Here on Earth Review
by James Brundage (cnull AT mindspring DOT com)March 17th, 2000
filmcritic.com presents a review from staff member James Brundage.
You can find the review with full credits at
http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/2a460f93626cd4678625624c007f2b46/57a29c3ae8f55739882568a50018c59e?OpenDocument
Here on Earth (2000, PG-13)
Directed by Mark Piznarski
Written by Michael Seitzman
Produced by David T. Friendly
Starring Chris Klein, LeeLee Sobieski, Josh Harnett, and Bruce Greenwood
As Reviewed by James Brundage
In David Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner, Steve Martin puts his two cents
in on doing business in America. "Always do business as if the person
you're doing business with is trying to screw you, because they probably
are. And if they're not, you can be pleasantly surprised." The
entertainment industry is a business, and I conduct myself around this
business with the expectation that each movie that I see will be
terrible. That way, as I come out of the movie, I can be pleasantly
surprised.
Don't think I'm crazy… It's reverse psychology: it's not supposed to
make sense.
This weeks pleasant surprise was Here on Earth, a film which I expected
to be LeeLee Sobieski (the scantly-clad tailor's daughter from Eyes Wide
Shut) dropping her intellect and artistic integrity for a more sizable
paycheck. As it turns out, her intellect and artistic integrity are
about the only things she doesn't drop in this film. Sobieski plays
Samantha, a small town girl with vices that include (but are not limited
to) scenic waterfalls, birch trees, and Robert Frost poems. Sam is the
object of the rivaling affections of two boys, a rich prep named Kelley
(Chris Klein), and a hick-with-a-heart named Jasper (Josh Harnett).
Kelley would have been valedictorian of his prep school if it weren't
for the fact that a joyride / car chase with Jasper resulted in the
destruction of a diner named Mable's Table. When a judge sentences the
two rivals to rebuild the diner, Sam predictably falls for Kelley.
Rather than play the vicious jealousy card, writer Michael Seitzman
chooses instead to give Sobeiski a terminal illness, and from there the
movie proceeds to its achingly predictable climax.
After reading the summary on what is likely to go down in history as
one of the worst written scripts ever, you probably are pondering why
Here on Earth was a pleasant surprise. Well, this film works exactly
like The Hurricane did: by placing great actors in parts not worthy of
them. Sobeiski is one of the few people that actually can die with
style. Klein is able to pull of the I-hate-small-towns shtick, act like
a jerk, and still have us love him. Greenwood plays both stock roles of
the town sheriff and the grieving dad to a T, and Harnett truly shines
as the most human character of the entire group. In addition to this,
the film is remarkably well photographed. The nature outside of the
small town is captured perfectly in the lens of Michael D. O'Shea.
Director Mark Piznarski also handles his cast and crew well.
All in all, Here on Earth is yet another movie that proves that a good
script really isn't necessary to have a good movie. If it could just
have gotten a good script, Here on Earth could have taken me straight to
heaven.
3.5 stars
--
Christopher Null - cnull@mindspring.com - http://www.filmcritic.com
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
