On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 18/22 |
Amanda Jones |
This movie just didn't work for me. I saw what it wanted to be, but I couldn't connect. |
| 29/34 |
Dan Krovich |
Sandler can't quite pull it off. |
| 40/46 |
Les Winan |
I may have had low expectations, or perhaps it's my weakness for Sandler's dramatic roles, but I liked it. |
| 124/214 |
Max Braden |
It's there but it's not very engaging. No chemistry between Cheadle and Pinkett Smith. |
“He lost his whole family in a plane crash.”
Hollywood saw a new philosophy toward 9/11 in 2006. No longer did the major studios run away from the turmoil and tragedy of the infamous terrorist attacks. Instead, United 93 as well as World Trade Center proved that North American audiences had enough distance from the events that they felt comfortable going to theaters in order to watch dramatic re-enactments. The results were largely positive. Both movies proved critically popular, with United 93 being one of the most successful end-of-year awards contenders of the year.
On March 23, 2007, Sony will become the third studio after Universal and Paramount to release a film based upon a character impacted by the events of 9/11. The difference is that Sony is not selling the film as such. As the quote above indicates, the trailers for the movie make no mention of which plane crash it was, an unusual marketing decision given recent success in making the unfortunate subject palatable to mainstream audiences. Instead, Sony focuses upon the movie’s A-list talent.
Adam Sandler(!) has been cast to portray Charlie Fineman, a brilliant man whose loses a large part of himself due to tragedy. His family is killed in the 9/11 plane crashes, causing him to suffer so much grief that he becomes a shell of his former self. One day, old college roommate Alan Johnson (BOP fave Don Cheadle) has a chance encounter with Fineman. Upon realizing that the man has almost no recognition of his former life, Johnson embarks upon a quest to help his old friend find the pieces of himself lost in that fateful day’s unfolding series of tragedies.
Over the course of their time of rediscovered friendship, Johnson’s wife, Janeane (Jada Pinkett-Smith), grows uncomfortable with the fact that her husband is spending less time at home. She also worries that the unstable Fineman is a bad influence on her husband and that his presence upsets their family’s routine. For his part, Johnson feels it is his duty to help his long lost friend come to terms with events that are by definition impossible to comprehend.
Despite the misleading marketing campaign, Reign Over Me is an important story of love and loss starring three of the biggest names in Hollywood. As such, it is poised to be the highest profile drama of pre-summer 2007. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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