Moonlight Mile (2002)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Brad Silberling

Writer (WGA):

Brad Silberling (written by)

Release Date:

4 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In life and love, expect the unexpected.

Plot:

As he copes with the death of his fiancee along with her parents, a young man must figure out what he wants out of life.

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Language Learning | Writer | Photo Studio | Loss Of Fiancée

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Joe Nast
Dustin Hoffman	...	Ben Floss
Susan Sarandon	...	Jojo Floss
Aleksia Landeau	...	Cheryl
Ellen Pompeo	...	Bertie Knox
Richard Messing	...	Rabbi
Lev Friedman	...	Cantor
Bob Clendenin	...	Server #1 (as Robert Clendenin)
Jim Fyfe	...	Server #2
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Mrs. Meyerson
Richard Fancy	...	Mr. Meyerson
Marcia Mitzman Gaven	...	Fashion Plate
Allan Corduner	...	Stan Michaels
Holly Hunter	...	Mona Camp
Careena Melia	...	Diana Floss

Also Known As:

Baby's in Black (USA) (working title)
Goodbye Hello (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

Argentina:146 min | Canada:112 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:117 min | UK:116 min | Portugal:120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Portugal:M/12 (original rating) | Iceland:L | Finland:K-11 | Canada:A (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Epsilon Motion Pictures

Trivia:

A screening of the film was held at Salem State College's auditorium in Salem, Massachusetts which is adjacent to Marblehead where the film took place.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: During the scene when Bertie and Diana's father meet for the first time she walks up to the his table with the towel in her hands then it on her shoulder in her hand and back and forth without her moving it.

Quotes:

Jo Jo Floss: When I go to bed at night I do 4 things. I drop my robe, slide under the sheets, turn on my left side and stick out my ass. That's it. That's the signal. I just - I back it right up there because I know when I do, no matter how cold the damn thing is, no matter how difficult it might feel, no matter how desperately we want to kill each other it's gonna be met by this warm body on the other side that's gonna hold it. Two arms that...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Love Will Come Through

Great acting is enough

This is a very well acted movie that deals with a sudden loss in a family in a better way than I would expect. The movie avoids the usual clichés and through some very strong performances shows us how it could really be. The dead person is the daughter of Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and Jojo (Susan Sarandon), her fiancé named Joe (Jake Gyllenhaal) is now living with them. The girl was murdered, simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now Ben and Joe go into business together and the all try to live on in their own ways. Joe befriends a girl named Bertie Knox (Ellen Pompeo) who also has lost someone.

Like I said the subject is handled in a very good way. May be the movie makes some easy choices, especially near the end, but the acting is so good and real here that the movie is easily forgiven. Gyllenhaal plays the same kind of part as he did in 'Donnie Darko' and 'The Good Girl', not the most happy one. He has the best single scene, although overall veterans Hoffman and Sarandon are as good as he is. The best thing though is Ellen Pompeo. Her character has a certain sweetness and nice way of dealing with things and Pompeo finds the perfect note for playing this part. See it for the acting and you will find a lot more.