I was under the impression that everyone was sort of on the same page about this one. It's a soapy drama starring Kate Winslet as a single mom who nurses a dashing escaped convict (played by Josh Brolin) back to help after she finds him bleeding on the side of the road. Despite the A-list cast, the material comes off like a made-for-TV movie that would air on Lifetime, and overall it's just a waste of the actors' talent and the audience's time. Then I saw the nominations for the Golden Globes, and discovered that Kate Winslet is up for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama, and I was shocked. Admittedly, it hasn't been a particularly strong year for female roles that would be in awards contention, but still. This is not the type of film that should be winning anything. It should be quietly released, all the middle-aged ladies going through menopause will shed a few tears, and then it should go on its merry way into irrelevance. For whatever reason, this film is getting attention, despite its cloying sentimentality. I know that the average moviegoer appreciates comfortable, mediocre films, so I wouldn't be surprised if this film does well from a viewer standpoint (it's a tad early to tell -- the film was only released on December 27th), but I wasn't expecting the awards buzz.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
