I was reminded of the sheer power of this movie by watching it years later with my teenager.

Rating: 9/10 (13 June 2017)

I originally watched this movie so many years ago and was floored by it. I had forgotten how many emotions it wrangles out of you that you may not even ever suspect. It was an eye opening movie for me as a younger person and when I found out my 19 year old boy hadn't seen it, I pulled out my DVD of it and said, "That's what we're doing tonight." He at first had no interest in it after checking out the synopsis on the case and I almost had to force him to watch it with me. However, as I began to get immersed in this movie that I had forgotten its powers, it got quiet and I never heard another word from him. At the end of the movie, I was sniffling and I look over and he is sitting on the edge of the couch with tears, unspilled, but sitting in his eyes, mouth open, slack-jawed, and still staring at the blank screen. It was definitely a defining period in his young adulthood and a moment for me that helped define our relationship and that I'll always cherish. It's a classic that even now sometimes I talk to people who haven't seen it, and I recommend it. I'm glad I bought the DVD so long ago. It had the same reaction for me as it did the first time years ago.
I don't want to let out spoilers and it's so hard with this movie. So that's why I haven't gone into detail. But if you want to see real, emotional, life changing in certain situations, movies that make you question things and/or really force you to put yourself into someone else's shoes whether you want to or not, watch this movie.