Southern Belle 1:

The music and the location make this movie what it is. Hauntingly beautiful Celtic music against the stark coldness of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia is the central theme. The characters also seem distant, cold and remote. But how can a story go wrong with Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett in starring roles? This story unfolds slowly, almost too slowly in the beginning. But there's a deep feeling of hope and human bonding to pull it all together. 11-15-08

1d56bcdd85:

From time to time, I stumbled on to a gem, and this movie is a gem. The Shipping News has all the components of an interesting movie, romance, mystery and self-discovery. Quoyle (Kevin Spacey)grew up in self doubt and severe inferiority complex. He met Petal (Cate Blanchett), the only woman who ever paid attention to him. That's not a reason to stay together, but they tried and had a baby girl, Bunny. This doomed relationship ended tragically and Quoyle tried to put his life together as he agreed to move to his ancesteral home, a small fishing town in Newfoundland, with his Aunt, Agnis Hamm (Judi Dench). Quoyle, who previously worked as an inksetter in upstate New York, is hired by the local paper, The Gammy Bird, as a journalist to cover the shipping news column. Along the way he met a widow, Wavey Prowse (Julianne Moore). The Shipping News has an interesting story to tell.

Lary9:

The chemistry of a director^s film DNA is as idiosyncratic as a Y-chromosome. So it is with Lasse Hallstrom whose movies carry his unique signature. His works will often have an odd quirkiness about them but at their core they contain serious themes. They are rich and deep and explore themes like the meanings of family, loyalty, trust and home...always home. This is what ^The Shipping News^ revisits--a place he has been before. Look at this sampling from Lasse Hallstrom^s filmography: My Life as a Dog(1985), Once Around(1991), Whats Eating Gilbert Grape(1993), The Cider House Rules(1999), Chocolat (2000), An Unfinished Life (2005) There isn^t a mediocre movie in the bunch and they all connect back at the source. They flow from somewhere deep in the soul of Lasse Hallstrom, a gifted poet of the cinema blessed with a wonderful filmic imagination and a humanistic optimism.(For a synopsis of this film see the At-A-Glance)

VJ Purplequeen:

This is an essentially romance story that has betrayals, secrets, grief, and starting over by discovering and accepting one's legacy as its basis. It is an engaging story of an inept father and spineless man who learns to be strong for his daughter and himself, something his father never encouraged. I liked the drowning motif that was threaded throughout the movie. There were some really beatiful shots of the Newfoundland coastline and town. Well acted for the most part, with Spacey being the perfect choice for Quoyle.

bfo 956819:

Absolutely a number 1. I truelly enjoyed the book and the movie brought the story to life!!

Lary9:

The chemistry of a director^s film DNA is as idiosyncratic as a Y-chromosome. So it is with Lasse Hallstrom whose movies carry his unique signature. His works will often have an odd quirkiness about them but at their core they contain serious themes. They are rich and deep and explore themes like the meanings of family, loyalty, trust and home...always home. This is what ^The Shipping News^ revisits--a place he has been before. Look at this sampling from Lasse Hallstrom^s filmography: My Life as a Dog(1985), Once Around(1991), Whats Eating Gilbert Grape(1993), The Cider House Rules(1999), Chocolat (2000), An Unfinished Life (2005) There isn^t a mediocre movie in the bunch and they all connect back at the source. They flow from somewhere deep in the soul of Lasse Hallstrom, a gifted poet of the cinema blessed with a wonderful filmic imagination and a humanistic optimism. (My apologies if you wanted an ^about-a-logue^ but I don^t like to waste my time or yours reciting the At-A-Glance info.)

xdp 1964909:

I admit it. I had this pegged as a literary "chick-flick" that I would suffer through to appease my wife. But to my surprise, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Although it sometimes veers dangerously close to becoming "Jerry Maguire" goes to Newfoundland, "The Shipping News" mixed in enough mystery, history, humor and all-things-nautical to keep the guys interested. Plus Kate Blanchett's trashily dressed (and undressed) character in early scenes certainly helps keep your attention (sorry, Honey!) I had heard horrendous word-of-mouth reviews of this film, but was pleased to report that it must have been "Pay It Forward" that put Spacey's career on hold, and not this. Judy Dench and Scott Glenn have some excellent supporting turns as a pair of grumpy old salts, and the depiction of small-town journalism is highly entertaining. It does has the feel of big-money Hollywood formula and all the unrealistic trappings that come with it (the impossibility of a babe like Julianne Moore ever sleeping with a fat, disheveled Kevin Spacey; an adorable moppet straight from the Studio warehouse; and an overly-symbolic dwelling that seems leftover from the debacle known as "Life as a House", just to name a few) then "The Shipping News" is a pleasure that will hopefully encourage more folks to read the book. I know I will.