MOONLIGHT MILE

US, 2002, 117 minutes, Colour.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, Holly Hunter, Alan Corduner, Dabney Coleman.
Directed by Brad Silberling.

Moonlight Mile is a little-known vehicle for Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon. It is also a vehicle for Jake Gyllenhaal making the transition from juvenile lead to adult. He was to make quite an impact in a number of films including Donnie Darko at this time and then Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain. Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon play parents of Gyllenhaal’s fiancée who was killed by accident. He is to stay with them as a witness in the court case. They do not know that she broke up some days before the accident. When Gyllenhaal meets a sympathetic young woman, whose boyfriend has been missing in Vietnam, they are attracted. This raises tension in the family and moral decisions for Gyllenhaal’s character.

The film focuses on family, family bonds, the suffering of grief and loss, the expectations that somebody will step in and take the place of the missing child.

The film was written and directed by Brad Silberling whose previous films included Casper as well as the remake of Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire, City of Angels.

1.The impact of the film? Emotional? Death and grief? Relationships?

2.The Massachusetts setting? The small town? The title? 1973 and the background of the Vietnam war? The musical score?

3.The focus on the killing, the restaurant shooting, Diana and her death? Her parents, Jo Jo and Ben, their grief, having to deal with the death? Their own work, jobs? Receiving Diana’s fiancé, Joe, into the household? His staying with them? The bonds? His not being able to tell them that Diana had broken off the engagement? The portrait of an average American husband and wife – strengthened by the presence of Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon?

4.Joe, his background, his relationship with Diana, love for her, the break-up? The revelation of the break-up? his staying in the house, being one of the family, the details of the ordinary experience in the house? The testimony? His meeting Bertie, talking together, sharing experiences? Sharing grief? His falling in love with her? The difficulty of forming a relationship, his telling her about the break-up with Diana? The reaction of Jo Jo and Ben, seeing Joe and his love for Bertie?

5.Diana’s parents, their presence at the trial, grief, attitude towards Joe?

6.Joe, the trial, his testimony? The emotional speech, his realising that he had to change, to move on? Diana’s parents and their response?

7.Bertie, in herself, her relationship with Cal, his going to Vietnam, his being missing, her grief? Attraction towards Joe? Listening to him, his confession about Diana? The bar? Her finally accepting that Cal is dead? The decision to sell the bar?

8.Jo Jo and Ben, the various plans they had, for Joe to become part of the family, become part of the firm? Each of them and their love for their work, their hope for continuity?

9.Joe and Bertie, moving on from this traumatic experience? Hope for a new life?

10.A portrait of ordinary people, a portrait of grief – and insight of the reactions of ordinary people?