LONESOME JIM

US, 2005, 91 minutes, Colour.
Casey Affleck, Liv Tyler, Kevin Corrigan, Mary Kay Place, Seymour Cassell, Mark Boone Jr.
Directed by Steve Buscemi.

Lonesome Jim is a case study in depression. It stars Casey Affleck who had appeared in a number of films like Jerry and Ocean’s Eleven and was soon to make and rise to stardom with Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (including an Oscar nomination for this performance). He is very good as the depressed young man who, after some time in New York, returns to his parents’ home in Indiana. His brother, Kevin Corrigan, has never left and is divorced with two young daughters. Their mother, Mary Kay Place, is a born optimist. Their father, Seymour Cassell, is more down-to-earth.

When Jim returns, he broods, is forced to take a job at his mother’s factory after his discussions with his brother which led to a car accident and possible suicide attempt. He meets his odd uncle, a drug dealer who is using the factory as a cover. He also meets a young nurse, Liv Tyler, and begins a sporadic romance with her, discovering that she has a young son.

As the story progresses, Jim is able to find some kind of hope with Anika and bonds very strongly with her son, Ben. However, his mother is arrested for drug dealing – and does not realise that it is the uncle who is responsible. Jim is entangled by the uncle who has asked him to open a bank account for him in his name, in the plight of his mother. Eventually he comes to some kind of moral conclusions and takes a stand. There are glimmers of hope at the end.

In the meantime, the film is an interesting psychological case study of contemporary young adults and their loss of hope and meaning for life.

The film was directed by character actor Steve Buscemi who made such films as Trees, Lounge and The Animal Factory and Interview.

1.The title, the focus on Jim, his issues, mood? Character study?

2.The Indiana town, the roads, homes, the factory, hospital? The detail of an ordinary small town? The musical score?

3.The study of Jim, his age, his background as a child, relationship with his parents, memories, his brother? Would-be writer? New York, work, depression? No money, getting the bus home? Meeting his family again? His attitude towards them? His attitude towards life, the amount of dialogue given to his rueful reflections on life and lack of meaning? Lonely, morose? Capable but ineffectual? His thinking that his parents were bad parents? His blunt talk to his mother? His talking with his brother, the brother’s lack of achievement, marriage broken, the nieces? His caring for the nieces? Lack of prospects? His brother’s accident, the coma? Blaming himself? His meeting Anika, talking, her charm, going home, the beginning of the affair, seeing her at the hospital, neglecting to ring her, the phone number, going out, the discovery of Ben? The effect of Ben on his life? Ben at his parents’ home? Anika visiting his brother, the touch of jealousy? The various situations with Anika, love? Fathering Ben? His taking over the basketball coaching from his brother, sitting and watching, Anika urging him on? His taking on Ben, helping Ben to play? The uncle, his style, discussions, setting up the bank account, work at the factory? His feeling he should work for his mother? His father’s pressure? Stacy, the drugs? His mother’s arrest, the shock, her going to prison, on bail? Clashing with Stacy? His decision to leave, the bus station, with Anika and Ben, his finally chasing the car? Possibilities for some happiness in life?

4.Anika, her life, the father of Ben, with Ben, her work at the hospital, a good nurse, at the bar, charmed by Jim, the affair, visiting his brother in hospital, in the home, with her son, the basketball, the bonding with Jim, with his family? At the bus station, the farewell, the final drive-away in the car?

5.The parents, good or not? His mother talking in the third person, her optimism, the factory and her work? Her puzzles? Her son in coma? The arrest, prison, making do, cooking for the other women? His father, silent, the pressure, his not understanding Jim?

6.Tim, his life, children, his wife leaving him, lack of achievement, not working for his parents, Jim talking, his taunting him, the accident, the coma, the difficulty with the bedpan? The visits, Anika and her help?

7.Stacy and the drugs, the bank account, the deals, his not confessing? Jim’s confronting him?

8.A glimpse of ordinary people, their troubles, hopes?