Saw this flick last night, enjoyed it for the most part. All the loose ends got tied up too nicely to suit me, would that life was like that. A couple of things in there I didn't believe for a second, which hindered the believability of the film for me.
Best scene: shoe store. Classic. Sean Penn was great, BUT he didn't have to change. He could lock into what he was and stay constant, much like Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man". Michelle Pfeiffer, on the other hand, had to turn 180 (like Tom Cruise) so that character was much more of a challenge, and sadly underrated. A sensational performance from her - is she so pretty (with her Joni cheekbones) that she can't be taken seriously as an actress? I was really impressed by her. The guys who were Sam's pals were stupendous. The use of the Beatles songs was nothing short of phenomenal. It's as if these songs were written for this film. Blew me away. And the girl that plays Lucy is also superb - kids in movies can be so cloying and unbelievable, I found her to be very real. Dianne Wiest was perfect, but that should surprise no one. In a nutshell, very moving & worthwhile. Go see it, and take a Kleenex or 3. Bob NP: Macy Gray, "My Nutmeg Phantasy"
