A low-key charmer.
Big Eden (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:51
Fresh:33
Rotten:18
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Though unrealistic, Big Eden has all the charm and sweetness of a fairy tale.
Theatrical Release:Jun 1, 2001 Limited
Synopsis:
Big Eden is a tiny town tucked away in the timberland of northwestern Montana, where cowboys lounge on the porch of the general store to pass the time away, and keep their eyes on...
Big Eden is a tiny town tucked away in the timberland of northwestern Montana, where cowboys lounge on the porch of the general store to pass the time away, and keep their eyes on things.
Although it's been years since he was back, Henry Hart, a successful but lonely New York artist, returns to Big Eden, the town of his childhood, to care for the ailing grandfather who raised him. Once home, Henry finds he must come to terms with his relationship to Dean Stewart, his best friend from high school, and the object of his unrequited love. Henry's feelings for Dean, which caused him to flee Big Eden nearly twenty years ago, seem to have only grown stronger over the intervening years.
At the same time, Henry's reappearance sparks a transformation in Pike Dexter, the shy, unassuming, Native American owner of the town's general store. Pike is as surprised as anyone, and completely unprepared, when he finds himself falling in love with Henry.
As this unspoken triangle unfolds under the scrutiny of Big Eden's community, nearly everyone in town develops a stake in its outcome.
When tragedy strikes and Henry chooses to leave once again, and Pike is unable to articulate feelings which might alter Henry's course, it is ultimately the people of Big Eden that must join together in an effort to help two of their own find true happiness.
BIG EDEN is a uniquely American fable about home and family. It hits upon the universal longing and hope we each have for finding a place where we are loved, and the unconditional desire to see those that we love find happiness. -- © 2001 Jour de Fete Films
Starring: Arye Gross, Tim DeKay, Louise Fletcher, Eric Schweig
Starring: Arye Gross, Tim DeKay, Louise Fletcher, Eric Schweig, Corinne Bohrer, George Coe, Veanne Cox, Nan Martin
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Screenwriter: Thomas Bezucha
Producer: Jennifer Chaiken
Composer: Joseph Conlan
Studio: Jour De Fete Films
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Release:
Apr 30, 2002
Reviews for Big Eden
Personally, I found it irresistible -- not great, but definitely irresistible -- and I certainly enjoyed the company of these caring, enlightened people.
In an age when self-acceptance and taking a hold of one's destiny is more relevant than ever, Big Eden may be the right inspirational movie for our evolving times.
This may be a date movie with enough quiet charm to appeal to anybody, straight, gay or, like Dean, undecided.
A story about characters who are so extremely closeted that their deepest feelings often remain a secret even to the audience.
A heart-affecting gay romantic drama that unabashedly celebrates community as the ideal milieu for bringing out the best in people.
When you lay it on too thick, the audience is distracted by implausibility rather than identifying with the characters.
Lackluster at 24 frames per second, Writer/Director Thomas Bezucha’s debut film, “Big Eden” is another love story about falling in love with the wrong guy, all the while not realizing the right guy is in love with you.
Without any true motivation for this love to develop, it's hard to truly believe Bezucha's gay fairy tale.
In its gentle, heartwarming, decidedly unrealistic way, it's a refreshing alternative to hipper-than-thou moviemaking.
The characterizations are nifty, but writer/director Thomas Bezucha's stodgy direction holds the story back; there's often a sense that the camera is missing the actors' best work.
As for "Big Eden," even with its several situation comedy set-ups and leaps of logic, you can't help but be moved by your visit here.
Bezucha demonstrates a strange genius for dragging out the inevitable.
Too concerned with being quirky and endearing and soon runs out of local charm.
Latest News for Big Eden
September 27, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: The Family Stone
Wanna see a wild & wacky Christmastime ensemble comedy starring Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Craig T. Nelson, and Luke... More...
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