The Worst Film Ever

The first must-see film of the year.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This movie was so great. Watching it one wonders why we had to wait until The Lord of the Rings to see Elijah Wood hit it big. He brings a sense of depth to the role of Barney Snow and the movie itself just draws you in. Rachael Leigh Cook is another fine young actor who should be bigger than she is and she delivers an awesome performance in this film as well. This movie both frustrates and pleases its audience and I recommend everyone see it.

This is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Elijah Wood is great as Barney Snow -- the frustration and fear of not knowing who he is, where his family is, all that emotion pent up inside till he seems ready to burst with it, but showing only in his eyes and the endless, rhythmic bouncing of the rubber ball. This is the movie, even more than Fellowship of the Ring, that convinced me Elijah really is the tremendous actor everyone says he is! The storyline is sad, and yet somehow hopeful -- the way these terminally ill kids are able to reach out to each other, to give each other support in an intolerable situation. The other actors are wonderful and believable in their roles, as well, especially the guy who plays Billy the Kidney (I can't remember his name, but I'll find out -- I want to see more of his films!) And Barney's real question -- if he can't remember who he is, is he anyone at all? -- is haunting. Who would I be, if I couldn't remember my past? What is it that makes life worth living? If this isn't my favorite movie ever, it's certainly one of the top five!

I think some replies here were a little bit harsh on the movie. Mind you, this is a movie critic's haven, so I can understand. But let's try to level here.First of all, I knew when starting this movie that it was going to be an indie, low-budget, sort of film, so I wasn't expecting some kind of Lord of The Rings or COlor Purple. I also knew not to expect anything too complex--in my experience with movies such as these, there is more there than just a simple, plausible plot that appeals to everybody. I knew going into it: Hey this is an Elijah Wood movie. Now everything I have seen him in, with the exception of Flipper, has been in some way great, and always told a great or complex story. Summing up all of those conclusions, I went into the movie knowing I shouldn't try to apply any other movie criticisms to it until I had seen it all the way through twice in order to fully catch the drift of the movie.That being said, the movie was fair. I don't think it is the greatest thing he has ever done; it in no way compares to the Ice Storm or Lord of The Rings. However, I think the end of the movie sort of pulls everything together and helps me to see why Elijah might've chosen to do this movie.Here is what I liked: The ending, the one that leaves everyone questioning a few things; the sarcastic kid, Billy, and his acerbic sence of humor; the thought processes of Barney Snow (Elijah Wood seems to have mastered the subtlety that is required for this role; Most people here complained that Barney was too apathetic for someone who knew nothing about his past or future, but I think it reflects some of Elijah's character in there too. At the end you see Elijah's happiness restored, when he is able to let go of everything (the very last scene), but throughout the movie it is quiet, subtle nuances; the introvert in Elijah shines through, and I think it is fantastic, and almsot mysterious.) I also liked Mazzo, I think he was a great actor in this movie, and the role worked well with him.Here is what I disliked: The romantic scene with Rachel Leigh Cook when he finds out she is leaving for Europe...I think their chemistry is terrible, and I don't think the actors are to blame--I think the casting directors are to blame. EW and RLC can both be great, Elijah much more so than Rachel Leigh Cook, but I don't think they worked well together at all.Suprisingly, I think he and Jordana Brewster from the Faculty had a better chemistry. Also, I think there was too little effort put into the love story. It was like...out of nowhere...they were in love...which is okay sometimes, as long as the characters' feelings are out in the open, but their feelings weren't out in the open. It made it seem strange that the cover of the video box was Elijah and RLC hugging; to me that wasn't the greater message of the movie. THe cover should have been Elijah as the central figure, and then, perhaps, the supporting characters behind him, sort of blended into the background.Overall, I rate it an 10 for Elijah, Billy,and Mazzo. I rate it a 7 for Rachel Leigh Cook, and I rate a 5 for that silly romantic scene that just didn't flow well with the movie(though I rewound and rewound a few times there...). I give a 9 to the ending because I like enigmatic things but it didn't flow perfectly either. Overall, that's about an 8.

Not Bad, Not Bad! Sad and emotional. Good drama. Rachael Leigh Cook's best performance so far, of what I saw of her in movies. And Elijah Wood has been one of my favorites ever since `The War'. Very good if you like sad dramas that have a lot of heart and feeling!