Waste of time

Fantastic!

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Seeing all of the 9- and 10-star reviews, I just have to chime in. This is another stage play that has been forced poorly onto the big screen. Aside from the abridgment that takes place to keep it at movie length, the worst crime this movie commits involves the script. Time and time again, playwrights and screenwriters develop characters who talk in a completely unbelievable manner. When you see a character like this, it is evident that it is a person reading a script, because PEOPLE SIMPLY DO NOT TALK LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE. I'm talking about Young Bo. Sure, there are precocious kids. But at no point while watching the young actor was I not painfully aware that she was reading someone else's over-clever prepared words. That character ruins what is already a chore of a film. SPOILER: An IRS man comes to audit them and stays for eight years with no government investigation? Give me a break. The best part of this entire film is when Charlie takes the pill and feigns a goofy smile. It was the only thing that made that role worthwhile and the only thing about the film that wasn't contrived. I laughed aloud when I read a review here that claims this is "perhaps one of the finest movies ever made." Nothing better than reading film reviews by people who have only seen about fifteen films in their lives.

This indie flick directed by Campbell Scott is quirky but quiet, slow but unrealistic. Think "Big Night" in tone, but much slower and quirkier, and add doses of magical realism and a lot of gorgeous New Mexico scenery.Magical realism combined with slow storytelling make for a flick that is probably wonderful if seen stoned, but somewhat draggy (at least to me) if one is expecting a normally paced, realistic movie. My tolerance for magical realism probably begins and ends with Robert Redford's "The Milagro Beanfield War", a movie that had a much quicker-moving and more active and indeed more relevant plot than the sleepy incongruous tale told here.But if you like quirky indies, check this out. Performances by Joan Allen, J.K. Simmons, Sam Elliott, and so on, and a wonderful fresh face -- Valentina de Angelis as the young daughter.

Some big films leave one dissatisfied and some little films leave one feeling very satisfied. 'Off the Map,' while living up to its title by easing onto DVD with no fanfare at all (Was it ever in mainstream theaters?), is certainly one of the latter.I doubt that it will connect with many 16-25-year-old males … at least not the ones who need sex, several explosions and characters morphing into super humans to be entertained. It is one of those quiet films where very little actually 'happens.' Of course, many of the better films in history, from Carl Theodor Dreyer's awesome Le Passion de Jeanne d'Arc to All About Eve and 12 Angry Men to The Big Chill and the Royal Tenenbaums, are essentially about people sitting around, talking, when one gets right down to it. Each tells a significant tale and tells it extraordinarily well. So does this little gem.Any film with Sam Elliott in it has a certain element of class. (He even lent a smidge of dignity to Ghost Rider.) He is magnificent here as the depressed Charley Braden. He is a man who has built his life and family on a survivalist creed that a man wastes time working for an employer. Instead, he should be learning skills he can put to use. He can fix anything, his family brags, and presumably this skill is bartered, along with firewood, plant care and other services. The family survives on virtually no money and home schools the narrator daughter, 11 or 12-year old Bo (Valentina de Angelis).The film depicts a summer (apparently during the 1970s or 1980s) when Charley somehow plummets into depression. His lovely and sturdy wife Arlene (Joan Allen) is pushed almost to the breaking point dealing with his condition. Meanwhile, Bo dreams of a "normal" life with all the trappings of the adult commercial world, briefcases, appointment books and credit cards, not to mention public school.Their world is transformed that summer when depressed IRS man William Gibbs (Jim True-Frost) shows up for an audit. He winds up staying almost indefinitely, taken in by the awe inspiring landscape and by the simple family – especially Arlene.The cast is outstanding. Elliott and Allen are perfect as the minimalist couple, who apparently have been happy and productive for years in their chosen lifestyle. As others have said, Allen's solid foundation holds the film together, just as her character does the fictional family. True-Frost does marvelous work as the displaced agent, who finds himself as a painter and becomes a family member. DeAngelis is perky and enjoyable as the precocious Bo. I can certainly see such a bright young kid who lacks some of the social graces of regular social intercourse with others saying and doing the slightly bizarre things that Bo comes up with. J.K. Simmons is also very good as Charley's loyal buddy, George.For a "talking" film to work it takes good cinematography and believable characters one cares about. This film has these in spades. The landscape shots are spectacular. (It's too bad almost nobody got to see it on the big screen.) The characters, meanwhile, are quirky and likable, and the acting is first-rate. Director Scott Campbell succeeds in telling a rewarding story of love, individuality and determination.I came away with a very satisfied feeling after watching Off the Map. It's certainly the best new film I've seen in 2009. For anyone who can appreciate a skillful and deep, yet simple film, this is a real winner.

great little movie. having lived in new Mexico, i get it. a bit tedious at times, but well worth the investment. this movie has a big heart. i grew to love the characters. many people would yawn and give up. i like these kinds of movies that take time to develop (if there is a pay-off at the end). this movie paid off big time. Sam Elliott and Joan Allen are always great. Amy brenneman was a nice touch (i have enjoyed her since she played Faye moskewitz on Frasier). the girl (bo)was great too. she has great camera presence (like Andie McDowell). if manged properly, she has a fine future. - all in all, see this movie. it makes you feel good about life.