A Year in Mooring

Alternately titled Hide Away - which is how it found me. It took about 15 minutes to get into it, and I am so glad I did. The beginning holds us down in Josh Lucas' 'depths of despair, so I will fix a sailboat' phase. Spectacular scenery, slightly old-school cinematography and the minimal dialogue work well to sustain the journey this many goes through. We don't fully grasp the source of his pain until the end. And it is painful. (Note to parents - PG 13, however an intense, though no parts shown, love scene in last 1/4) The beautiful remoteness of the location and the characters played by Ayelet Zurer as the philosophical waitress with her own secrets, and James Cromwell as the ancient mariner support the viewer's immersive experience. The use of Longfellow's "The Children's Hour' poem was brilliant. Loved it!

Having read the reviews I was hesitant to watch. As the story unfolds the journey hit home to my own path of grief from losing my parents within 3 months of each other. Gave my heart hope for survival from of the knee bending pain. Look for symbolism that the negative reviews missed. Helps to embrace the healing process. Thank you for making this film. To the critics who wrote negatively, you missed the boat, pun intended. May you never experience such deep loss to have to walk this same path!

It's a quiet movie. The motor on a sailboat is called an iron genny not an iron spinnaker as Lucas refers to it in the movie. Genny comes from the word genoa which is a sail, like a jib, only it's leach extends aft of the mast. Also, no sailor spins the dock lines in a spiral like Lucas does. That's a stupid habit of power boaters. Anyway, I watched because I like sailing. Not much to glean about sailing though from this movie. The point of the moving has nothing to do with sailing. I liked it though because Lucas was trying to find the answers at the bottom of the bottle. I can appreciate that. If I were to sink into a depression and come to grips with loss I'd make sure it was in a warm place. The Great Lakes are not a recommendation for a long sulking and healing.

Really enjoyed this movie. It was well acted, a good story, and very interesting watching Josh Lucas slowly resurrect the old dilapidated boat that he bought. Don't really understand the poor rating, but then I say that all the time.

This movie - is a fascinating & haunting personal growth story - but to understand it helps if you live on a boat / are on aboard one / own a boat.

Many aspects in this story would be lost on apartment or house dwellers (as well they should).

A true portrait of life on an older vessel in adverse conditions - cold & condensation is are just some of them.

My personal favorite - the scene with the head !

These parallels of repairing ones vessel back to live from total neglect is no simply task. Repairing & restoring - while suffering through it - is so contrary to the rapid throw away and sink'em style of other stories or lifestyles..

This movies sticks with you and evolves - if you give it the time it needs to fill your sails with air to propel you forward - caution this is NOT a mega cruise and there is no fresh shrimp at the buffet on the lido deck !