One compelling story intertwined gracelessly with countless others ranging from mediocre to unspeakably idiotic.
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03/20/03
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The Safety of Objects (2003)
49
%
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Reviews Counted:72
Fresh:35
Rotten:37
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: The large cast of characters and scripting are too unwieldy, and the suburban angst theme feels tired.
Theatrical Release:Mar 7, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $86,250
Synopsis: THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS is an American suburban drama filled with subversive humour. We uncover the lives of four neighbouring families as they struggle to make honest human relationships. In doing... [More]
Starring: Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson, Dermot Mulroney, Joshua Jackson
Director: Rose Troche
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Reviews for The Safety of Objects
Great for dissecting the American dream, but for pure movie entertainment, look somewhere else
03/19/03
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03/16/03
It offers a meaningful lesson in putting people first -- ones that surround us, shelter us emotionally, and sometimes come to define us.
03/14/03
A graceful example of what movies can do so much better than other art forms: explore the nuances of human behavior.
03/14/03
In boldly departing from the safety of a strong, unifying plot, Troche makes virtual objects of her characters by showing us plenty that intrigues and not enough that enlightens.
03/14/03
Click to read the article
03/14/03
After a slow start in which the complexities of person and plot take an age to get established, the film catches real emotional fire in some most unexpected places.
03/14/03
Troche ... seems to be tuned into Homes' writing, but without really knowing how to translate it to a cinematic narrative.
03/14/03
Top CriticEach one of these characters experiences an incredibly healing moment and you want to celebrate with them, laugh with them, cry with them - they moved me.
03/14/03
A deftly made and poignant character study that deals with life's heartaches and its tender mercies.
03/13/03
The film skips back and forth between several short stories (originally written by A.M. Homes) that are more driven by atmosphere than plot. Yet Troche somehow fails to give them much of either.
03/13/03
Happiness is a Magnolia Ice Storm of American Beauty.
03/13/03
Top CriticMuch of the film improves as it goes, with the help of veterans Close and Clarkson.
03/13/03
It pretends to be a meaningful slice of Americana, but only succeeds in serving masses of tedium while driving its heavy foot down its own throat.
03/13/03
Top CriticI had a hard time keeping track of the members of each family from one jagged scene to the next, especially since no one says or does anything particularly interesting.
03/13/03
Top Critic[Troche has] made a quantum leap in the depth and confidence of her direction, coaxing career-best perfs from everyone involved while fleshing out each storyline to maximum impact.
03/11/03
The episodes seem strained, the characters sketchy and underdeveloped, and the connections among them contrived.
03/10/03
While some plot threads may have looked less silly on the page than they do on the screen. The decent cast sleepwalks through the tangled stories and Troche's monotonous pacing without making much of an impression.
03/10/03
With a long running time that no amount of nonlinear construction can successfully quicken, Safety does have sequences and whole story lines that are fresh and thoughtfully entertaining.
03/10/03
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