"Didn't you hear about me, Gabe? If I'd been a ranch they would have named me Bar Nothing."
---Rita Hayworth..... ~GILDA~

In the small town of Scottsville, Samantha (Laura Linney) is a bank loan manager and a single mother to son Rudy (Rory Culkin). She must contend with a new branch manager Brian's (Matthew Broderick) changes to company policy and the arrival of her wayward brother Terry(Mark Ruffalo). She also receives a marriage proposal from a friend named Ben (Denis Tunney) which sort of throws her through a loop. Rudy and Terry develop a bond through a visit to a pool hall, some fishing, and a disastrous visit to Rudy's father. Samantha and Brian (who's wife is pregnant) find their clashes lead to a physical attraction, consummate those feelings through a series of trysts. Her guilt and hypocrisy about setting an example for her younger brother and son lead to some major familial tension.

Despite some really good performances, this is a dull movie. As dull as Scottsville, which is why Terry ran away in the first place and why he recommends Rudy do the same when he is old enough. Linney, Ruffalo, and Culkin do make the characters believable with the internal and external conflicts with what they are and what they want to become. Really mixed feelings about this, like the people but nothing seems to happen.

My grade - B-

More Grades


Linney........A+ always for looks A for acting

Gulkin.......A not annoyingly cutsey like his older brother was

Ruffalo.......A

Broderick......C for caricature Plot.....C

Scottsville.....B for boring

BAnk Employees......C- (bunch of slugs)


"Where did you learn to kiss like that? In the 'cyclopedia'?"
Barbara Stanwyck ......~GOLDEN BOY~