I
missed this one in the theaters and kicked myself for it. Now I own
it and I'm so happy I do. What a great little film. The story is simple.
A cash poor film crew comes to a small town to film their movie. Small
town reacts to them, they react to it, see the inner workings of crazy
film people, that sort of thing. There are lots of great characters
played by great actors. The ensemble cast is amazing--William H. Macy,
Alec Baldwin, Julia Stiles, Sarah Jessica Parker, Charles Durning, Patti
LuPone, etc. etc. The core of the movie is a blossoming relationship
between the idealistic screenwriter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is
trying to find purity in the mishmash that's becoming of his movie;
and a bookstore owner, Rebecca Pidgeon, who is trying to help him keep
his soul. It's very funny in places, dark, bright, and always creative.