Perfect date night movie

Elizabethtown”Elizabethtown” is a unique and intriguing film that leaves you thinking for days. Some people will love it and others will hate it -- and that’s the beauty of this picture.

Orlando Bloom stars as shoe designer, Drew Baylor. After Drew’s radical shoe design loses his company over $900 million, he decides to commit suicide. Just as he’s about to kill himself, his sister calls to tell him that his dad just died from a heart attack.

Drew flies back to Kentucky to handle his father’s funeral. At his lowest point, he meets a spunky flight attendant named Claire (Kirsten Dunst). This starts a strange courtship that is the main plot of the movie.

The film has many story lines and it’s almost too much to process. The two-hour-plus running time can’t handle all the material. In order to tell the complete story, this film should be four hours long.

My biggest problem is that I didn’t feel that Claire and Drew were actually falling in love. Dunst is definitely my kind of girl and she does a wonderful job but I think the English-born Bloom didn’t quite grasp his character. I’m not sure Bloom understands American culture and how people from small towns react to relatives that leave for the big city.

Most of the supporting roles add to the experience. My favorite was the underrated Michael Naughton, who does a great job as Drew’s goofy cousin.

I actually auditioned for “Elizabethtown”. One of the strange moments was seeing the character I auditioned for come to life on the screen. I tip my hat to the actor that got the part. He did great.

My day will come soon enough.

The absolute best part is the soundtrack.

No director uses music better than Cameron Crowe to establish mood and this film is no exception. I purchased the soundtrack and I’m listening to it right now as I write this award-winning article.

Since it’s a romantic comedy, “Elzabethtown” makes a great date movie and it’s the type of film that will generate a discussion.

The ending is a classic and it really saves the film from being mediocre.

In summary, “Elizabethtown” is good for a weekend getaway but it feels more like a family reunion than a vacation.

* MATT BELLNER is a screenwriter/actor from Burbank.

20051026i4xf2hkf(LA)Matt Bellner20051026ioy0lwkn(LA)Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom star in “Elizabethtown.”