Jeff Bridges is so good in this film his performance will break your heart. The entire film is beautifully cast and played, with a very strong, and equally heartbreaking performance by Edward Furlong as Bridges' young son. The scenes between the two actors are pivotal and breathtaking. Their relationship is perilous for each of them because they've never known or been a real family, and have never explored their emotional vulnerabilities, or learned how to express love. When Bridges throws a framed photograph of the boy's mother on the floor, smashing the glass, Furlong, in pain and rage, retrieves the photo, and smashes his father's guitar to pieces. Bridges is drunk, but deep inside he truly cannot understand that his son loves his mother. These are characters who have known only the hardest possible life. "American Heart" cuts like the broken pieces of that photograph. This is a terrific film, and Jeff Bridges' finest performance.
Review of American Heart
