At times, Sayles seems to be trying to wrangle an ornery alligator. But there are few filmmakers better at rendering the political personal.
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07/12/02
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Sunshine State (2002)
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Reviews Counted:106
Fresh:85
Rotten:21
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: Wonderfully acted, but the story and pacing can use a little work.
Theatrical Release:Jun 21, 2002 Limited
Box Office: $2,836,157
Synopsis: Welcome to Delorna Beach and the 2nd Annual Buccaneer Days! Take a trip! Take a drive! See Florida Today! Oceanfront motels. T-shirt shops. Golf courses. Palm trees. Sandy beaches. Condominiums.... [More]
Starring: Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite
Director: John Sayles
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Reviews for Sunshine State
Top CriticSunshine State is a fine example of a carefully written film. But you shouldn't be too aware that a movie is well-written.
07/12/02
Top CriticBecause we are so familiar with the conventional approach to a story like this, it takes time to catch on that Sayles is not repeating the old progressive line about the little guy against big capital.
07/12/02
Top CriticSeveral plotlines with familial duty, greed and desperation as the central themes with a mix of serious topics and small-town humor.
07/12/02
With so much going on, it's hard to imagine any two people seeing the same movie
07/12/02
While most films these days are about nothing, this film seems to be about everything that's plaguing the human spirit in a relentlessly globalizing world.
07/11/02
Nothing spectacular and not without its share of faults, the film works, for the most part, thanks to those performances and the strongly written, credible and realistic characters from which they stem.
07/11/02
The cast is uniformly excellent and relaxed.
07/11/02
Top CriticSayles’ pace is leisurely, but the characters and story keep us engrossed.
07/11/02
Rings true for the most part, and explores human nature -- leashed and unleashed -- in ways that resonate.
07/11/02
A movie that sends you out of the theater feeling like you've actually spent time living in another community.
07/11/02
It's the kind of movie that, aside from Robert Altman, Spike Lee, the Coen Brothers and a few others, our moviemakers don't make often enough.
07/11/02
Top Critic...Sayles repeats his formula in a faded Florida beach town with distinctly lesser returns
07/07/02
Although ripe for an auteurist deconstruction, it falls short of the standard Sayles set for himself in his middle-late work.
07/06/02
John Sayles turns his sardonic gaze towards Florida in the latest from the country's number one independent filmmaker.
07/06/02
An often entertaining slice of life in the Florida sunshine -- and shadows.
07/03/02
Another utterly captivating John Sayles ensemble piece with an incredible sense of a particular place and its personality.
07/03/02
Sunshine State surveys the landscape and assesses the issues with a clear passion for sociology. But the cinematography is cloudy, the picture making becalmed.
07/02/02
Top CriticA movie that both feels and thinks. It's a must-see.
07/01/02
Writer-director John Sayles is too intelligent and too conscientious ever to make a frivolous movie. But he has made a lifeless one with Sunshine State.
06/28/02
Top CriticLatest News for Sunshine State
June 23, 2005:
Production Wraps on Roth's "Freedomland"
Revolution Studios issued a press release that ComingSoon.net was kind enough to publicize, and here's the scoop: The Joe Roth mystery thriller "Freedlomland," which... More...
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