I love this movie so much

Too much of everything

As Good As It Gets

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This was very slow going. Its a "dialogue-driven character study" that watches a bit like a play, involving a short fused ex-con (Live Schreiber) who takes a job in parks-maintenance and then finds stability and camaraderie with his older co-worker Murph (Ned Beatty). The pair bond over a year long period and nothing much else happens.Ultimately this was slow and boring even with the fantastic performances from Beatty and Schreiber who, despite their initial differences develop a nice friendship, and eventually form an almost father-son relationship. I'll be honest though, 1/2 an hour in and I was hitting the FF button.As an FYI this was shot in sequence over a one-year period, against the backdrop of the changing seasons. Yeah at least that happened. 03.23.14

I love well-executed films of personal transformation and this is one of the best I have ever seen. The filmmaker did an incredible job of casting, dialog, site selection, physical transformation of the two characters, story development, cinematography... I discovered the movie on IFC while working out today and I ended up working out an extra two hours, just so I would not miss any of the film. I was intrigued by the young character, unable to place him, having recently seen him on stage in NYC and as the film unfolded, the character lost the facial hair, and I recognized Liev -- who I believe to be one of today's greatest contemporary actors. Having lived in Ridgefield, CT for ten years, the references were near to my heart, and a wonderful surprise. I absolutely loved this movie.

Spring Forward is the story of a friendship between two men who work together as lanscapers and maintenance men for a small city. Liev Schrieber is the well-read, ex-convict Paul who is trying to get back on his feet. Ned Beatty is Murph, a family man who's probably in his fifties. There's a generational gap, but the men seem to share quite an interesting friendship. The movie, however, is just so real that it becomes quite boring. The story takes us through the seasons and it is about 99% dialogue and 1% action if you consider landscaping work and the aftermath of a funeral action. The men engage in such deep conversation about all sorts of things like their different perspectives on religion, on morals, on sex, on fatherhood, and so forth. I don't think that it is totally uninteresting and I think it was material better suited to a novel than a film. Nothing really happens and the conversations, after awhile, seem endlessly strung together, as though the topics just change by chance, but the talking never stops. I really must say though, the cinemtagraphy was beautiful with such rich colors and all that. I'm surprised to see so many positive reviews, but then again, this might epitomized recent independent films as much as it can be, though (and I agree with one viewer who wrote this), the whole thing does seem rather pretentious. Sure, these guys have these deep thoughts on all of these abstract matters. But then what?That's not to say that Leiv Schreiber and Ned Beatty don't give good performances. The material and the story just become so boring after a while, by that final scene as they drive down the snowy roads, you think something just then might happen that somehow reflects upon the friendship. Only, nothing ever does. It was boring like I found 'Chelsea Hotel' to be boring, although this movie at least brings up some interesting philosophies that the characters mull over, whereas in 'Chelsea Hotel,' no one even gives us that much to consider and entertain us. I still think 'Spring Forward' would have been better material for a novel.

This is really one terrific film. It's about two guys working for the Parks and Recreation Dept. in some little town in Connecticut. Paul has just gotten out of jail for robbing a donut shop and is taken under the wing of the much older Murph.The movie basically is a series of scenes where they talk and discuss life in general. As they're picking up the trash in the park or driving down the road or painting a fence, they discuss the meaning of karma, love, betrayal, Murph's son dying of AIDS, all the things that make up a person's life.Ned Beatty is excellent in the role of Murph. I've seen him in dozens of movies, but I think I'll always remember him in this role as the character he plays fits him like a glove. He's an easygoing guy who's wise, caring and funny. By the end of the film, you feel you really know him, like he's a real person.Liev Schreiber plays Paul and he also does fine work in this film. Paul is angry at the world the first day he and Murph go out to work together, but he begins to mellow out as the days go by. He's much younger - mid twenties compared to Murph's early sixties - and he reads a lot of philosophy and discusses it with his friend. By the end, he's opened up a lot and isn't afraid to show his emotions or reach out to others.This film is everything you could possible ask for in an independent film. There's no expensive props or choreographed action scenes. It's simply two interesting people interacting with each other over the course of a couple of months and the way they affect each other's lives.