Jonathan Kasdan, the writer and director of
In the Land of Women, is the son of filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan. We can tell that he has learned a lot from his father. Even though he works with a much smaller cast in his directorial debut than his dad (Lawrence Kasdan is well known for his ensemble cast films like
The Big Chill and
Grand Canyon), Jonathan Kasdan shares his insight into characters and dialogue. This aspect is on display numerous times throughout the film.
In the Land of Women is a bittersweet comedic drama about people realizing the mistakes they've made in their lives, and about mistakes they could make if they keep on going down the path they're currently headed. The film walks that fine line between truthfulness and preachiness, and although it comes dangerously close to tipping over into sappy sentimental territory at times, it walks a steady line and is often quite hilarious.
Struggling 26-year-old Hollywood screenwriter Carter Webb (Adam Brody from TV's
The O.C.) is suffering from an early life crisis after his actress-model girlfriend (Elena Anaya) breaks up with him. His career certainly isn't going the way he wants it either, since he's currently stuck writing scripts for soft-core porn films. Wanting to escape from the hectic L.A. scene for a while, he moves in with his ailing and acid-tongued grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) in an upper scale Michigan suburb. He plans to spend his days writing a serious project he has dreamed of working on since his high school days, but that goal seems to take a backseat when he meets the neighbor across the street - a pleasant middle-aged woman named Sarah Hardwicke (Meg Ryan). The two strike up a friendship as they start to go for morning walks together, and soon they are talking about more personal things, and how they feel their lives aren't going where they once dreamed they would go. Sarah has a 16-year-old daughter named Lucy (Kristen Stewart), who at first is somewhat embarrassed at having to spend time with Carter, but slowly grows to respect and even like him. More than taking time away to sort out his personal doubts, Carter will find himself playing a key role in the lives of both of these women across the street from him, just as they will fill an important part in his.
Though the film is sometimes a little too predictable to be praised for being real,
In the Land of Women is often quite honest with the topics it does try to cover. The movie looks at the sadness of these different main characters, and how even though they come from very different backgrounds and situations, they are all able to relate to one another. Carter feels he has lost his way in his career, and can't seem to write anything but porn screenplays. Whenever he tries to sit down and write a serious piece of work, nothing comes out. All he can think about is his lost love back in L.A.. and what if there is something he could have done to make the relationship last. Sarah is a woman who has recently been hit with the news that she has developed breast cancer, and will have to go through chemotherapy. This causes her to look back on her life, wishing that she might have made more out of it rather than just being a housewife. She clearly loves her family, and has even stood by her husband's side to this day despite the fact she suspects he has not always been faithful to her in the past. She also envies Carter's feelings for the woman who left him. She has never known anyone who felt as strongly for her as Carter seems to feel for this other woman. As for Lucy, her sadness mainly stems from the isolation she feels from her mother, as she never quite understood why Sarah stayed with her husband when it was clear he was having an affair. The distance between mother and daughter has been building for years since Lucy was a child, and in Carter, she finds someone that she can confide honestly to about her own feelings.
In the wrong hands, this material could easily have strayed into heavy handed melodrama. However, the screenplay by Jonathan Kasdan keeps things fairly light with a strong sense of humor that carries throughout the film. The humor is never forced, never disrupts from the emotion of the current scene, and (most fortunate of all) is often laugh out loud funny. This is Kasdan's first time behind the camera, and you can tell that he already has a good grasp at how to handle tricky subject matter in an expert manner. The relationships between the three main characters is given plenty of time to develop in such a way so that it is believable, Their reactions to each other and the way they interact with each other is easy to understand, and does not seem to come out of the blue. He's also good at avoiding forced sentimentality. When I heard that one of the characters was fighting with breast cancer, I immediately started to dread the tear-filled hospital scenes that were sure to come. While there are scenes set in a hospital, they turn out not to be what we expect, and they manage to come across as being heartfelt instead of cloying. The screenplay is very respectful to its characters, so much so in fact that it even understands that not all of the characters' problems can be solved in just one movie. When the film ends, we get a sense that there's a lot more ahead for these people, and that although the experiences we have just seen have made them stronger, they still have a long road to cross before they find happiness.
With his first major starring role in a feature film, Adam Brody is understated yet excellent as troubled screenwriter Carter. He is often quiet and subdued in his line delivery, but it fits for his character, and he is able to be sarcastically witty as well as sympathetic and sad. He is not filled with self-pity, he just is lost and confused, not really sure where he fits in. Meg Ryan's career may have cooled since the days when she was a leading romantic comedy star, but she proves that she is just as wonderful in the role of the strong-willed Sarah. She too gets to run the full range of emotions playing a woman trying to be strong for her family about the recent devastating news, but can't help but feel some remorse that she didn't do more with her life before this happened. Former child actress Kristen Stewart has grown into a capable teen actress with her performance as Lucy here. Put to much better use here than in the lame supernatural horror film,
The Messengers, just a couple months ago, Stewart proves that she could grow into a fine adult actress. Another fine young performance on display is Makenzie Vega as Sarah's youngest daughter, Paige. Even though it's a small role, she manages to sell every scene she's in honestly and without the cuteness of most child actors. Finally, it would be a crime not to mention Olympia Dukakis in her scene-stealing supporting role. Not only does she get some of the biggest laughs in the film, but she is also heartbreaking and wonderful in her more serious moments.
On paper,
In the Land of Women sounds almost like it could be Lifetime TV movie material. I admit, I was a little bit afraid walking into the theater. My fears were quickly set to rest when I realized just how confident Jonathan Kasdan was in his debut. I look forward to seeing how his career progresses, as I think this film shows he has a lot of potential. When all is said and done, the movie is able to hit all the right emotional notes without overshooting the mark. It doesn't try too hard, and it certainly earns my respect for that. This is the kind of movie that sneaks up on you as you realize it has a lot more on its mind than you initially thought. Sometimes those are the best kinds of films.
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Jonathan Kasdan, the writer and director of In the Land of Women, is the son of filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan. We can tell that he has learned a lot from his father. Even though he works with a much smaller cast in his directorial debut than his dad (Lawrence Kasdan is well known for his ensemble cast films like The Big Chill and Grand Canyon), Jonathan Kasdan shares his insight into characters and dialogue. This aspect is on display numerous times throughout the film. In the Land of Women is a bittersweet comedic drama about people realizing the mistakes they've made in their lives, and about mistakes they could make if they keep on going down the path they're currently headed. The film walks that fine line between truthfulness and preachiness, and although it comes dangerously close to tipping over into sappy sentimental territory at times, it walks a steady line and is often quite hilarious.
Struggling 26-year-old Hollywood screenwriter Carter Webb (Adam Brody from TV's The O.C.) is suffering from an early life crisis after his actress-model girlfriend (Elena Anaya) breaks up with him. His career certainly isn't going the way he wants it either, since he's currently stuck writing scripts for soft-core porn films. Wanting to escape from the hectic L.A. scene for a while, he moves in with his ailing and acid-tongued grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) in an upper scale Michigan suburb. He plans to spend his days writing a serious project he has dreamed of working on since his high school days, but that goal seems to take a backseat when he meets the neighbor across the street - a pleasant middle-aged woman named Sarah Hardwicke (Meg Ryan). The two strike up a friendship as they start to go for morning walks together, and soon they are talking about more personal things, and how they feel their lives aren't going where they once dreamed they would go. Sarah has a 16-year-old daughter named Lucy (Kristen Stewart), who at first is somewhat embarrassed at having to spend time with Carter, but slowly grows to respect and even like him. More than taking time away to sort out his personal doubts, Carter will find himself playing a key role in the lives of both of these women across the street from him, just as they will fill an important part in his.
Though the film is sometimes a little too predictable to be praised for being real, In the Land of Women is often quite honest with the topics it does try to cover. The movie looks at the sadness of these different main characters, and how even though they come from very different backgrounds and situations, they are all able to relate to one another. Carter feels he has lost his way in his career, and can't seem to write anything but porn screenplays. Whenever he tries to sit down and write a serious piece of work, nothing comes out. All he can think about is his lost love back in L.A.. and what if there is something he could have done to make the relationship last. Sarah is a woman who has recently been hit with the news that she has developed breast cancer, and will have to go through chemotherapy. This causes her to look back on her life, wishing that she might have made more out of it rather than just being a housewife. She clearly loves her family, and has even stood by her husband's side to this day despite the fact she suspects he has not always been faithful to her in the past. She also envies Carter's feelings for the woman who left him. She has never known anyone who felt as strongly for her as Carter seems to feel for this other woman. As for Lucy, her sadness mainly stems from the isolation she feels from her mother, as she never quite understood why Sarah stayed with her husband when it was clear he was having an affair. The distance between mother and daughter has been building for years since Lucy was a child, and in Carter, she finds someone that she can confide honestly to about her own feelings.
In the wrong hands, this material could easily have strayed into heavy handed melodrama. However, the screenplay by Jonathan Kasdan keeps things fairly light with a strong sense of humor that carries throughout the film. The humor is never forced, never disrupts from the emotion of the current scene, and (most fortunate of all) is often laugh out loud funny. This is Kasdan's first time behind the camera, and you can tell that he already has a good grasp at how to handle tricky subject matter in an expert manner. The relationships between the three main characters is given plenty of time to develop in such a way so that it is believable, Their reactions to each other and the way they interact with each other is easy to understand, and does not seem to come out of the blue. He's also good at avoiding forced sentimentality. When I heard that one of the characters was fighting with breast cancer, I immediately started to dread the tear-filled hospital scenes that were sure to come. While there are scenes set in a hospital, they turn out not to be what we expect, and they manage to come across as being heartfelt instead of cloying. The screenplay is very respectful to its characters, so much so in fact that it even understands that not all of the characters' problems can be solved in just one movie. When the film ends, we get a sense that there's a lot more ahead for these people, and that although the experiences we have just seen have made them stronger, they still have a long road to cross before they find happiness.
With his first major starring role in a feature film, Adam Brody is understated yet excellent as troubled screenwriter Carter. He is often quiet and subdued in his line delivery, but it fits for his character, and he is able to be sarcastically witty as well as sympathetic and sad. He is not filled with self-pity, he just is lost and confused, not really sure where he fits in. Meg Ryan's career may have cooled since the days when she was a leading romantic comedy star, but she proves that she is just as wonderful in the role of the strong-willed Sarah. She too gets to run the full range of emotions playing a woman trying to be strong for her family about the recent devastating news, but can't help but feel some remorse that she didn't do more with her life before this happened. Former child actress Kristen Stewart has grown into a capable teen actress with her performance as Lucy here. Put to much better use here than in the lame supernatural horror film, The Messengers, just a couple months ago, Stewart proves that she could grow into a fine adult actress. Another fine young performance on display is Makenzie Vega as Sarah's youngest daughter, Paige. Even though it's a small role, she manages to sell every scene she's in honestly and without the cuteness of most child actors. Finally, it would be a crime not to mention Olympia Dukakis in her scene-stealing supporting role. Not only does she get some of the biggest laughs in the film, but she is also heartbreaking and wonderful in her more serious moments.
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