Greetings from the Shore

It's refreshing to see a small, independent movie with such a big heart, lovable characters (played by an able, attractive cast) and stunning cinematography.

Who knew the Jersey Shore had such beautiful locations? I'm so accustomed to seeing films set in The Garden State that look like a trash dump, not like some tropical paradise. The light is golden and feels almost nostalgic, like a film from another decade.

But life isn't exactly paradise for the down-on-her luck main character (Kim Shaw), who's trying to fulfill her dream of going to Columbia by working all summer and praying she gets financial aid. Her dad's dead, her car breaks down, the job and housing she had lined up both vanish, and she's forced to either admit defeat or turn that frown upside down and make the best of things. Shaw is cute as a button and you want her to succeed. She finds work as a ESL teacher for the kitchen staff at a local restaurant/boat club and gets involved with a group of bad boy drifters who she's supposed to be teaching. Later than sooner, she learns what they're up to and falls for the cutest bad boy of the bunch (David Fumero).

Coming-of-age, end-of-innocence, romantic-comedy, thriller...whatever you want to call it, it works. Kudos to the filmmakers for making such a feel-good film...it would be great to see more indie films that show us the sunny side of life more often than focusing on just the dark clouds of human experience.

This is a sweet feel-good movie about a young woman who ends up on the Jersey shore for a summer job after her father passes away so she can save up money to go to college. Kim Shaw does a great job at playing this innocent and fun-loving character and as a huge Paul Sorvino fan, of course his performance was great too! The Russian sailors were both comedic and mysterious and really all of the acting in this indie film was great. It's not a sappy romance story but the story line isn't really anything beyond what you could normally expect but if you like a sweet movie that will leave you with a smile on your face I definitely recommend getting this one! Note that there are F-bombs being thrown around every five minutes by certain characters but it's still a good movie nonetheless.

The lead actress (Kim Shaw) in this movie is fantastic. She is a sweet character who has vulnerability and strength. The setting of this film on the Jersey shore at resort/restaurant gives a feel to it like "Dirty Dancing." The cast is rounded out with other memorable characters – Paul Sorvino for example, as well as the manager at the restaurant (good comic relief!)

There are really nice moments throughout this film and the build-up of the movie's romance is good. Mid-way through the film though, it starts to lag. It feels like the stakes could be higher – either on the romance-end or in the conflict that is felt between the workers and the rich "frat boys" or in the main character's grief over the loss of her father (which gets lost in the story). It's lacking that "compelling something" to pull me into the next scene and next. I needed something more to make me feel like I NEED to know what is coming next.

It is worth noting that the movie finishes on a strong note with a "showdown" of sorts.

The locations, directing, acting, and cinematography are all strong. The story could have been stronger. Cutting out some of the middle scenes and/or trimming them down would speed up the pacing and improve this movie in my opinion.

I feel like this movie is a 6, or maybe a 7 out of 10. Since it is an indie film, I rounded up to a 7 (since it is hard to make a good movie with less money). If you like romances that aren't formulaic romantic-comedies, this is a nice coming-of-age one.

I had never heard of this movie until I caught it on a movie channel on television. Once I saw a few minutes, I was hooked. Something about it drew me in. I spent the rest of the movie trying to figure out what that something was. I think I know.

It's a true "feel-good." It's not offensive, it's not run-of-the-mill, it's not cliché. In fact, I was surprised it was rated R, it could easily have gone PG or PG-13. Some of the humor is edgy, but the romance is pure and sweet, there are NO sex scenes (can you believe it) and yet it's still effective.

The characters are real and the acting is right-on. The dialog is strong. The plot is unique. Perhaps the climax scene is a little predictable, but it doesn't take away from the movie. It only adds to the lightness of it. Sometimes it's refreshing to just experience something that is in its essence sweet and good and simple. That's what this movie is. If I had one word to describe it, it would be "genuine." You feel genuine when you're watching it and you feel genuinely satisfied once it's over.

7.5

Other than quotes from co-screenwriter Gabrielle Berberich that appeared in the print media promoting the three-day Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, NJ, I knew nothing about "Greetings From the Shore" when I was asked to introduce it Saturday night, April 5, 2008. Having seen it, I think the film is a wonderful example of a fully realized, completely relatable story that a lot of people would want to experience with others in a movie theater. New Jersey has exported enough natives around the country who will want to see this quintessential summer coming-of-age-at-the-Shore story. May they take with them friends who would be surprised to see the 'other' Jersey. The acting was well done: With her subtly expressive facial features, lead Kim Shaw has a promising future ahead of her. Paul Sorvino, who spoke from the stage afterwards, expressed the cast's collective gratitude for the chance to perform in a well-crafted narrative.