To me, this movie is perfection.

Excellent but underrated film

As Good As It Gets

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

This film from 2007 is set in a near future where the draft has been reinstated.As in life & fiction all these stories must be about a trio,no matter whether it is a comedy, drama or musical.Our three buddies are in their late 20's,they even went to the same High School (STUYVESNT-one of the highest rated public High Schools).BTW I am a graduate of same High SchoolThey are very well acted by Elijah Wood, he is in the middle of writing his second novel.Chris Klien as an successful married attorney, and Don Berenthal a taxi driver.They all receive there draft notices the same day. How the 3 of them react to this event & the war is the crux of the story. Ginnifer Goodwin & Elizabeth Moss are the wife & girl friend of 2 of them. Ally Sheedy has a nice few scenes as a shrink.Bryan Gunner Cole in his first feature directorial effort shows promise.The script is by Robert Malkani,there are more than a few script problems.The movie runs only 90 minutes but the last 30 are at a crawl pace.I question the very last scene with Elijah,I wonder what was the reason to do what he did.The film had a very short 2 screen run for 2 weeks in Jan.2008 It deserved a better release than this, Granted this is my standard gripe. Half way decent films like this are short shrift-ed, BUT stupid moronic comedies open in over 2000.Ratings: *** (out of 4) 81 points(out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)

This movie addresses the reality of our times. Its a movie that can take on a common thought for everyone in my generation. I am a 22 year old male who knows people who fight and have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. The reality of the draft can be overwhelming. I don't want to pretend that I have a unique perspective, because I think many people my age have adopted the same unique understanding that I have. What I am trying to say is that I treat our soldiers like everyone I know. There is so much tension in this world...with the economy, and with the war. You have to treat soldiers with the utmost respect, and this can only be done by sharing a relationship. This movie takes on the task of understanding the war without denying the truth. The truth is that men and women serve to protect our country, but what they go through emotionally is beyond our comprehension. As much as we can argue, the people who serve believe in our freedom. I want more movies like this that can address what goes on in the mind of the people who are willing to give their lives. Sometimes, a man doesn't know that he is willing.

This movie was entertaining. Am a guy that really only values entertainment when watching movies, yes their is a political agenda behind the plot. Especially in this political climate right before the elections, this movie could have an impact one way or another. Or just be food for thought, and create chit chat about the issue of the draft War coming back, a plausible premise. But I found the movie entertaining, to the point of being amused, and had quite a few chuckles and took it more like a movie that was intended to entertain than actual message movie.Spoiler alert parts that made me chuckle .Chris Klein character wants to bail out and he just got drafted, he figures into going into a gay bar(dude is married) and hooking up, because that way he will be able to avoid the draft, dude instead goes crazy in it.Elijah goes has a list of things to do and hooking up with a hooker part is quite amusing, and the kid literally goes insane around the movie. It was funny.Then we have the tough boy, that wants to go and kick some ass and feels his friends are cowards for not wanting to defend their country . He gets into it with anyone that doesn't agree. But the guy finds a love, and then you see a small transformation on the way he feels about going to War.The movie was entertaining, the premise is not that flawed, but the writers went a little bit over the top in a point of trying to get their point across. But was quite entertaining, it was supposed to be a message movie, I thought it was a funny movie, it just came across that way, but it was entertaining, that is why I give it a 7.

I was fortunate to be at the premiere of this film on 4/29/07. Day Zero is set in a future in which we are still fighting in Iraq and the draft is reinstated. It is a character study centered on 3 very different men, how they react to a draft notice, and what they do with the 30 days they have before they must report (Day Zero).The 3 men: Aaron (Elijah Wood) is a writer with one successful book already published and currently working on his second book. George (Chris Klein) is a successful attorney from a well-to-do family who has just made partner in his law firm and is married to a woman who has recently survived cancer. Dixon (Jon Bernthal) is a cab driver who seems content with his life – he lives alone and is good friends with a young girl in his building.We learn that George and Dixon were in school together and that Dixon went to jail (or some kind of juvenile lockup) for 2 years when he beat up some guys that were bullying George. We unfortunately aren't told much about how these 2 met and came to be friends with Aaron or anything else about Aaron's background.The reaction of the 3 men to the draft notice is quite telling for their characters: Aaron immediately throws up, George begins to think about how he can get out of being drafted, and Dixon is immediately excited and ready to go (and angry at George for not wanting to serve).Aaron provides what comic relief there is in the first half of the movie. He is incredibly insecure. He has a therapist, but his therapist obviously has no interest in him and does crosswords and her nails during their sessions. The fact that Aaron doesn't seem to be bothered by this is another example of his severe insecurity and lack of self-esteem. Aaron is immediately worried about being killed there – and about being killed first because he won't be liked. Aaron makes a list of 10 things he wants to do before leaving, which his friends laugh at and make fun of when he shows them.The movie is beautifully acted and photographed with a great soundtrack. It is clear during the Q&A that both the director and writer are anti-Iraq war, but they don't shove that down our throats in the movie. I thought they presented a very balanced view of the impact of receiving a draft notice on 3 very different personalities – Dixon who is willing to serve is not written as a "bad guy" because he wants to serve. In fact it is George who is written at several points as the least likable of the characters as he tries to get out of serving. I am sure there are those who will say this is an anti-war movie but for me it simply showed the toll it takes on 3 very different personalities/lives as they face the real likelihood of dying in a war. And it also shows the unfairness of who has to serve and who doesn't have to.Elijah Wood did an amazing job – there is no sign of him at all in this character. Aaron has none of Elijah's poise, confidence, or joy of life. His funny scenes got good laughs from the audience and my heart broke for Aaron as he clearly sunk deeper and deeper into his breakdown with no one to help him – not his therapist or his friends. I think this is the most complex character Elijah Wood has ever played and he did an amazing job.My biggest complaint about the film is that Aaron's character wasn't developed more by the writer and director. I felt cheated not knowing how he came to be friends with George and Dixon (esp. since we are told how George and Dixon came to be friends) and why Aaron is estranged from his family. But most importantly what made Aaron make his final decision – was it fear of death or fear that he couldn't live up to his wish to "serve with honor"? Or did he simply have a psychotic break? There is nothing simple about Aaron – I wish we had been able to get to know him better. But that didn't prevent me from enjoying this film and recommending it highly.This movie deserves to be seen by people on all sides of the Iraq war issue – it presents many sides of the debate and I hope will open many meaningful discussions about the war and the implications of reinstating the draft.