Intelligent, Powerful, Moving!!!

Rating: 9/10 (5 March 1999)

This film was more than I hoped for. I half expected an exploitation movie, something that would merely push a lot of buttons and go purely for shock effect. Instead, I was treated to work that intelligently explored what can move a person to hate, and what can move that person back to love. The complexity of this family, how their bonds to one another, and their painful experience of the world tugged them in various directions, was very moving. The cast was INCREDIBLE!!! Especially Furlong and Most especially Norton. And the actor who portrayed Derek's laundry room co-worker was a standout in a very key role that was handled deftly and with a lot of humor. But again, the entire cast was right on target, from Avery Brooks, to Elliot Gould, to Beverly D'Angelo, to Fairuza Balk. Extremely well written and well thought out.