12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the first great indy films of the 90's, June 18, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Waterdance [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Yes, Helen Hunt is nude in this, but that's not the only reason to rent it. There are stellar performances from Stoltz, Forsythe, and Wesley Snipes in what probably was his last serious acting role. This film addresses many difficult topics with wit and bite and humor and pathos, but isn't mawkish or pretentious. Very well made, the camera work and music add subtly to the film- the music at one point becomes almost ragtime, a wild choice for a film about people dealing with hospitals. Overall, one of the best unsung films of the last decade. This film won the Best Film Award at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, and there's a reason for it. Rent it! You won't be sorry.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tells it like it is!, January 20, 2002
As a person with severe mobility impairment, I viewed this picture with interest. I give it my fullest recommendation. It is definitely the best motion picture I have seen on the subject of serious disability and the adaptations required by those who deal with it. Some succeed, some don't, but the movie tells its story with accuracy and compassion.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Realistic story and tremendous ensemble acting, December 22, 2002
This film never received the attention it deserved, although this is one of the finest pieces of ensemble acting, and one of the most realistic stories I have seen on screen. Clearly filmed on a small budget in a real V.A. Hospital, the center of the story is Joel, very well-played by Eric Stoltz. Joel has been paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, and comes to the hospital to a ward with other men who have spinal injuries. Joel is in love with Anna, his married lover, played by Helen Hunt, who shows early signs of her later Academy-Award winning work.
Although the Joel-Anna relationship is the basic focus, there are many other well-developed characters in the ward. Wesley Snipes does a tremendous job as the angry Raymond. Even more impressive is William Forsythe as the bitter and racist Bloss. I think Forsythe's two best scenes are when he becomes frustrated and angry at the square dancers, and, later, when he feels empathy for a young Korean man who has been shot in a liquor store hold up. My favorite scene with Snipes is the in the roundtable discussion of post-injury sexual options.
The chemistry between Stoltz and Hunt is very strong, and they have two very intimate, but not gratuitous, sex scenes. The orgasm in the ward is both sexy and amusing. There is also another memorable scene where Joel and Bloss and the Korean boy take the specially-equipped van to the strip bar. It's truly a comedy of errors as they make their feeble attempts to get the van going to see the "naked ladies."
The story is made even more poignant by the fact that the director, Neal Jimenez, is paralyzed in real life. This is basically his story. This film is real, not glossy or flashy. To have the amount of talent in a film of such a small budget is amazing. I recommend this film to everyone I see, because it is one of those films that even improves on a second look. It's a shame that such a great piece of work gets overlooked, but through video, perhaps it can get the attention it so richly deserves.
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