Swing Away!

Rating: 10/10 (3 August 2002)

What a spectacular movie! I read many reviews before going to see this, (which was set in my home town of Bucks County!! You wouldn't believe the turn out on opening night.) Anyway, many of the reviews said that this movie was either confusing at the end or had nothing to do with aliens. Both of which are completely false. The whole story was based upon the aliens and only a small portion was based on the story surrounding Father Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his disbelief in a higher power after the death of his wife. The ending was not confusing in the least. It was straight to the point and left you with a secure feeling, (unlike other movies of this genre.)
The nightmare begins when, in the very first scene of the movie, Hess' family discovers huge crop circles on their property. They are so perfect that many believe they couldn't have been created by man. And it is a 'sign' of the coming of the end of the world. Hess refuses to believe that they were created by a higher power, since he gave up his faith and job as a minister after the death of his wife. Aided only by his brother (Joaquin Phoenix) to take care of his son and daughter, (Rory Culkin and adorable Abigal Breslin), Graham tries as hard as he can to find another explanation to this phenomenon. But it turns out that the critters from space have plans for the population of the earth. And Hess is running out of time to save his family.
Now it's time to talk about the superb acting. I must say that, as usual, Joaquin Phoenix did a excellent job. No words were needed to tell exactly what he was thinking. I was surprised, however, to see that he was the comic relief, a role he hardly ever plays. But he pulled it off beautifully and had a real sense of how to demand attention. I found myself gasping and biting my nails in one scene and then laughing hysterically in the next, all because Phoenix would casually make a comment that eased the tension. (Look out for scenes where he explains why he believes in miracles and why nerds don't have girlfriends, they left me panting on the floor of the theater.) Then he would break into a totally serious performance that left me in shock. Mel Gibson did his usual serious/concerned act. But he does it well. In many scenes, you can see exactly how torn he is between the idea of the aliens being a gift from a higher power or yet another curse to destroy his family. His does a wonderful job playing the fatherly figure. But the Oscar goes to Abigal Breslin. She reminded me so much of the little, 3 year old girl I babysit that I actually wanted to give her a big hug and tell her not to cry. It broke my heart so much to see her tear up that I had to remind myself she was just acting. And she can't be more than 5 years old! It simply amazed me how well she did. Rory Culkin also pulled off one of his best performances. Unlike his brother's career that came to a steaming halt, I believe that he will go much farther after this movie.
In conclusion, I would just like to say that this is a top notch picture and deserves the 10 out of 10 stars I gave it. The first time you see it, it will keep you in suspense the entire time. The tension will literally keep your eyes glued to the screen. *Just remember to wear your tinfoil hat!