This had been on my list and I finally saw it

Rating: 8/10 (30 January 2003)

I don't know why I had delayed seeing this movie for so long. I'm a Spielberg fan so I would usually not hesitate. Maybe I wasn't so sure how Leonardo Dicaprio would handle this role. Maybe it was because a ton of other "must-see" movies were out at the same time. Well, I finally saw and I'm glad. I can report that Dicaprio did a great job and that all the reviews criticizing Tom Hanks' Boston accent were wrong. I'm not saying his accent was perfect, far from it, but Hanks needed that little something to keep the viewer from thinking "Hey, that's Tom Hanks!" Hanks gives an understated performance that made me think that he is a better actor than I gave him credit for. (I know, I know he has two Best Actor Oscars) His mannerisms and the accent were different enough to allow me to accept his character and suspend my disbelief. Even if the acting had been horrible, the direction, the credit sequence, the music, the cinematography and the art direction would have me recommending this film. There were times when the story was poignant and bitter-sweet and moments where I found myself grinning in the theater. Any piece of art that can evoke emotion is a success on some level. I suggest seeing it in the theater.