If you read about a movie before you watch it, then you already have some idea of what it's about. So if you don't want to see what is basically a play, set outdoors, then don't watch this one. But if you do, and you're a thoughtful guy, you will probably love this one.
I say "guy," because the main characters are guys, and the stuff they talk about is "guy stuff." Although, if you are a gal, and have a strong appreciation for a dialogue-based film, you may still enjoy it. A couple of female characters make brief appearances.
In this play, the parks are the sets, and the seasons are the borders of each act. How often do you see a film about ordinary people, living ordinary lives? That trend was more common in the 70s.
It takes genuine talent to make the ordinary interesting, and these writers, directors, and performers nail this one. I've been a city landscaper, working with a partner, and this is exactly what is was like. We worked, but we had great conversations throughout the day.
Although I'm conservative, watching this one really made me wish I could be a public employee again, with no heavy supervision, no quotas, and no pressure. Top that off with working outdoors, and I would be in heaven.
Since these guys didn't have to worry about the normal pressures of private sector work, or even the stultifying routine of working at the DMV, etc., they were able to spend their days musing about the meaning of life, while casually painting a fence or raking some leaves.
Ned Beatty's character has figured out how to get through life without major hassles. He doesn't complain much, or sweat the little things. He has a little life and he knows it, but he seems to be o.k. with it, save one major regret regarding his son.
The Liev Schriber character, being much younger, is a seeker. He's reading books and developing his philosophy of life. You get to watch him grow and mature during the course of a year, working alongside a father figure.
The best scene in the film comes at the beginning and involves a brief appearance by little known actor Campbell Scott, the son of screen legend George C. Scott. He plays his character to such perfection in this brief scene, that it wets your appetite for the rest of the film.
Watch it if you're a deep thinker and you don't mind a couple of minor Left Wing references, about Gays in the Scouts, and class warfare.
I say "guy," because the main characters are guys, and the stuff they talk about is "guy stuff." Although, if you are a gal, and have a strong appreciation for a dialogue-based film, you may still enjoy it. A couple of female characters make brief appearances.
In this play, the parks are the sets, and the seasons are the borders of each act. How often do you see a film about ordinary people, living ordinary lives? That trend was more common in the 70s.
It takes genuine talent to make the ordinary interesting, and these writers, directors, and performers nail this one. I've been a city landscaper, working with a partner, and this is exactly what is was like. We worked, but we had great conversations throughout the day.
Although I'm conservative, watching this one really made me wish I could be a public employee again, with no heavy supervision, no quotas, and no pressure. Top that off with working outdoors, and I would be in heaven.
Since these guys didn't have to worry about the normal pressures of private sector work, or even the stultifying routine of working at the DMV, etc., they were able to spend their days musing about the meaning of life, while casually painting a fence or raking some leaves.
Ned Beatty's character has figured out how to get through life without major hassles. He doesn't complain much, or sweat the little things. He has a little life and he knows it, but he seems to be o.k. with it, save one major regret regarding his son.
The Liev Schriber character, being much younger, is a seeker. He's reading books and developing his philosophy of life. You get to watch him grow and mature during the course of a year, working alongside a father figure.
The best scene in the film comes at the beginning and involves a brief appearance by little known actor Campbell Scott, the son of screen legend George C. Scott. He plays his character to such perfection in this brief scene, that it wets your appetite for the rest of the film.
Watch it if you're a deep thinker and you don't mind a couple of minor Left Wing references, about Gays in the Scouts, and class warfare.