A year ago, I had the pleasure of seeing a college production of this that ended up being one of the best shows I have ever seen, period, and that includes Broadway productions. After that, it's inevitable that any other production is going to be a little disappointing. This one isn't *bad*, but it's not transcendent, and the things they tried to do to make it seem less "play-like" didn't work for me. The constant cutting away to flashbacks or imaginary scenarios far too often took me out of the story, instead of helping me live through it. Freddie Highmore may be a bit older here, but he's not a terribly good actor. He has a couple great moments (my favorite part of the movie, in fact, was his) but those seem to be the exception, rather than the rule, as the rest of the time he is fairly one-note. Ving Rhames does a fairly good job as Sam, but his monologues feel preachy rather than conversational. The play itself is still excellently written, and much of the original dialogue remains here, but this is overall a bit of a disappointment as a theatrical adaptation. 3 stars.
Best Part: The scene where Hally talks to his father on the phone was truly excellent.
Worst Part: This movie chose the worst moments to cut away for flashbacks. Really jarring.
Flickchart: #810, below Modern Times and above Last Holiday.
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