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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Healing of a Broken Family, October 8, 2005
When Ann and Lee divorce, Lee takes his son, Daniel, and Ann raises the 3 girls, supporting them by driving a school bus, while Lee and Daniel move around the country, losing all contact with the family as years go by. The film starts with Ann having a mild heart attack, and while hospitalized, she wants to know what has happened to her son, and asks her daughters to track Daniel down. A collision of emotions and cultural differences are the result of this search, with years of hurt and many misunderstandings rising to the surface.
Written by Davidlee Wilson, who stars as Daniel, some of the scenes are over the top (the bridal showers scene for instance, though it is nevertheless quite hilarious), but most of the dialogue is very real and poignant, and the brilliant ensemble cast makes the most of it. Excellent are Tyne Daly as Ann, Maria Sucharetza as the flamboyant, slightly trampy Diane, Marceline Hugot as the down-to-earth mother of 4 Donna, Jack Davidson as Lee, and Lisa Keller as the woman Daniel is going to marry. It is Ally Sheedy as the tough, outspoken Deb, full of deep resentment for a father she has always felt abandoned her, that shines above all, and makes this little film special, and at times a wrenching experience.
Nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and directed by Steven Maler, "The Autumn Heart" will resonate with people who have experienced the breakdown of a family, where communication has been replaced with confusion and silence. Bravo to this fine cast of actors, who make their characters live, and draw the viewer into the story, often with tears and laughter.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Powerful movie about the effects of divorce on adults", February 23, 2005
This ia a movie that deals with the effects of divorce in a powerful way. Everybody knows the effects of divorce on a child. But this movie explores the effects on children who are now adults. It centers around three sisters (Ally Sheedy, Marla Sucharetza, Marceline Hugot) who decide to grant what becomes their mother's last wish: locating their long-lost brother (Davidlee Willson). They find him studying at Harvard. But before bringing him to meet his mother (Tyne Daly) they decided to get acquainted with him first. They have no grudges against him, but Deb (Ally Sheedy) has plenty of anger at her father for having supposedly, abandoned his family. Ally Sheedy gives a performance worthy of an Oscar, complete with a phony accent. Deb's anger at her father apparently has escalated over the years, and she rants and raves at him, without allowing him to tell his side of the story, which reminds us that there are two sides to every divorce. Only after her mother dies does she learn the truth. The scene towards the end where father and daughter are emotionally reconciled is touching, powerful and heartbreaking, and further proof that Ally deserved an Oscar. Now Deb's anger is directed at her deceased mother, for not having told her the truth. This movie serves as a lesson that we should be honest with our children no matter their age. And if secrets are taken to the grave not much can be resolved for the living. This DVD has nothing in terms of special features but don't let that stop you from seeing this profound movie. It will be worth it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very moving Movie, worth the watch, September 2, 2008
This movie has a lot of "heart", it portrays families at their best and worst. Each character can be found in most families, the movie caused much laughter and tears. Very Good, Worth the watch!!
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