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Amazon.co.uk Review
Elizabethtown has all of the elements of a great Cameron Crowe movie, but none of the Cameron Crowe vision that made Almost Famous work. It's mostly a series of sweet moments, each capped with the right song at the right time; in fact, the soundtrack is the real star of the movie, and the right song is all there is to piece together a film that is much less than the sum of its parts.
From the start of Elizabethtown, big contrasts are evoked: death and life, success and failure are side by side, so we're told. When the movie starts, Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) is experiencing failure and death in spades: the shoe he spent eight years designing for Mercury (a thinly-veiled copy of Nike) has been recalled, costing his company $972 million dollars. On the verge of a suicide attempt, he learns his father has died, and Drew flies to Kentucky to retrieve the body to Oregon for cremation. On the red-eye to Louisville he meets Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst), a perky flight attendant with a charming flair for cute lines ("I'm impossible to forget, but I’m hard to remember," she chirps). Once in Elizabethtown, Drew tries to plan a memorial while dealing with relatives who have their own agenda in addition to his manic family back in Oregon, all while facing the reality that in a few days he'll be known nationally as one of his industry's most legendary failures. Yet still he manages to connect with Claire on an all-night cell phone conversation--complete with the requisite watching of the sunrise--and to strike up a furtive romance.
So we now have death and life side by side. But despite these dramatic shifts, what sets up to be a roller coaster ride of a film flattens out to a milquetoast middle ground with no real life of its own. Drew Baylor has suffered two tragic personal losses in the course of one day, but you wouldn't know it from Bloom's lethargic performance. There's not much to Claire either. Her whole character is made up mostly of cutesy quotable lines and mysterious little smirks. In the end, Elizabethtown is a film that doesn't know what it wants to be, and unfortunately there's no payoff, other than a few memorable lines and a great soundtrack.--Dan Vancini
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I can't believe EVERYONE has slagged this off! No, Orlando Bloom is not the world's most articulate actor. Yes, this may be a bit of a departure for Kirsten Dunst. No, it's probably not Cameron Crowe's best film. But it's far from the awful, eye-gouging dreariness that people seem to be trying to convince everyone it is.
Obviously, I'm a bit out-numbered here, so logic would dictate maybe you should rent it or borrow it before buying it. But it has got heart, and some genuinely comedic moments. It's basically about one guys journey from being virtually alienated from his family, living in a very emotionally shallow world, to finding himself and having a purpose in life.
Yes, the overall theme of it is a bit soppy, and if you thrive on thought-provoking, convention-questioning endings then you won't be satisfied. But if you want a warm, feelgood, redemption movie, (maybe "redemption" is a bit too dramatic, but you'll get what I mean), then please give it the time it deserves and take it for a spin.
Obviously, I'm a bit out-numbered here, so logic would dictate maybe you should rent it or borrow it before buying it. But it has got heart, and some genuinely comedic moments. It's basically about one guys journey from being virtually alienated from his family, living in a very emotionally shallow world, to finding himself and having a purpose in life.
Yes, the overall theme of it is a bit soppy, and if you thrive on thought-provoking, convention-questioning endings then you won't be satisfied. But if you want a warm, feelgood, redemption movie, (maybe "redemption" is a bit too dramatic, but you'll get what I mean), then please give it the time it deserves and take it for a spin.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
After just watching 'Elizabethtown' for the first time this evening, I thought I'd check it out on Amazon so I could get myself a copy. When I found it, I was shocked to read such negative reviews of it, and thus felt compelled to tell you a different point of view.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. If you like Cameron Crowe's work on Almost Famous, then you can't help but love this. It captures a very similar mood and atmosphere and holds many of the key signature themes/references that make Crowe's work so magical. There are some truely wonderful moments in it and Kirsten Dunst is, as always, enchanting. She was a the typically beautiful and bewildering leading lady that Crowe seems to capture so well. Like a combination of Crowe's own creation Penny Lane, and Natalie Portman's character in Zach Braff's Garden State. Though not usually a fan of Orlando Bloom's work, I learnt to love him in this. The chemistry is perfect between them, although I sometimes wished it was Billy Crudup standing in his place.
The star of the movie however would have to be the soundtrack. Crowe is the soundtrack master, and this film is probably the best example of this. The final 20 minutes of the film (which is by far the best bit) is set to some of the best picked songs ever played in film. Even if the film doesn't tickle your fancy, try the soundtrack...it is pure genius.
All in all, I was truely captured by this film, and would recommend it to anyone with a soul and a love of good guitar music.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. If you like Cameron Crowe's work on Almost Famous, then you can't help but love this. It captures a very similar mood and atmosphere and holds many of the key signature themes/references that make Crowe's work so magical. There are some truely wonderful moments in it and Kirsten Dunst is, as always, enchanting. She was a the typically beautiful and bewildering leading lady that Crowe seems to capture so well. Like a combination of Crowe's own creation Penny Lane, and Natalie Portman's character in Zach Braff's Garden State. Though not usually a fan of Orlando Bloom's work, I learnt to love him in this. The chemistry is perfect between them, although I sometimes wished it was Billy Crudup standing in his place.
The star of the movie however would have to be the soundtrack. Crowe is the soundtrack master, and this film is probably the best example of this. The final 20 minutes of the film (which is by far the best bit) is set to some of the best picked songs ever played in film. Even if the film doesn't tickle your fancy, try the soundtrack...it is pure genius.
All in all, I was truely captured by this film, and would recommend it to anyone with a soul and a love of good guitar music.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Forget the critiques of "Boy-Meets-Girl". Wasn't it Homer [...] who said that in literature, there are basically only ever 7 storylines ?.
Suspend your serious side for this movie and just enjoy the ride. I found the observation of characters (big town back to small town) intensely funny and accurate, coming from an urban area surrounded by rural small towns and villages. I realised the mortality of my parents, a key message in the film, tell them what you think of them before it's too late. And ok, Kirsten Dunst's character may focus on her glass being half-full rather than half-empty but my wife has done things for me such as a treasure trail for a Valentine's Day gift, (like the route trip planner in the book but on a smaller scale) etc and these are the sort of things that matter to me in a relationship and I'm sure that many blokes would agree.
Apart from the witty observations of characters in the movie, and I found so much to laugh or smile at in the film, the soundtrack is just out of this world, in it's variety and it's piecing together of the right emotions with the right clips. I have ordered both volumes on CD and I hope I will one day, drive this trip.
It's not action packed, it's not in your face, there's no special fx but if you want a feel-good movie that demands your concentration, this is one of the best and most enjoyable movies that I have seen.
Suspend your serious side for this movie and just enjoy the ride. I found the observation of characters (big town back to small town) intensely funny and accurate, coming from an urban area surrounded by rural small towns and villages. I realised the mortality of my parents, a key message in the film, tell them what you think of them before it's too late. And ok, Kirsten Dunst's character may focus on her glass being half-full rather than half-empty but my wife has done things for me such as a treasure trail for a Valentine's Day gift, (like the route trip planner in the book but on a smaller scale) etc and these are the sort of things that matter to me in a relationship and I'm sure that many blokes would agree.
Apart from the witty observations of characters in the movie, and I found so much to laugh or smile at in the film, the soundtrack is just out of this world, in it's variety and it's piecing together of the right emotions with the right clips. I have ordered both volumes on CD and I hope I will one day, drive this trip.
It's not action packed, it's not in your face, there's no special fx but if you want a feel-good movie that demands your concentration, this is one of the best and most enjoyable movies that I have seen.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Quirky
Brilliant film,not run of the mill love story its much more than that about finding yourself, reconnecting with family and of course finding real love, has a nice quirky feel to it... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jay
Blame Bloom
Cameron Crowe makes interesting films that tell a story.There are no CGI; no special effects; no car chases;no scenes of planes landing and all the other boring "fill-ins" used to... Read more
Published 4 months ago by C.Elder
ok film top sound track
Forget the acting, forget the ok story the sound track is worth a listen Elton John, Tom Petty and Ryan Adams need I say more
Published 16 months ago by sicknote
Simply Wonderful!
Back when we were touring Daydream Nation, we used to have this game where we'd all come up with the zaniest plots for films. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Thurston Moore
Sweet, funny, moving - most of the time
I had barely heard of this film and was in two minds as to whether to watch it, as it seemed to have received very mixed reviews. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2009 by Four Violets
Excellent! Don't listen to the stupid people
I can't believe my eyes. All these bad reviews for what can really only be described as a sincere, heartwarming tale. Read more
Published on 17 Sep 2008 by Henry Higgins
Sentimental, but not worthless
This sweet though overwrought and sentimental paean to small town America is hardly a great film, but it does have its moments. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2008 by Andres C. Salama
Another story about an awakening from the amazing Cameron Crowe!
I really don't understand the poor reviews of this wonderful film. Maybe they just don't get it. It is a bit quirky, sentimental and wasn't very successful, but so what! Read more
Published on 12 July 2008 by P. Upsher
Enjoyable
Even though this film had more padding than a 15 foot sofa, I did find it quite charming and ultimately enjoyable.
Published on 22 Jun 2008 by tntboom
Bloom's charisma = glass of sour milk
Imagine the Jerry Maguire "you complete me" scene extened for 2.5 hours, with the jokes removed.
And drippy-puppy actor Orlando Bloom in the lead role ,with Kisten Dunst... Read more
And drippy-puppy actor Orlando Bloom in the lead role ,with Kisten Dunst... Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2008 by Billy Ray Cyrus
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