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A Home at the End of the World

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Here's another DVD I'll definitely be buying when it comes out later this year. "A Home at the end of the World" is one of the most frustrating, yet also one of the most rewarding, films I've seen in a while. Fright wigs aside, it does a masterful job of evoking the late `60s in America. People have a habit of dying around 14-year-old Bobby Morrow: first his brother (in the film's most visually arresting scene), then his mother, and then his father. This sets up a situation wherein Bobby must move in with the family of his best friend from school, Jonathan Glover. When the two boys sleep together, even before Bobby moves in permanently, Jonathan puts the moves on him, and, wondrously, Bobby gets involved. The two are inseparable until Jonathan's mother (played by the luminous Sissy Spacek) discovers them in a VW together and Jonathan pulls away from Bobby. Jonathan ultimately moves to New York, but Bobby stays behind with the Glovers, until, eight years later, daddy Glover decides that it's time Bobby move out on his own. Bobby follows Jonathan to New York, only to be rejected once again by his childhood friend, at which point he turns to Jonathan's roommate, the free-spirited Clare, for solace. What follows is fairly predictable if you've seen any movies about gay relationships in the late seventies and early eighties, but the part that rings true is the self-destructive relationship between the male leads. Jonathan wants no one but Bobby, but can't appreciate that he already has him. Bobby wants Jonathan, but is willing to "settle" for a relationship with Clare, especially when it comes with the promise of a family and a child. Jonathan throws himself into a promiscuous lifestyle and pays the price all movie homosexuals must pay for sleeping around. But Bobby is still there. And the question becomes, why? Is Bobby fundamentally gay or bi or neuter? Does it matter? Bobby, as played by Colin Farrell, is infinitely vulnerable (his younger avatar, Eric Smith, seems much more of an adult than the childlike Farrell); Bobby just wants a family. He loves the people who are willing to fill that void in his life. These include Jonathan, Clare, their daughter, and the Glovers. His pansexuality is a product of need. I kind of like this concept. Before Oscar Wilde, people for the most part had sex. They didn't worry about labels, because the labels didn't exist. Sodomy was a behavior disapproved of by the church, but the implication is that people engaged in it anyway. So who were these sodomites? They were probably people like Bobby, who were just looking for love. It's the Jonathans of this world who need the labels, and it's the labels that lead to heartbreak. Thanks are due to novelist and screenwriter Michael ("The Hours") Cunningham for reminding us of this basic fact. Further kudos are due to a soundtrack that includes Laura Nyro, Leonard Cohen, and Dusty Springfield.

One of the characters in this moving film says that there is a big, beautiful, noisy world out there. Thought quiet and small, this movie is certainly beautiful. Written by Michael Cunningham (THE HOURS) and based on his novel by the same name, this film stars Colin Farrell (Bobby), Robin Wright Penn (Clare), Dallas Roberts (Jonathan) and Sissy Spacek as Alice, Jonathan's mother. It's difficult to single out one of these four as being better than the others; they all give extraordinary performances. The action begins in 1967 In Cleveland, jumps to 1974 and then to 1982 in New York City. The film is essentially about making a home, redefining family--our family consists of those who love us-- seizing the day, living life-- as Tennyson would say- to the lees.

There are funny moments here-- as in any life-- I'm thinking now of the hilarious scene where the teenaged Bobby gets Jonathan's mom to smoke her first joint-- and many nice touches. The same mom, who becomes his mom after the death of his parents, teaches Bobby the secrets of baking a pie, a skill he later uses as a grownup when he and Jonathan open their own "Home" restaurant. The clothes and household furnishings look and feel right for the period; the soundtrack contains music of the times, some Dylan, Leonard Cohen and a little Mozart, (COSI FAN TUTTI) which is so appropriate since in much of Mozart as if every life, there is often sorrow just beneath the joy.

Predictably, the media have made much of Mr. Farrell's nixing his frontal nudity shot. He is absolutely right for such a scene would have been completely gratuitous. He looks fine fully clothed.

When I saw the movie, at the end the entire audience was completely silent and did not move for most of the credits, a sure sign that this film was a success. Surely A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD will be one of the best movies of the year.

This movie soars with its examination of relationships, family, and enduring friendships. Colin Farrell portrays his character with an honesty and depth that many other actors couldn't carry. Sissy Spacek - wow, great role, great job. What was ultimately uplifting about this movie to me was that at the end it rose above the gay cliches and examined the beautiful, deep relationship between Jonathan and Bobby, without focusing on the sexual aspects. This really isn't a 'gay' movie, its a movie that has a gay angle. While the movie may not be upbeat, I believe most viewers will leave the theater feeling uplifted. Do yourself a favor, catch this one.

Michael Cunningham's book, At Home at the End of the World, is a wonderful book that weaves together themes of sexual fluidity, love, and the fact that "a home" can be wherever you want it to be. This film version has dispensed with much of the interior monologue of the novel, concentrating instead on the chronology of events. While not packing the ferocious emotional punch of the last Cunningham adaptation, The Hours, A Home at the End of the World is still an honest and sincere account of a three-way friendship that survives life's trials. Although some critics are saying, that this is a hack, slash and burn job on the novel, I actually thought the movie was a swiftly paced, lovely, and quite poignant ninety minute journey.

The story moves from the suburbs of Cleveland in 1967 and the childhood experiences of Bobby (Colin Farrell), and Jonathan (Dallas Roberts) to New York in the 1980's where they both end up living with Clare (Robin Wright Penn). Bobby, at 7 sees his adored older brother walk into a glass door and die and then, soon after, tragically loses his mother. Jonathan is an outsider in high school until Bobby befriends him, gives him pot for the first time and shares a shy sexual experience with him. Then when Bobby's father dies, he is welcomed into Jonathan's family by Jonathon's mother, Alice (Sissy Spacek). Jonathan is clearly gay from an early age, and moves to New York. Bobby eventually follows, joining a household that also includes Clare. Claire is older, experiments with bizarre hair-coloring strategies, stitches hats for a living, pines for a child, and generally embraces the avant-garde. When Bobby and Clare start having an affair, Jonathon becomes jealous, feels like a "third wheel," and ultimately deserts them. But friendship and love prevail and they eventually manage to settle their differences and become a family again.

The film, while dispensing with much of the rich psychological detail of the book, still manages to focus on Bobby and Jonathan's teenage infatuation, Jonathan's adoration and resentment of Clare, Clare and Bobby's fumbling attempt at a real relationship, and most forcefully, Alice's observations of the people she loves and her own stagnant life. As the years pass, the characters weave in and out of each other's lives, while always remaining true to each other.

All the actors bring strength and resilience to their respective roles, Dallas Roberts is particularly strong as Jonathon, and he really nails the character's emotional search for love in New York. The lovely Robin Wright Penn is also good as Clare, and she plays the kooky, free spirited straight girl to perfection. Although, at times, I felt she might have been a little too old for the part. Farrell, although duly charismatic, never really gets a handle on Bobby's character. In one particular scene when Clare tells both Bobby and Jonathon that she's pregnant, Farrell looks sort of embarrassed, and almost stumbles when attempting to portray emotion. But A Home at the End of the World is still an astute study on the fluidity of friendships and the making of unconventional households. The viewer may be expecting conflict, resolution, and disagreement, but what they will actually get is mostly "life," where people who love one another are muddling through, and simply searching for a "home." Mike Leonard August 04.

I was slightly disappointed by A Home at the End of the World, probably because I was expecting too much. The film was very enjoyable; well-written, well-acted and engrossing, but some of the dialogue seemed a bit forced and it really felt like chunks of the story were left out, especially toward the end. The film moved slowly, but unravelled beautifully, and at a mere 93 minutes, I really wish it had been fleshed out because I would have liked it a lot more. It seemed that after the hour mark, the writer (who brilliantly adapted The Hours from his own novel) seemed to want to finish the film without giving the audience any thought. That didn't do it for me. I needed more insight into why the characters did what they did. The ending felt so rushed that it didn't make much sense.

That is my only complaint for the film because the story was fantastic, especially for any gay adolescent who has felt some sort of attraction toward a straight best friend. The film is a journey, which begins in the late 60s and ends in the early 80s, into the lives of these two friends, one gay and one straight. Colin Farrel, who I never gave much thought to before, was fantastic in the film, bringing such vulnerable innocence to his character that I couldn't help falling for him. Robin Wright Penn delivered the usual terrific performance as the woman who comes between the two friends, and Sissy Spacek stole every scene she iwas in, especially in the beginning of the film. Dallas Roberts was fantastic as Jonathon, who feels Bobby (Farrell) has not only stolen his family, but his roomate (Penn).

This was a great film; slow, elegant, and beautiful, but it should have been longer. I wouldn't be surprised to see 20 minutes of deleted scenes on the DVD. I will definitely be reading the novel for more insight into these fantastic characters. The film is highly recommended, but I wish it had more of an ending.

A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD is one of those films where the novel upon which a movie is based is illuminated by the cinematic version. Michael Cunningham is both the author and the screenwriter and for most of the film that transfer works. There are little subtleties in this story that in the novel enriched the character motivation: both boys lost a brother - Bobby's older brother /mentor dies in a freak accident, Jonathan's brother died in childbirth; Bobby's connect with Jonathan's mother is tighter in that they open a restaurant together when Jonathan leaves home setting the stage for a more credible closeness than the relationship in the film, etc etc. But these were obviously omissions elected by Cunningham who is responsible for both forms of his touching tale, and he must have had his reasons.

But what Cunningham and director Michael Mayer have brought to the screen is a tender, wholly credible story of the universal need for a sense of 'home'. Developing the story in a linear fashion, we meet the two 15 year old boys who bond in high school and when Bobby (Erik Smith - definitely an actor to watch!) loses not only his brother but his mother then his father, he seeks refuge in Jonathan's (Harris Allan) home and is greeted with love and compassion by Jonathan's mother (Sissy Spacek - in clearly the most subtle role of her amazing career), his emphysemic father, and of course, the closeted Jonathan. Bobby is the quintessence of the open loving child and shares this love with Jonathan both in and out of bed, and even introduces Jonathan AND his mother to marijuana. All is well in this perfect household until Jonathan (now Dallas Roberts) leaves home for New York. Bobby now (Colin Farrell) stays behind and becomes a baker.

Jonathan comes out of the closet in New York, lives the gay life, but rooms with an older edgy hippie woman Clare (Robin Wright Penn) in a fanciful platonic relationship. When Jonathan's parents must move from their home in Cleveland to the more pulmonary-friendly Phoenix, Bobby loses his 'home', calls Jonathan, and treks from Cleveland to New York to live with Jonathan and Clare. This menage-a-trois works very well - for a while. Jonathan still is in love with Bobby and Bobby loves Jonathan and they both love Clare. Clare introduces Bobby to heterosexual love and begins to sleep with Bobby. Feeling an outsider, Jonathan leaves for Phoenix, but when his father dies, Bobby and Clare visit, revitalize their bond, and return to the East Coast to find a house for the now pregnant Clare. They end up in Woodstock, set up house, open a cafe where both men work, and the baby is born. Life changes in many ways and the story winds down in ways that should not be shared before the film is viewed.

For all the promise that Colin Farrell made in TIGERLAND and his subsequent movies, nothing will prepare you for the quality of acting this fine young thespian provides. How refreshing it is to see an actor media-bilked as the ultimate Macho Man melt into the graces of such a lovely human being as Bobby. His physicality with Jonathan is natural and never pushed: he seems to the role born. Here is a true bisexual character whose ability to love transcends the physical, making his encounters in bed with both Jonathan and Clare almost incidental. The dialogue is filled with treasured moments: the frequent scenes of Bobby inviting Jonathan to dance, the fathomless chemistry between Sissy Spacek and Colin Farrell (and also to a degree with Dallas Roberts and Robin Wright Penn), the open joy in Bobby's eyes whenever he feels his love returned - all of these are magic and unforgettable. Why this film opened in so few theaters in so few cities is very odd, because this is a movie that deserves the widest possible audience for many, many reasons.

i have now seen this dvd 23 times. i relate to this movie more so than any other i have seen. i had never heard of colin farrell prior to this movie. he is stronger in some and weaker in others. in this one he brought just the right amt. of happiness and pain to it. after 23 times you can tell i thoroughly enjoyed this. i recommended it so highly to my cousin that she went out and rented it. all she saw was smut and cannot understand how anyone could possibly see it so many times. so much for trying to educate people. i am a senior citizen and i am here to tell you that this is really how it was in the 50s and 60s, for me anyhow. i really enjoyed it.

The search for family and home are universal themes to which everyone can relate. What's refreshing about "A Home at the End of the World" is that it explores these issues in a decidedly nontraditional way, with quirky characters that form bonds much different from the conventional suburban household, but no less loving.

Written and adapted by the author of "The Hours," Michael Cunningham, "World" centers on a romantic triangle between Bobby Morrow (Colin Farrell), his childhood friend Jonathan Glover (Dallas Roberts), and a free-spirited older woman named Clare (Robin Wright Penn).

The film could have gotten caught up in its storyline, but chooses instead to focus on the complexity of the relationships between the characters. That's why it works. The characters, each played with sincerity and depth of conviction, are so compelling that the film becomes like a character study in friendship, family and love. All of the actors in the film turn in exquisite performances. But, it's Farrell's astonishing portrayal of Bobby that stands out.

Similar to Charlise Theron's portrayal in "Monster," though not as risky, Farrell breaks free from his stereotypical roles for this film. Nearly unrecognizable as the soft-spoken Bobby, Farrell proves he has more to offer audiences than his usual two-dimensional portrayals in films such as "Phone Booth" and "S.W.A.T." In fact, this film is all about breaking stereotypes. That is its appeal. In a way, the film uniqueness makes its common themes stand out more because it proves that family, just like people, comes in all shapes and sizes.

The DVD extras include the trailer and a segment called The Journey Home, which includes interviews with the director and the actors. Farrell is surprisingly absent from the segment, but the others talk candidly about their love for the characters and the deep emotions that are expressed through the work.

Made before Brokeback, this film also depicts complicated feelings, passions, and relationships, which in this case happens to be between two men and a woman. The story never becomes too sappy or predictable. At first, I was disappointed in the ending, but in retrospect a melodramatic ending would have ruined the delicate, simple story line. A FANTASTIC performance by Colin Farrel, and very good portrayals by Robin Penn Wright, and Sissy Spacek. I would have given it 4.5 out of 5, if possible (I rarely give a 5!) I can't wait to go back now and read the novel.

This is an enjoyable film, even if there is an atmosphere of quiet sadness that runs throughout the entire script from the early scenes of a 9 year old on LSD in a graveyard to the final scenes of a distant farmhouse in upstate New York.

This film has multiple strengths; (1) coherent themes about recovering from loss, the structure of family, and self-identity and abadonment of social structures to meet personal needs; (2) excellent characterization by a great cast; (3) wonderful ability to establish a time and place using clothes, expressions, but primarily with music.

Michael Cunningham, in both this work and in The Hours, teaches us lessons about the necessity of loss to human life and the need to recover from the losses and maybe even triumph, or at least not allow loss to defeat us. The character of Bobby, played by Colin Farrell, is such a character. He loses his beloved 19 year older brother, then his mother, and finally his father all before finishing high school. Yet, his need for intimacy, for family, allows him to integrate into the home of his best friend, Jonathan Glover, becoming a second child to the Glover family. Bobby retains the ability to recover from loss, converting the pain into joyful existence, even as he loses Claire and baby Rachel and faces the fact that he will even lose Jonathan to AIDS. In an early scene he sits in a graveyard with his friend Jonathan, near the graves of his parents and older brother and tell Jonathan not be be disturbed because "the dead are people too."

A second theme to the film is the comparison of one character who decides to take on a gay identity, Jonathan, and become integrated into the gay life of NYC in the early 1980s, with another character, Bobby. For Bobby, who is really beyond bi-sexual and might best be described as pan-sexual, sexuality becoming a path toward belonging, intimacy, and a way to meet dependency needs. Bobby does not define himself and thus is free to experience a range of relationships and emotions that strict self definition would restrict.

A third theme is that of constructed family or alternative family, where needs are met, rules and patterns are established, roles and responsibilities are distributed, and constant adjustments must be made since society does not define what is right or wrong. These families require lots of work, especially when three adults are in the relationship. In a unique plot twist, it is not the characters who are having the most heterosexual sex and who have a child who begin to edge out the gay character. It is the odd wander-lust of Claire that eventually breaks up the threesome.

Beyond these 3 themes, the characterization was superb. Colin Farrell did such a great job in Minority Report, that this was one of the reasons I bought this film. Any male star who can hold his own in a film in which the male lead is Tom Cruise, has something going for him. He plays the sweetness and transparency and vulnerability of Bobby with childlike innocence and dependency. Robin Wright Penn and Dallas Roberts are both excellent but Sissy Spacek as Mrs. Alice Glover, Jonathan's mother, does a fantastic job of demonstrating how a character can abadone social roles and expectations to be genuine, to be a real person. It is her son Jonathan who is most uncomfortable with his mother smoking pot and discovering Bobby and Jonathan mutually masturbating.

Finally, the use of music by The Band, Jefferson Airplane, Dusty Springfield, Leonard Cohen, and Laura Nyro continually give the film a sense of time and place, helping us understand Jonathan's sexuality and his AIDS symptoms.

Excellent! You will be moved.