story.

A low key, good natured, dark humoured comedy.

[tao902 · 6/10 · 24 July 2015]

Jim returns home to his family, who live in a white, working class, American small town in Indiana. He originally left home to become a successful writer in New York and has returned after failing. Jim gradually becomes closer to the family that he originally wanted to escape (an over protective mother, a disenchanted father, a divorced brother who tries to commit suicide).

He begins a relationship with a local single mother who shows him respect that he didn't expect. Despite having no big dramatic moments the film holds your attention.

A low key, good natured, dark humoured comedy.

Lonesome Jim is subtle brilliance

[joemama720 · 10/10 · 9 February 2005]

If you've ever felt bored, alone, defeated, then you'll love Lonesome Jim. If you're from or have ever visited the Midwest for a significant amount of time, you'll love this movie. The portrayal of Jim, a 28-year-old failure who returns home after an attempt at 'making it' in NY as a writer is completely relateable to anyone. Who hasn't had a big dream, tried and failed? The cinematography is is sad and beautiful all at once; the direction is flawless; Casey Affleck (who I'm usually not the hugest fan of) is perfect in the portrayal. And lets not forget Mary Kay Place. She was amazing. James Strouse wrote such a tragic and heart-wrenching role for her; you ache when Jim says to her "I don't know...sometimes people just shouldn't be parents". This film is filled with great lines like this that just exude pathos. Subtle brilliance is the exact phrase to describe this movie. Thing is, you don't even have to love it in order to appreciate how moving it is. It was a great cast, great director, and Roger Ebert (who I'm usually not a huge fan of either) said it best when he called LJ 'a masterpiece of mood'. That it is, my friends; that it is.

Sweet Smothering Mom may Hinder Men

[dansview · 6/10 · 12 September 2012]

I can personally relate to the main character. He was non-aggressive, liked to write, and didn't have a clue where he could fit into society. Such guys DO exist.

This one predictably flops in N.Y. and returns home to his hometown, and his quirky literal "home" in the midwest.There he meets a girl.

You may ask why someone as gorgeous as Liv Tyler,(her character), would hang out with such a loser. But she tells you in her own words. "I like to help people." That's why she is a nurse too. Beyond that, her character is not too bright, and she's a single mom, so she's got her own baggage. The best thing about this movie comes in letter form. The mom in the movie is portrayed as perpetually optimistic. Most modern films poke fun at this as pathetically naive. For most of this film, you think it is doing the same thing. But the main character writes a letter to his mom, when he thinks he is leaving town, and he tells her that in fact he admires her optimism, and considers it a sign of strength, and of character. I liked that. The movie doesn't really go anywhere, but that's o.k., because many people's lives don't go anywhere. It's a slice-of-life movie.

I liked it, but I would not expect most people to enjoy it. Unless you really enjoy dark, small town underdog studies.

At some point this young guy has to realize that it doesn't matter if you are depressed, you still have to find a way to make a living, and get on with life.

I don't think it portrayed the Midwest as depressing, or his parents as losers. His dad is a successful entrepreneur, and his mom fills up a room with light, and good cheer. Those are winner characteristics. They live in a nice house. Their town looks clean and safe.

Clearly what happened is that the boys inherited their mom's gentle, non-aggressive manner. That makes them ineffectual as men. She smothers them with sweetness, which may hinder them from tapping into the alpha energy that men need to succeed in a brutal world.

Why was a nurse so poor? Nurses make a boatload of money. Probably because she wasn't an RN. She was probably either a CNA or LVN.

Sorry Jim

[seamus67 · 4/10 · 10 September 2006]

Whilst this is most definitely a well crafted piece of film-making, it's thoroughly without any entertainment value whatsoever.

If you're depressed already, this film will send you over the edge.

If you're feeling somewhat depressed, this film will be just one more thing in your life to feel bitter about. You'll feel that it's just your luck to have chosen to watch a movie that turns out to be a complete waste of time.

Otherwise you might be able to make it through this film unscathed (I didn't, BTW), safe in the knowledge that your life is so much better than Jim's. Then again you might consider that you have been fooling yourself, and that are in fact in a much worse situation than you'd previously realized. You might feel a bit annoyed at Jim for bringing this to your attention. You may want to slap him around a bit with a wet fish.

The sad truth is, much as I wanted to like this movie... I hated it. It took rather a long miserable road down the path of oblivion and then suddenly, for no reason whatsoever, looked back at itself and then stopped.

Jim does not have an epiphany, at least not one that is conveyed on screen. Jim has a miserable life and a miserable set of options. He discovers nothing that one can relate to and fails to make any significant progress on his journey of self-discovery.

Of course no-one alive could write a happy ending to this movie. As others have said it's no Hollywood tale, it's gritty and it's real. It's well made. Life is quite a struggle at times. If anyone were to know "the answer", they do well to shout it from the rooftops.

Still, I feel cheated because this movie pretends to have something to say. You feel that it's going to say something, that if you just suffer through a little more of it, it'll have something to say. It'll make you stop and think.

It doesn't.

Again, I do submit that this is a well crafted film. And therefore may be of value to a film student with a penchant for e.g. lighting techniques of the use of colour palettes.

For the rest of us, it's utterly miss-able.

Mary Kay Place Oscar worthy

[brainwave-2 · 9/10 · 10 April 2006]

This is a great film which superbly walks the balance between bleak and hopeful, without ever becoming annoyingly angst ridden or overtly perky. Mary Kay Place, who has been such a solid supporting performer throughout her career, is Oscar worthy as the ever optimistic mom who shows layers upon layers with the simplest gesture -- a wonderful, comic performance. It would be a true tragedy, however likely it is, if the distributors do not put some muscle into a campaign in her favor. Buscemi's direction and the tightrope walk of a script is captivating throughout. Shot on mini-dv and certainly there have been better shot dv features. Film tends to get real noisy in the darks, and the titles during opening credits break to pixels. Too bad too, because it is unlikely this film will be taken as seriously as it deserves to be because the filmmakers/producers failed to take time/cost to make it right.

Loneliness is worse..

[locke82 · 7/10 · 9 January 2006]

I saw this film at the Film Festival in Ghent since it was in the competition for best film. Didn't won though, but hey, the competition was tough ! This flick, apart from what people can say is actually very good, extremely simple, which proves that you don't need a 35 million dollar paycheck to shoot something.

The actors are good, even excellent, Tyler was amazing !!! And so were the rest, but the only disturbing thing remains Casey Affleck ! You don't know if he plays his character that way by his choice, or if he just plays bad. I mean, his character is a very dumb person, and Casey plays it that way, but it's weird, and that actually makes an huge impact on the film : it's all or nothing : whether you love Casey or you hate him ! Well, I loved him ! And so in a few words : Lonesome Jim is a simple film about life, dreams and redemption.

not depressing at all....just plain awful

[steven11111 · 1/10 · 16 February 2008]

I am sitting here writing this review and the movie's not even over yet. In fact, I just checked, and there are 45 more minutes to go. But no matter, there's no need to see it through to the end. I'll just write this review and laugh as the film plays in the background and stumbles onward to some kind of presumably horrible conclusion which I don't care to ever see or know.

What accounts for my hostility to this movie? The characters are not believable. The plot is not believable. The pretentiousness of the movie is sickening. Basically, every element of the movie rings false. Buscemi obviously thought he had something to add to the dozens of movies which have already explored the well-worn themes of dysfunctional families and the apparent meaninglessness of life. However, Buscemi was badly mistaken, because this movie contains nothing new. It tries very hard to be depressing, but fortunately no one can really be depressed by it, because it's obvious that no people like this exist in the entire world.

What IS depressing however is the knowledge that somehow this film was voted several undeserved awards. Disgusting!!!! Bottom line: stay away from this worthless film at all costs.

Lonesome train whistle sounding in rural rustbelt

[correcamino · 9/10 · 26 September 2006]

You can object to the choice to make this film about a so-called depressive. You can object that Jim doesn't just snap out of it. But of all the things you can say about Lonesome Jim, you can't say it is badly made.

This film is like a meditation: it totally clears the mind of everything else and allows you to focus on what is there in front of you.

The grainy film did not strike me as low quality or cheap. It made the film like watching home movies; there is nothing glamorous about this scene. It was totally in keeping with the theme of muted emotion. The graininess sometimes slows things down so much that the characters appear to be talking through the haze of their dull surroundings, and they are the liveliest things about the situation. It almost transforms film into a cartoon drama by the younger sibling.

Is the main character Jim (Casey Affleck) suffering from depression? Well, alright. But that assessment papers over the interesting sources of the emotion stifling: the relationship between son and parents, and how he has subverted his personality with them; and the relationship he has with the rest of his hometown.

The whole thing is so real – we especially digest meaning during Jim's driving scenes, inevitably at twilight when the post industrial fading rural landscape is at its most evocative, stirring feelings of profound longing and sadness.

(There must be a retrospective of Sensitive Boy flicks somewhere. To my recollection, Ordinary People could be the first in the series, but among the others, and I'm sure there are many, many more than I can think of here, are You Can Count on Me, and Imaginary Heroes. I've also heard that Garden State could be slotted in there, but I haven't seen it.)

This is a brilliant film.

So why not give it 10 out of 10? Because we do not know yet if it will stand the test of time. Already Ordinary People does not pack the same punch as did 20 odd years ago. Also, these films have a relatively small theme. So though while intense and delicate in emotional depiction, their reach is rather narrow and might not possess any universal themes. They are particularly US-centric. Which is fine, but it precludes them from greatness.