Customer Reviews

Stone Boy [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved this movie, not only because it is a sensitive and realistic account of one family's tragedy and lingering aftermath, but also because it truly captures the essence of life in rural America. Seeing it brought back memories of living on an Eastern Colorado farm, and of how the families formed real community, sharing their struggles and heartaches as well as happy times. These people are strong and often silent, drawing from within when a loved one dies rather than talking over problems or complaining incessantly about their sorrows. Support from the rest of the community comes in the form of quiet understanding, not trying to pry or get the mourners "to open up" but giving them time, space, and love. It might not be the way we would choose to handle a similar situation, but it is dead on as far as farm communities go. Most farmers face daily struggles the rest of us can't imagine: wondering if a sudden storm or pestilence will end their lifestyle and cost them the land they have farmed for generations. And unlike "9 to 5" jobs, the crops and livestock don't wait for "time off" to grieve and heal. "The Stone Boy" did a great job of portraying the difficult --- yet rewarding --- lifestyle and all its complicated integrity.

Robert Duval and Glenn Close are superb as the parents of "the stone boy". Based on a short story by writer Gina Berriault. Informed and sensitively directed, this is a great film. They don't come any better than this! A memorable, beautiful story. Don't miss it!

"The Stone Boy" is a perfect example of how rural America handles a tragedy and then moves on. I have lived in Kansas all my life and could really sense the feelings of the family and especially the young boy who accidently killed his brother. Farm life is a hard life, especially now in 2002 and people in rural communities out here respect the need for a families privacy as well as the time to heal from such a tragic event. I can best identify with the family and their portrail of the events that followed the death of their older son, Eugene. It has happened to our family and the experiences were very similar to those portrayed in "The Stone Boy" It takes a lot of courage, campassion, love and understanding to deal with an accidental death. (in my case, my uncle was killed when his tractor overturned and crushed him to death while he was mowing a ditch a long the road.) It takes even more to realize that your day-to-day chores still have to get done no matter how you feel. "The Stone Boy" deminstrates this in a very perfect way. It takes even more in reality for a family to admit that they are feeling the stress and sorrow of the loss of someone who they loved so much (my uncle). I also know how the younger son must have felt when he was on the bus and finally caved in telling another passanger, crying that "I killed Eugene, the gun fired and I killed Eugene." This film is a very sensitive and honost look at the struggles of rural life and how one family copes with and learnes to move beyond the death of their older boy, Eugene while helping the younger son overcome his guilt.

I saw this movie quite a few years ago and was deeply moved. It is a film that is quiet and slow, but that provides the patient viewer with innumerable rewards. The plot concerns the accidental death of the oldest son in the family and the blame placed on the youngest son for this death. Although the family does not directly blame the youngest son, he feels tremendous guilt and the family memebers slowly pull away from him and each other. The movie has a great feel for rural families and small-town life and doesn't provide any easy answers or excess sentiment. Look for Linda Hamilton in a small early role as a bus passenger.

If Robert Duvall is in a movie, it's gots ta be good. Robert is 1 of the best actors of all times in my book. This actually is a pretty good little movie, you must see.

This movie is about a family mourning the loss of their 17 year old son/brother etc.. The younger boy accidently shot him and he stuggles to come to grip with all of what happened. His grandfather helps him out alot. It is a sad story. A nice addition to any movie collection. It is worth watching.

This is one of the greatest artistic artworks made in USA in the middle of the eighties . Christopher Cain sketched a film based in the feelings of pain , anguish , blame and suffering through a boy who accidentally shoots his older brother whom he adored . This unbearable feeling makes to him to isolate from the outer world .

Sublime , artistic , exquisite, haunting and original movie .

Acquire this outstanding and mature film . The cast with Glenn Close , Frederic Forrest and Robert Duvall is first rate .

To my mind one of the top twenty American films in that decade!

A very powerful movie regarding a rural family and the tragic events that set the movie into action. I loved it. The pain struggle and lose the family goes through. How the boy deals with his fate and altimately overcomes. A movie of the heart and soul. A most see and own. Thumbs up.

I saw this when it first came out. The film builds with a slow, powerful undercurrent. The climax of the movie is subtle and unexpected. When I saw it in the theater, the person I was with and I started crying in the same that the characters were crying in the story. It was as incredibly cathartic a scene as any I have seen.

The story is about how a family must first overcome their own anger,and feelings of sorrow to forgive and grow,after their youngest son accidently shoots and kills his older brother(Cain)in the field,while collecting eggs for breakfast.When he covers up the incident from his family and they eventually find the son,the mother grows silently angry and resents the youngest boy for the loss of her son.The father becomes cold and distant as well to spare his feeling for his wife(Close).The grandfather takes in the youngest son,and along the way teaches the son,to come to grips with what he has done and to confess the truth to the parents about the death of the eldest son,so the family can come together to begin to heal in the end and realize that accidents do happen and we should bond together to learn to forgive,heal and understand that we are all not perfect and grow from those mistakes in life.