Starts out strong, but ultimately clumsy

Rating: 6/10 (13 October 2007)

I guess that I don't like parables. Or at least those that telegraph their structure so obviously so soon. The whole movie becomes so obvious in its devices upon first viewing plus the lessons themselves are so simple; what did I learn? what's the one memorable moment? Actually, the first scene with the racist cop and proud ethnic couple was excellent, and that scene alone, carried forward, would have resulted in a move that much higher rated in my list.
Alas, the rest becomes trite and predictable with questionable acting. The whole mother thing with the good and bad son, made my eyes roll, and the politician and bitchy wife was completely false feeling -- I think that was a major miscast of Sandra Bullock.