Slow study of dysfunctional neighbors (doesn't live up to the hype)

Rating: 2/10 (24 September 1999)

I found myself checking my watch at the 25 minute point (and a couple of more times during the film). The various story lines of the main characters (Lester, Carolyn, Jane, Angela) searching for their identities just seem to drag on until a tragic chain of events brings things to a close. I felt I'd seen most of the themes explored (written) better in other movies (Hurley Burley comes to mind). Perhaps the difficulty was trying to have too many threads.
The acting was excellent. Chris Cooper really grabbed the screen as the all American military man raging against a morally declining world which he cannot save/help despite has vain efforts.
There are some funny moments; there was gentle laughter here and there, but I got the feeling the audience couldn't decide whether to laugh, wince or squirm. When the film ended the audience exited in dead silence (last time I remember an audience this quiet was after Saving Private Ryan).