Customer Reviews

Sherman's Way

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw this movie at a screening in Los Angeles. I thought, cute little movie, why not. And when the film started, I thought, I think I see a formulaic plot ahead of me. But I was wrong.

SHERMAN'S WAY is not a nail-biting rollercoaster, and it's not supposed to be. It is after all a romantic comedy. But there were so many great scenes with wonderful acting and honest humor that I found myself lost in its sweet and funny story. And isn't that what a great movie should be?

I was at times reminded of SIDEWAYS, but with SIDEWAYS, I didn't leave the theater feeling particularly happy. SHERMAN'S WAY did. :)

***1/2

"Sherman's Way" is a tale of two unlikely buddies whose paths cross quite by accident in the fertile fields of the Napa Valley. One, Sherman Black, is an uptight little rich kid from Manhattan who's trying to get out from under the thumb of his domineering mother who has his entire future as a ladder-climbing corporate lawyer firmly mapped out for him. The other, Palmer, is a down-on-his-luck free-spirit who roams the countryside in his beat-up cherry-red sports car, not quite able to come to terms with the fact that, two decades earlier, he came in fourth place in an Olympics downhill skiing competition. After Sherman's girlfriend dumps him for being too unadventurous and vanilla for her taste, the befuddled yuppie heads to the open road to flag down a ride. Enter Palmer in his roadster and off the two strangers go, two polar opposites brought together by fate to learn from one another how best to get through life. And, though Sherman does most of the learning, he`s still able to teach a great life-altering lesson to Palmer at the end. In very quick order, a strong bond is established between the two men, as they debate the relative merits of the carefree life vs. the corporate rat race with good-natured humor and aplomb.

Sherman is further helped along in his loosening-up process by Addy, an attractive young artist who shows the young man a thing or two about living in the moment and about the importance of actively pursuing the desires of one`s heart.

"Sherman's Way" is a predictable but breezy small town comedy, filled with rapid-fire one-liners and charming, self-effacing performances from Michael Shulman, James Le Gros, Brooke Nevin and Enrico Colantoni. Smartly written by Tom Nance and sharply directed by Craig Saavedra, this topsy-turvy, slightly sentimental version of "Pygmalion" will leave you with a lump in your throat and a smile on your face.

And that Northern California scenery is as flavorful and fine as a fully-aged Napa Valley wine.

Three stars should be considered pretty good. Everyone is looking for the blockbuster, the hit. What about a nice film?

This is a nice relaxing film to enjoy on a week night or perhaps on a date. It's interesting fun and not really predictable. The story takes unexpected twists and turns and that is much appreciated in this world of formula driven plots. The ensemble cast is fun. There are discoveries to make about each character and I think you will find this would be a nice film to sit back and enjoy with a glass of wine. Cheers.

This is a lighthearted film attempting another city-boy learns from the country-man-bohemian about life and finding the girl. The difference with this one would be the Kelseyville businesses, street shots and Lake County filming locations which were showcased nicely. I know it sounds weak for this many stars, and granted the film is not that great because the lead is horribly miscast, but being in CA I had to side with going higher.

The workhorse James Legros (I remember him the most from Ally McBeal) carries this film and is supported nicely by Brooke Nevin (she has that web series going right now). The lead, (Michael Shulman) as I had been warned carries nothing regarding wanting to see his character succeed, and has no chemistry to deserve anything shown in the film. For those wanting to see Lacey Chabert, she disappears a few minutes into the film so I have had a few fans of hers disappointed. But the strength here of our main guy learning about life and what is really important comes in the background and scenery of Lake County, California. This will be a must own for all of the people living there as most of the principle photography took place there. In the end, the writing tanks any emotional attachment to anyone and the re-shoot finale would be great for living in a fairy tale world.

The supplements contain 22 minutes of deleted scenes with the director explaining his reasons via text on the screen. Some of the best acting was sadly removed. The behind the scenes lasts two minutes and shows briefly the work entailed in making certain parts of the film. The commentary contains several cast and crew that will be for the die hard fans only, as most of what is relevant was in the deleted scenes text.

A light, build a beater car (MG Roadster) in the country and get the girl kind of film, painfully corny at times, but watchable (maybe once) for everyone outside Kelseyville, repeater for those seeing their house, farm or business front.

I saw this movie in a theater in New York and LOVED it! Fantastic direction and cinematography, a really solid cast, great heart, and a ton of fun.

i walked in expecting nothing, i walked out and had seen one of the best suprises i had ever experianced

There is never a hardy laugh or anything else I saw in this movie(except for a beautiful little Lake and the thought of going fishing with them--but you have to take their word for it that they went fishing) that made it worth watching. I feel sorry for anyone with the life of these characters. They showed a struggle to get through the boring dialect---as if they couldn't wait for it to end--know I couldn't! STEER CLEAR OF THIS ONE!