Product Details

• Actors: John Turturro, Sam Rockwell, Catherine Keener, Lisa Blount, Annie Corley
• Directors: Tom DiCillo
• Writers: Tom DiCillo
• Producers: Marcus Viscidi, Meredith Zamsky, Michael D. Aglion, Michael Mendelsohn, Richard Y. Kim
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Vidmark / Trimark
• VHS Release Date: August 25, 1998
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1573623598
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,243 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

John Turturro plays a humorless engineer who uncharacteristically takes a brief break from his life to find the source of his only happy childhood memory. When that fails to materialize, he offers a ride to a benign, buckskin-attired kook (Sam Rockwell) and soon gets much deeper into the young fellow's unhinged life than he ever intended. Director Tom DiCillo (Living in Oblivion) makes a good case that Turturro's character is getting what he needs (a lot of loosening up) versus what he wants (everything on his terms). Ironically, the film can't make the same claim, tightly bound as it is to conventional and rather bland storytelling form. One keeps wanting something cinematically thrilling to happen, but the project is too rigid for that. Having said that, however, even if this isn't a great film, it is an awfully pleasant one. With Catherine Keener, Lisa Blount, and a cameo by Dermot Mulroney. The DVD release has optional widescreen and standard formats, original theatrical trailer, and production notes. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Journey, March 19, 2000

By 

Reviewer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Box of Moonlight [VHS] (VHS Tape)

We first meet Al Fountain (John Turturro) at a remote construction site in the country, where he is the foreman. Immediately, we recognize who and what he is: The Boss; obsessive and meticulous about the work, tenacious in regard to detail. At the same time, it is obvious that he is sorely lacking when it comes to his relationship with his crew. Not that he is a bad guy; neither overbearing nor abusive with his employees, he is, in fact, somewhat personable in his own way. It's just that everything in his vision is so clearly cut in black and white. In the world of Al Fountain there are absolutely no shades of gray. This is further established when he phones his wife and young son to check in and give her an update on the job. When he tells her that one of the guys has invited him to play poker that night (much to the chagrin of the rest of the crew), she is ecstatic and encourages him to go. Clearly, she loves him, but knows how he is. When he quizzes his son on his multiplication tables and the response is unacceptable, flash cards are ordered. When Dad gets home there will be another quiz. In a brilliant metaphor, we see the flash cards as they are perceived by the boy; they are huge, nearly as big as he is, Marley's chains he must carry wherever he goes without respite. When the job is abruptly closed down, Al finds himself with some time to reflect on his life, which he uncharacteristically embraces, prompted by an incident at the poker game the previous evening. At this point the story really begins, and we follow Al on a drive through the country, which ultimately becomes a journey of self-discovery. Along the way he meets "The Kid," (Sam Rockwell), a charismatic, though somewhat naive young man who lives alone in the remnants of a trailer situated on a secluded parcel of land far off the beaten path. It is a lifestyle that Al, initially, simply cannot comprehend. When The Kid explains that he lives "off the grid," it is beyond anything Al can fathom. In the end, this movie is a textured tale of awareness and the importance of setting one's personal priorities. Extremely well presented and acted, it is touching and poignant without the unnecessary burden (in this case) of undue sentiment. The supporting cast includes Catherine Keener, Lisa Blount, Annie Corley and Dermot Mulroney. In "Box of Moonlight," writer-director Tom DiCillo offers us a journey that is well worth the taking.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A workaholics therapy session, February 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Box of Moonlight [VHS] (VHS Tape)

After watching this film, I got the most magical feeling. It reminded me that there can be life outside of the everyday hustle and bustle, and that there is a child in all of us. All too often we ignore our inner child and get caught up in our concrete jungle lifestyles. We live this life only once and this movie showed me that we must not ignore the simpler things in life, like collecting moonlight in a box or getting in touch with mother nature. To feel sunlight on your face, water cascade against your body or dance till the sun comes up, is what this movie gave me. It reminded me to slow down and take some time to get back in touch with my senses and to watch how I treat others, sounds heavy but this movie has excellent acting and many messages. I have watched this movie 3 times and have found something new in each viewing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute Flick, But Buy the VHS Version, September 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Box of Moonlight (DVD)

Other reviews have described this movie's quirky charm and essential good-heartedness, so this is just a note of warning: the DVD version has been "cropped" from the VHS one (I know, I know, widescreen is supposed to reveal MORE at the sides, and it does, only here they've also sliced off the top and bottom of the frame). I don't know if it was a bad editing decision or a bad transfer, but this movie's actually better on VHS. First time I've seen that happen.