The Crossing Guard (1995) User Reviews

Not very effective at all.

[MovieAddict2016 · 5/10 · 27 September 2005]

Sean Penn directs Jack Nicholson in this story of a man who swears to avenge his daughter's death by killing the drunk driver who struck her.

The movie opens up with Nicholson's character being a sleazy guy in a strip club and instantly we don't care very much about him, because he treats everyone like crap and doesn't really seem to have much depth. I'm all for unlikeable characters, but not when they're totally unredeemable and of no interest to the audience.

The rest of the plot seems very back-and-forth..."I'm going to kill him!" "Wait, I can't kill him." "I'm going to kill him!" "But I shouldn't kill him." When he finally makes up his mind the movie has already lost a lot of its momentum and derails way too early.

Great talent wasted thanks to weak script

[Tito-8 · 5/10 · 20 June 1999]

This film should have been good. It has a potentially great plot, and the first few scenes are very good. Then, it simply falls apart, and the main plot is basically ignored for much of the remainder of the movie. I also found the ending to be somewhat disappointing, although it was nice to see the focus back on the central storyline. The acting was certainly good, as you would expect in a Jack Nicholson movie, but the real tragedy is that David Morse was absolutely wasted. He was outstanding, but he rarely had anything to work with. What a disappointment.

Now I know why I Never heard of this movie

[k_wyskers_m · 5/10 · 6 February 2007]

with such a good cast, I was shocked I had not heard of this movie. But after watching it, now I understand. It was a pretty good idea for a movie, but not executed very well. I just felt like Sean Penn had all these great ideas and grand schemes for an intense movie. But instead of focusing in on one solid motif, he threw too many concepts and character issues into the mix. The entire stripper / sexual sub plot with Jack could have been completely left out. There was not a lot of depth behind the acting, it was just kinda there.

Like I mentioned, the plot line kinda skated on the surface of being deep. Nothing about the movie really touched me. Especially considering I lost a family member in a similar way, I thought I would be crying my heart out. But honestly I found it barely entertaining. But if nothing is on TV and the internet isn't working, I suggest watching it.

Outstanding Film!

[CurtisGrindahl · 15 April 2004]

I puzzle at those reviewers criticizing this film, which to my mind is a tour de force. Of course, I do volunteer work with dying folks and help train aspiring grief counselors to deal with the traumas that life all too often brings us. I can only assume that those who so quickly dismiss this powerful meditation on grief and remorse have yet to experience these real life emotions. Something by Schwarzenegger may be more to their taste, or one of the ubiquitous comic book recreations we encounter most summers with cardboard characters and pseudo emotions.

Sean Penn is plumbing much deeper regions of the human psyche, and doing so with actors of rare talent, fully capable of sharing with us their heart rending vulnerabilities. Few actors have the courage to go to the places these actors visit as they face suffering almost too great to bear. I'm reminded of the more recent Mystic River for which Sean Penn received an Academy award for best actor, a movie that explores equally traumatizing events. It was heartening to watch the joy with which this award was greeted by his fellow professionals who have long acknowledged this man's genius both in front of and behind the camera. This movie deserves a much wider audience of discriminating movie viewers.

Too Liberal And Certainly Confused

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 24 April 2003]

I don`t think much of Sean Penn as an actor , his OTT performance in CASUALTIES OF WAR almost ruined the entire film for me and it wasn`t only that film that Penn yanked my chain , but despite this I can`t help noticing that he does have some talent behind the camera . He`s not flawless of course and his flaws are plain to see in his later film THE PLEDGE but I found THE CROSSING GUARD to be both very moody and very moving with some truly great acting on display . It does suffer from one deep flaw - Penn`s script

The problem is how the two protagonists are written . Freddy Gales daughter is killed by drunk driver John Booth so guess which character THE CROSSING GUARD portrays in a sympathetic light ? That`s right , the one who killed the girl ! I won`t go as far to say that Penn has painted Booth as the real victim , but why on earth does he paint Freddy as being such a harsh character ? He`s vulgar , always in a drunken state and when it comes to women his attitude is disgusting , in fact he`s a dirty old man and there`s nothing to prove it`s caused by the reaction to the death of his daughter . He is the opposite of Booth who is shown as a different character whose spell in prison has changed him into a profound man able to contribute to society . I see so the man bereaved by the criminal is actually the bad guy ? I`m not sure if this is what Penn is saying because the message is somewhat confused .

But despite this serious flaw I`d like to see more films directed by Sean Penn , just as long as the producer keeps him away from a word processor

Vengeance on the Rocks

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 5 July 2012]

Unhappily divorced jeweler Jack Nicholson (as Freddy Gale) learns the drunk driver held responsible for the death of his daughter has been released from prison. Swearing and shouting, Mr. Nicholson visits his happily re-married wife Anjelica Huston (as Mary) and announces he intends to kill newly free, but guilt-ridden David Morse (as John Booth). Nicholson finds Mr. Morse living in a trailer on his parents' property and aims his gun - but the weapon malfunctions. Nicholson's verbal blue-streak wakes Morse from his sleep. Morse asks for two, but Nicholson gives him three days to live. By then, that gun should be fixed...

Morse admits, "It only hurts the first time," when describing his sexual activity in prison, then he hooks up with beautiful Robin Wright (as Jojo). She will hook up with writer/director Sean Penn, behind-the-scenes...

Nicholson's Freddy continues to get drunk and pick-up arousing strippers. There is an eye-opening look at topless Pricilla Barnes (as Verna), who holds up well against the younger beauties. After the three days, Nicholson goes to kill Morse again. There is irony in the fact that Nicholson is most likely a drunk driver who wasn't as unlucky as the one who struck down his daughter. This is obvious from the beginning, but it may be intended as a big reveal. There are big, competent names attached to "The Crossing Guard" who are big and competent throughout; yet, you may never completely forget who they are and what you're watching.

****** The Crossing Guard (9/10/95) Sean Penn ~ Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Robin Wright, Anjelica Huston

When will we get over things?

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 16 April 2006]

When "The Crossing Guard" came out, it seemed like we'd heard for years that Sean Penn was worthless and just got in a bunch of fights. We turned out to be wrong. He's as great a director as an actor. The movie casts Jack Nicholson as Freddy Gale, out to get drunk driver John Booth (David Morse), who accidentally killed his daughter. Over the course of the movie, we see how Freddy's life is damaged not only by his daughter's death, but how he has never talked to anyone about this. Moreover, Freddy has never gone to his daughter's grave, but John has. Everything comes to a head at the end. Maybe I wouldn't call this the ultimate masterpiece, but it is worth seeing. Also starring Anjelica Huston, Robin Wright Penn and Piper Laurie.

Indulgent

[THETAFAIR · 4/10 · 28 June 2015]

Wonderfully talented actors, and a director I imagine talented as well. But both the actor's indulgence and the director indulging them is stultifying. Seemingly left to their own devices they create scenes with few sparks and much tedium. Nicholson, Morse, Huston and the other have ability to burn, yet they fizzle with false restraint.The actors are obviously improvising in many scenes yet their behavior often seems contrived and illogical. The director, attempts to create a reality of life with ancillary actors surrounding the leading characters,yet those scenes within scenes seem forced and intrusive. One should care about the three major characters caught up in a truly tragic event, yet it's generally "ho-hum" because they are caught "acting" in most every scene. With such great talents, this film was truly disappointing.

A Haunting, Strange Tale Of Forgiveness

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 10 May 2006]

A strange movie. That's what I thought when I first saw this a decade ago. It was one of those films I thought about a couple of days later and couldn't get out of my head for a short while. When I saw it again a few years ago I almost had the same reaction.

What's different about this film is the message: forgiveness. That's really what it's about and it's done in a touching way even though most of the characters in here are anything but nice, sentimental people.

If you can enjoy a good character-development story and not get too dismayed by a depressing scene or two this movie will reward you with some intangibles that are hard to describe unless you've seen this.

Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Angelica Huston and Robin Wright make for an interesting foursome, I'll say that. Nicholson, particularly, impressed me with an untypically-subdued role for him. (Note: The profanity and nudity in here was totally unnecessary and the film would have been better without it. The story was powerful enough on its own.)

If you don't like this movie, I would understand that, too. It's not an easy film to like. It will either haunt you or put you to sleep. It haunted me.

Occasionally powerful melodrama

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 18 September 2006]

Sean Penn wrote, co-produced and directed this strong drama about a conflicted Los Angeles businessman intent on nailing the drunk driver who killed his daughter. In the lead, Jack Nicholson is appropriately somber, displaying no over-the-top theatrics as he visits the parolee just sprung from jail, giving him three days of freedom before his death. Sub-plots detract from the main narrative, with Robin Wright a colorless love-interest for convict David Morse and Anjelica Huston lost in a confusingly-written role as Nicholson's ex-wife. Frequent trips to the local strip club muddy the focus of the piece, however the emotional showdown between the two men is wisely examined, heartfelt and exceptionally well-acted. **1/2 from ****

It's hard to find a film with stars this big and the end result being this bad!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 11 April 2021]

"The Crossing Guard" is a film that earned back one tenth of its cost...and although it's possible it's still a good movie, such a statistic pretty much says the picture was bad...really bad. And, this is a case where the earnings clearly WERE an indication that the film really wasn't well made, which is amazing considering it stars Jack Nicholson.

The story is about the release of a man from prison after he served a sentence for vehicular homicide while he was driving drunk. The murdered child's father (Nicholson) has planned on murdering the ex-con when he's released.

While the idea of the film could have worked well, there are just so many problems which make the movie a chore to even finish, especially because the more you watch the worse it gets. And, when I say bad.... I mean monumentally bad, offensive and really dumb.

The first problem is that the dead girl's father (Nicholson) is shown as a thoroughly unlikable jerk. To illustrate that, there are many scenes of the guy going to strip clubs (which seemed VERY gratuitous) and really muddles the plot. He also gets into fights, slaps around his ex-wife and is about only relatable if you are Atilla the Hun!

In contrast, the drunk killer is shown is a completely different light. He feels bad about what he's done....bad, bad, bad. Now he doesn't do anything to actually HELP anyone (such as working to help victims or volunteering to help the disadvantaged)...but he REALLY feels bad about what he's done. I did NOT find this endearing....but a bit annoying.

And then there's the end...which goes on and on and on. First, it really makes no sense. It begins with Nicholson's character pulling a gun on the ex-con...and the con points a rifle in return. So what does the ex-con do? He DROPS his rifle and runs! And, you then are treated to what seems like a mini-marathon with Nicholson chasing him all over town. Nicholson never seemed like the athletic type, but here it's just ridiculous given his age (58). But the worst is the final confrontation scene...which just HAPPENS to be on the grave of the dead child!! Subtle, it is not!!

Overall, a horribly written and directed picture (both by Sean Penn). Penn is a fine actor, but here he clearly appears out of his league....and the film is interminably dull, badly constructed and ridiculous.

David Morse excellent, excellent ending

[steve.schonberger · 7/10 · 5 November 1999]

David Morse was excellent in the movie. Whenever he's on screen, the movie is worth watching. Jack Nicholson is his usual competent crazy guy. The subject makes the movie a Serious Topic movie, but it often has trouble staying on topic.

The movie itself is mostly very slow going, aside from Morse's scenes and the scene where Nicholson talks to his ex-wife about a dream. How many times do we need to see Nicholson's character hanging out at the strip club? Yes, we get the idea, he's turned into a sleazebag with no direction in his life.

The ending is what really saves the movie. Beyond that, no spoilers from me. Once you get the idea of how Nicholson acts in the strip club, you might as well fast-forward through the strip club scenes (unless you want to see the strippers do their thing), because they're all pretty much the same. Still, that ending is just so good the movie ends up feeling pretty decent.

Sappy, predictable, and tiresome

[ndrapela · 2/10 · 4 August 2006]

It's hard to find a Jack Nicholson movie where he acts so poorly that it bothers the viewer. But here is the needle in the haystack.

Nicholson's performance is overacted, uninspired, and adolescent. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Anjelica Huston seems to follow suit! It's almost as if there was a bad-acting virus on the set.

However one actor who had apparently been vaccinated was David Morse. This is probably the one and only bright spot in the movie. Morse is fantastic. His portrayal of John Booth is convincing, multi-dimensional, and consistent. It is twice as amazing that Morse was able to pull off such an impressive job when one considers that he had to play off the pitiful Nicholson. Robin Wright did give Morse at least something to work with as her performance was fairly good, although hampered by the story...

..which brings us to the worst aspect of the movie--the screenplay. Imagine a story called, "The hammer hits the nail," where viewers are forced to watch an ultra-slo-mo of a hammer coming down on a nail, periodically broken up by sporadic, unnecessary banter, and you have this in a nutshell. The story is painfully predictable, and morbidly slow-moving. One walks away saying, "That was it? But I already knew that." The actual story should only take about 5 minutes. The rest is filler. And bad filler.

The climax of the movie (if one can call it that) is a pathetically unrealistic chase scene where the out-of-shape, 50-something, smoking alcoholic character played by Nicholson out runs the young, muscular and fit Morse over a distance of some 3 miles or so (although it seems like 20 miles to the viewer). Nothing is given away by this description however, since most viewers already know how a movie like this will end.

The title of the film, "The Crossing Guard" is of course irrelevant to all but self-described film experts who have infinite time and desire to conjure up the "real" meaning of films and teach them to the rest of us. However, it most likely refers to the tragic failure of a talent-guard to catch this script before it made it to production.

Reflections

[tedg · 29 June 2002]

Spoilers herein.

Two men, one running from death, the other advancing toward it. The meet and exchange roles.

Two powerful, explosive actors (Nicholson and Huston) and two controlled, technical actors (Morse and Wright Penn). Two off-screen relationships both stressed and introspective: one goes forward (Sean and Robin), one does not (Jack and Angelica). Two dancers: one has a child at home; one is a child -- both seek fathers.

Sex and love; awakening and alcoholism -- but these are old. Jewelry put on and clothes taken off. Literal and virtual prisons. Buses and boats. Robin and Verna as dancers. Slow motion in vision and slow awakenings.

In the Egoyan tradition of character-driven symmetries. This is worth watching if only because Penn understands how to place talented actors in motion in folded spaces. All else is irrelevant in this case.

Not good enough

[markymark70 · 6/10 · 16 February 2010]

First of all, I wanted to like this movie. I like Penn (in both his acting roles and 'some' as director - 'Into The Wild' was fantastic), I like Morse and Nicholson is a good addition as well. The subject of the movie resonates with me too - a father wanting to exact revenge on the drunk-driver killer of his little girl. What father wouldn't feel like that? However, mashing all this together for a film - it just doesn't work.

Why? For me - the story was too meandering, too off-the-beaten-track to hook in the viewer. Nicholson's erratic behaviour as a drink-guzzling, topless bar frequenting Lothario - although giving us a look into how his life has become empty and shallow - does not give us much sympathy for him. He tracks down his daughter's killer and gives him 3 days grace. After such time, he will come and shoot him dead. The first question in my mind was why? Why not kill him there and then - get it over with - after all he had been waiting 7 years already.

Morse - who had obviously pumped iron for the intervening time in jail - plays his part as best as he can. He's not given much in the way of a script to flesh out his character but he does well to personalise and internalise the pain. Nicholson does okay too - his acting a little spotty at times but in the main he holds it together quite well. A decent turn from Angelica Huston adds to the film. Robin Wright-Penn though does not. It's not entirely her fault as her part is completely irrelevant as Morse's not-quite-love-interest. (In one scene - which I had to replay to see if I saw it properly the first time - I thought Morse had broken her neck for no apparent reason. But it turned out to be a cuddle. Strangest cuddle ever if you ask me.) So the movie meanders through a series of not very exciting moments until we end up at the end of the 3 days with a chase between Nicholson and Morse. This, although leading to some redemption, is almost laughable. First of all Nicholson is an old man, coming off the back of a night of beer and cigarettes and generally out of shape. Morse, on the other hand, looks like a clean-living, hard-working, in-shape perfect human specimen - but yet cannot outrun his predator. A preposterous chase from his trailer through the streets of downtown (where Nicholson has umpteen opportunities to kill his prey and doesn't) ends up in the graveyard where the little girl is buried. Causing both men to finally find some solace and finality.

Poor.

Don't get me too wrong here - there are some nice scenes, some good dialog too but it is ruined by an unfocused script and an ending that has to be seen to be dis-believed. Penn has had worse outputs than this and he is clearly learning his craft as he goes along but this does go down as a thumbs down rather than up.

I'll give it 6/10 for an honest effort at telling a well-worn story in a different way but it was a disappointment at the end of the day.

The Crossing Guard

[johnng45 · 6/10 · 28 June 2003]

This movie about a man revenge story. For six agonizing years, Freddy Gale(Jack) has waited for John Booth (David Morse), The man jailed for a crime that smashed Freddy's life. Now, Booth is out of prison and Freddy's giving him three days before he returns to even the score !

It was a good film. Sean Penn did a great movie since dead man walking ! I cannot take my eyes off Jack Nicholson !David Morse (The Rock , The good son & The Green mile) is a very underrated actor. I shall recommend this for everyone who is a fan of Jack Nicholson. At least watch it once :-)

Revenge turns to obsession.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 20 April 2007]

Pathetic, disjointed and slow. Written and directed by Sean Penn, this film's focus is on Freddy Gale(Jack Nicholson), who's daughter was killed by a drunk driver. Gale mistakenly thinks the best thing for the family is abandon them and vow to murder the guy who did it. Gale is a shady jeweler that has turned himself into a whore-mongering drunk. And growing is his obsession with John Booth(David Morse), the driver that killed his little girl. Booth finishes doing time for the crime and moves into the basement of his parent's home. Freddy Gale is in countdown mode to commit murder...murder Booth. My favorite scene is Gale and Booth playing cat and mouse on a city bus...Booth running for his life and Gale with gun in hand. Also in the cast are: Anjelica Huston, Piper Laurie, Robbie Robertson and Robin Wright Penn.

what an awful movie

[kylefmoore · 1/10 · 8 July 2002]

I am a huge Jack Nicholson fan, as a lot of people are. I saw this movie on the shelf with some older movies and decided to rent it. My expectations for anything that Jack Nicholson is in are pretty high. About 45 minutes into the movie, all expectations were dashed with no hope of getting any better. First, Sean Penn tries to pack as many bare chested ladies into the story as possible with little bearing on the story line. Robin Wright's performance is possibly the most over-dramatized role I have ever seen. Who believed that she fell so hard for an ex-convict in one night? The story was so melodramatic that I rolled my eyes more than once. Not even the great Jack Nicholson could save this movie as his role was overplayed and far, far below his standards. But you have to give Sean Penn credit for the ending. Of the dozens of choices he had for closing this film, he did pick the very worst one.

A powerful and compelling story, filmed well and with some great performances.

[PyrolyticCarbon · 9/10 · 18 April 2003]

A powerful and compelling story, filmed well and with some great performances.

Sean Penn seems to have managed to level the actors here, with David Morse, Anjelica Huston and Jack Nicholson putting in great performances and none of them stealing the scenes from the other. I found this very surprising as I expected Nicholson to flood the screen, as he so often does with such little difficulty.

However, the emotion between Huston and Nicholson in the latter half of the film during the coffee shop scene is so powerful to watch. Huston is such a wonderful actress, and Nicholson shows some emotional depth that I haven't seen before, or rather, not felt with his performance before.

The story is written and planned extremely well, with tension rising slowly and almost imperceptibly, until the final day. I found myself caught from the opening scenes of the counselling session cut with the drunken, partying Nicholson, right through to the pivotal moments of the main characters lives.

It is a fantastic way to address this subject. To examine it from both sides, and keep each side with its own sympathies and understandings. Cleverly your sympathies and hatred are swapped throughout the story.

I hope there's more to come like this.

Better than other users seem to think.

[00Mike26 · 7/10 · 7 April 2004]

I've just read through a few other users' comments and noticed the 6.3 average given and am a little disappointed. I've just watched this film on a wet afternoon and found it extremely poetic, touching and very human.

The film is about two men, Nicholson and Morse, and their differing reactions to Morse's release from prison after six years for the manslaughter of Nicholson's daughter (drunk-driving).

All this film is concerned about is the two men. Both actors and director combine to portray detailed characters, who we can try to understand and identify with. There is no real action or plot, only character study and development, which is done well enough to constitute the film.

Of course there are flaws, others have pointed them out, but I wanted to stick up for this film, and I would recommend it if you're looking for something about people.

Mike Allison

A Missed Opportunity

[aj989 · 3/10 · 30 July 2015]

The film opens with a rather strange juxtaposition of two scenes. One features a group of grieving parents discussing how they have dealt with the loss of their children. The other features a topless stripper playing with fire. The Crossing Guard at its heart is how people deal with grief differently and the consequences those choices have for all. Some parents would prefer to pour their heart out. Others choose more destructive outlets, like patronize strip clubs. Jack Nicholson, the father of a girl killed by a drunk driver, spends some of his nights at strip clubs, while Anjelica Huston, the mother of that girl and Nicholson's ex-wife, spends time listening to those grief stricken parents pouring their hearts out. Like that opening juxtaposition the film's points are hit with all the nuance of a sledgehammer pounding in a nail.Therefore, little attention is paid to how Huston's character attempts to come to terms with the death of her child; instead, the focus is on how Nicholson destructively grieves for his daughter. Of course he wants revenge. And of course this quest for revenge, the film tells us, doesn't solve anything but only further eats away at him.

Nicholson, who still seems to be in Joker mode from his stint in that role in the Batman franchise, is as over the top as one might expect. The character he's saddled with is a difficult one to play to be sure, but Nicholson makes his character so over bearing and indignant that his presence soon becomes toxic. Instead of exploring his character's inner grief and psychology the film would rather just show his temper tantrums. David Morse, as the drunk driver who killed Nicholson's daughter, is, by contrast, and surprisingly, shown as some kind of repentant saint. He knows what he did, feels terrible about it, and tries to communicate it to an obstinate Nicholson. But in general Morse isn't given much to do other than stare into space stoically. Huston, however, it must be said is quite good even if the film doesn't really care about her and only utilizes her to show how crazy Nicholson's character has become.

The middle part of the film, where Nicholson parties with some strippers (including Three's Company's Priscilla Barnes) and Morse's character meets up with some bohemians, is a total bore. Another subplot of Morse falling in love with Robin Wright Penn adds nothing to the plot other than act as filler so the film can reach the standard 120 minute run time. Finally, the closing sequence of the film, which includes a chase (or in Nicholson's case a fast walk) through LA and ends with a kumbaya moment in a graveyard as the sun is slowly rising and the tedious score swelling, is totally ridiculous.

What's most disappointing here is that at its core The Crossing Guard could have been a good film. Sean Penn has directed other fine films (especially Into the Wild) and Nicholson, at least prior to the '90s, is a first-rate actor. But totally lacking nuance in performance and story and weighed down by a miserable second half and a hokey conclusion renders this film instead largely a failure.

Not every movie needs to explode on screen.

[Guillaume_Fayot · 10/10 · 7 April 2004]

Those posters who yearn for action, action, and yet more action should rate the movies they are most fond of and leave those with depth and feeling the hell alone. Guys you are about as deep as a puddle in the street.

Sean Penn did an incredible writing and directing job. He assembled an all-star cast and directed them with such skill that no one performance overshadows another, yet all of them are powerful and provocative. It's really great to see David Morse in yet another fine performance. This guy is totally under-rated. Jack Nicholson is, as always, at his finest. Anjelica Huston turns in another powerful performance. It was also good to see Priscilla Barnes after many long years doing a credible, no excellent, portrayal of the "bad girl" with a soul.

If you want to see a film that actually has some depth see this one.

the devices of the writer/director vs. the actors

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 23 January 2007]

Sean Penn can be a great actor, but with the Crossing Guard he displays a hit or miss attitude in the believability of his characters. It starts with a given for a gripping premise: a man torn completely psychologically from himself, Freddy (Jack Nicholson) finds out the man who killed his daughter in a drunk driving accident is released from prison after only six years. And, he'll go and kill him. Why he'll kill him, also a psychological pull, is that he's more so for his ex-wife Mary (Angelica Huston) than he is for himself. It's as much, if not more, about pride than it is about vengeance.

But through this premise, and the divide between self-destructive, drunk Freddy and the guilt-ridden, morose John Booth, Penn paints his characters sometimes into corners even when things become most intriguing. It's appropriate, I suppose, that Penn decided to dedicate the film to Charles Bukowski, as it probably alludes a lot to the moods of the characters in those books. But in putting across moods so much he almost forgets that his actors need believable circumstances to follow. One device, for example, is the whole "you got three days" angle Freddy pulls with John when he first confronts him in his trailer. There's also the sort of romance-in-limbo between John and another woman (Robin Wright Penn).

But what I didn't expect was that the actors almost don't, but ultimately do, rise above the contrivances of the script. There's even a great scene between Nicholson and Huston in a restaurant the night the murder is supposed to take place. Scenes like this, and a tear-ridden phone call from Freddy in a red-tinted room, are powerful and connect with the overall theme of loss in the film. Yet as a director Penn doesn't pull enough with his characters and mood to make it as compelling as it can be. He also relies on some fairly arty camera moves to make it more interesting, when they aren't needed anyway. Nicholson and Morse, meanwhile, are consummate pros who get into their characters completely (and for Nicholson especially it's almost a walk in the park, with his motivation less about the death of his daughter than it is about decay itself). But what is the audience to make of the mediocre decision to have Freddy get pulled over by the cops on his way to kill John, for drunk driving, and then go into a very far-fetched chase from them to catch up to John just so the irony can be placed in? It's not that the actors don't use some devices either at their disposal.

However in the case of the Crossing Guard, no matter how deeply felt Penn is to his material- leading up to a somewhat meaningful ending at the cemetery- he doesn't give it all to actors who demand more from him. I also think having seen this after seeing the Pledge, a brilliant drama with many of the same themes of redemption from another's death and loss from it all, rises so much more above similar ground in this picture. Not bad, but not great either- sort of an unfulfilled, if always watchable, middle-ground. B-

unconvincing and phony

[rupie · 2/10 · 7 January 2013]

I have to take exception to what seems the be the majority view that this is an excellent film. The whole thing is contrived and phony. Throughout, there are innumerable points in the action where people do things and behave in ways completely contrary to what real people would do. The dialogue, too, is contrived. And one could have asked some more subtlety. As it is, it is clear from the get go that the vengeful father is the "bad" guy and the repentant killer is the "good" guy. Things are rarely so black and white. There is one scene further on in the film where Nicholson's character, in a conversation with his ex-wife, portrays some genuine grief and pain, but his portrayal up to that point completely belies that. And the many observations by viewers about the excessive and gratuitous nudity are on the mark. The completely contrived and unbelievable ending brings to mind Oscar Wilde's quote that "one would have to have a heart of stone not to dissolve into tears ...of laughter."

Sean Penn should stick to his day job of acting and stay away from writing and directing.