A dramatic comedy that charts the fractious reunion of an estranged father and daughter. Struggling twentysomething actress Reese Holden has been promised $100,000 by book editor Lori Lansky if Reese can secure for publication, love letters written by her legendary, but reclusive father Don, to his equally revered late wife--Reese's mother. Suddenly highly motivated, Reese treks from New York City to Michigan, where she finds Don in flagrant disregard of his own health and living with two
younger housemates: practical former grad student Shelly and would-be musician Corbit. Reese, though no angel herself, does not approve of this ad hoc family. But she comes to appreciate her unlikely new "siblings," and as secrets are revealed, comes to terms with her father and their shared past and future.
Midway through, Rapp loses momentum, failing to hone in on just what kind of movie he wants to make, and Winter Passing languishes in that no-man's land between tiny, meandering, indie drama and plotted, pointed family melodrama.
What's real and true about Winter Passing is the relationship between Don and Reese, the father and daughter who wear their damaged dynamic on their sleeves for all to see.
[Zooey] Deschanel carries the heavy and sometimes uneven Winter Passing, which possesses not only a love of language but a moving adoration for the language of love.
Head over heels in love with this movie. It's slower paced, it's heavy, but it's brilliant. The acting is so natural and beautifully done that you forget that these people are not real. Zooey really is a superb actress and this film seriously shows her ability to pull anything off. My favorite movie of hers so far
without a doubt.
The best line in the movie: "I just can't believe this is the same man who told his six-year-old daughter that Christmas was a Republican capitalistic conspiracy created by the Hallmark Corporation and that, if Jesus were alive today he'd be down in Nicaragua rallying the Sandinistas. Grace away." I laughed so hard that I had to go back and play the five minutes after that line to re-watch what happens.
Winter Passing is so easy to fall in love with that it almost seems like there should be a catch. All the characters are delightfully off-color and messed up. Zooey Deschanel gives what is probably her best act yet, but also plays out of those protagonists that really are not *nice* people at all and are all the more
lovable because of it. She has flaws and problems, but you cannot help but love her. Will Ferrell is not bad, I never thought I would have reason to say that. He should stick to these type of roles. The film really is not heart-stoppingly original. It reminded me a lot of Junebug or even Little Miss Sunshine. I guess you could say that this type of film, the stereotyped indie film, is to me what a rom-com is to a twentysomething romantic. Or to a high school cheerleader. It's a toss up between the two. One final note, this also has a scene that me cringe, something that hardly ever happens, but at the begin Deschanel drowns a kitten! That is just sick! It is easy enough to laugh of Johnny Depp slashing throats, but drowning kittens is just nasty!
No quotes approved yet for Winter Passing. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Winter Passing'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
Top Critic
