Shipping News, The
Sometimes it takes a little digging to get the truth behind a story like this one. Starring Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Scott Glenn, Cate Blanchett, and marvelous supporting cast!
The cold silver grey ocean waters, the murky swaying fog that carries its
strange and spiritual history among the village residents, and the gripping
emotional roller coaster journeys and discoveries that effect the hearts
and minds within each character are as essential and moving as is painful
and mourningly bleak at times. But through it all, lives will carry on and
heads will be held high because of belief, motivation, and love.
R.G. Quoyle (Kevin Spacey) is a meek and lonely man whose empty childhood
was filled with demeaning remarks and the feeling of being considered
practically useless by his father. As an adult, he's stuck in a go-nowhere
job and he still feels painfully insecure with others, with his life, and
mostly, as a man.
One day, Quoyle finds himself watching a beautiful young woman, named Petal
(Cate Blanchett), through his car window. While fighting with a man, Petal
sees Quoyle watching her so she abruptly helps herself into Quoyle's car
and tells him to drive. Petal proceeds to manipulate Quoyle into a free
meal and then into marriage as his nasty, disrespectful, adulterous wife.
She gives birth to their daughter Bunny (Alyssa/Kaitlyn/Lauren Gainer), but
wants nothing to do with her or Quoyle, other than crashing at his house as
she carries on with her life, gallivanting around, seeking out the next
best guy with flowing cash coming out between his ears.
Within a short timeframe, drastic events begin to unfold: the suicide of
Quoyle's parents, Petal's sale of Bunny to a black marketer for some fast
cash with her new man, and the introduction to Quoyle's Aunt Agnes (Judi
Dench) who wants to pay her final "respects" to the ashes of Quoyle's
father as she gives her support to Quoyle in his time of need. However,
some good news does arrive; Bunny returns safely to her father, but news of
her mother is not as cheery.
Quoyle's and Bunny's shabby world begins an amazing transformation as they
return with Aunt Agnes to their family homestead in Newfoundland where the
weak, crumbling family house has stood empty for 44 years, held down with
cables so it won't blow away when furious storms arrive. This house
breathes its own air of mystery and speaks of sadness, but the only one who
seems to be listening is Bunny.
As Quoyle and Bunny try to fit into and understand the new place they've
come to call home, Quoyle finds work as a reporter for "The Gammy Bird," a
local newspaper owned by Jack Buggit (Scott Glenn), a fisherman whose life
seems to belong to the sea in more ways than you might think. Quoyle's main
assignment is covering car accidents, something that will rear its ugly
head, as he battles the demons rising to find peace within himself and his
work.
Quoyle gets pointers, from Billy Pretty (Gordon Pinsent), on delivering a
good piece of juicy journalism that'll knock the fishing boots off the
villagers, develops a friendship with Beaufield Nutbeem (Rhys Ifans), the
international man of news, and experiences a bit of rival competition with
the managing editor, Tert Card (Pete Postlethwaite).
Companionship with a woman named Wavey (Julianne Moore), who runs a day
care, brings goodness to Quoyle, which is something he hasn't experienced
with a woman before even though Wavey has a home life with her own share of
troubles. Still, she opens her heart and home to Quoyle who, in return,
displays his own remarkableness to Wavey. Bunny, too, finds friendship with
Wavey's son Herry (Will McAllister), a little boy whose birth defect causes
him to be shunned by the other children.
The Shipping News sets sail with a great cast that brings their talents
together and creates a movie with genuine emotion while conveying the
importance of self-confidence, acceptance of others, and the courage to
face one's problems in life. The roles performed are immediately strong,
touchingly warm, and genuinely funny. Gorgeous music, reminiscent of the
songs of angels, is the Academy Award Nominated score by Christopher Young
that plays such an important role in framing this picture's mood.
An emotionally sensitive, heartbreaking and caring story that handles many
moments of tenderness and disturbing circumstances surrounding folks in a
small village town. What makes this story so inspiring is its demonstration
of healing while also allowing people to regain hope in the future and to
see the good within others.
Written by: Lynda Dale MacLean
Reviewers Rating: 7
Reader's Rating: 8.38
Reader's Votes: 8
Added: 11-May-2003
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