All it has is a Great Ending

Rating: 2/10 (20 August 1999)

Perhaps careful editing, or a director who's work didn't so resemble a 30 second commercial..there are lots of things that might have made this movie worthy of an exceptional premise, unfortunately - it just ain't here.
I like Bruce Willis - he can play drama, but here, he's given nothing to do but smirk meaningfully while the plot, drags on and on, getting to the point we all know it's going to get to. I actually appreciate movies that cut out all the standard, "coming to believe a fantastic tale", bit. You know the routine - character sees strange things..stranger finally tries to make other character believe strange things..plot creaks along until other character finally be;lives strange things exist. That might have played well the first hundred times it was used, but I'd just as soon get to the meat of the matter and move the damn plot along!
Anyway, several scenes are so obviously staged that I found myself watching the extras in the scene, wondering what the assistant directors had told them to do..For instance, take the scene where Willis is late for dinner in the restaurant...The setting and filming looked so obviously staged that I couldn't pay attention to the leads.
Or - a long shot of Willis and the kid walking up the street, just when an entire little-league team walks across the from of the shot..obvious and clumsy, slice of life touches that distract instead of feeling a natural part of the scene.
But - great ending, serviced by the outline of a great plot that was poorly filled in and poorly directed.