Cameron Crowe, at his most intellectual...

Rating: Null/10 (16 June 2002)

I had mixed emotions about the movie the first time I watched it. Like A.I., it was easy to miss the big picture by nitpicking the small things that seemed off. After watching it a second time I caught things that you normally wouldn't the first time through, and it made more sense and I ended up liking it. Not a pitch for people to buy it, because likely most people still won't like it after watching it again, but although they truly don't give any real indication of what the movie if about in the previews, I thought it was well made and thought provoking. What I am about to say will probably offend some people, maybe greatly offend them, but ahh well: I think if you polled the people who disliked versus liked this movie, there would be a pretty solid dividing line between popular/beautiful people who have used their looks and popularity to get them where they are more than their intellect of intelligence (not to say that popular/beautiful people aren't intelligent, but come on...) that don't like the movie and the average/physically flawed people that could watch this movie and think he was deserving initially but feel sympathy as well when it's all said and done. This is definitely a niche title, something that will not appeal to the masses ever, but well done nonetheless and is made to spark controversy in conversation I believe. Owe it to yourself to see it, regardless of your initial reactions to other's reviews or feelings regarding it.