Walking to the Waterline

Anyone who knows the fleeting value of "fame" will find this tale true and funny. I like that Mulhern put himself out there as a writer (of a story familiar to him), and director. I also found the unique shoot location (a tourist elephant on the New Jersey shore)a lively metaphor for the passing strangeness of life. Here's a guy (Mulhern)off balance following the death of his father when he visits the family summer home to empty and sell it. He's away from his current life, swept back into his childhood with gay neighbors who knew him "when." He finds warmth with a quirky woman (Foote)who shows him kindness and genuine regard. I found it touching and delightful. Loved the cameos by Broderick and Flanagan written with smooth economy of dialog showing the cold stone of agency people when you're no longer "hot."

I found this movie quite by accident on the Independent Film Channel on day while I was channel surfing. I didn't get to see all of it that first time...but I made it a point to watch it in its entirety when it was on again. I loved this movie. I wouldn't give it a 10. But I would definitely give it a 7. The one thing I liked about it was its realism. This is the way people are...and this is the way people behave...and this is the way people look. The character development was outstanding and the plot was believable. The shore scenes were also wonderful. I would highly recommend this film to anyone.

"Walking" is a higher order of film; it's more true to life and has far more nuance than the usual Hollywood product: no cardboard cut-out characters here or simplistic situations.

More often than not I find Independent films a risky proposition as far as entertainment is concerned--they are usually too artsy, too abstract, and/or just plain boring. But movies like this make one glad there is such a thing as Independent film.

I agree with some of the other reviewers: "Walking" is somewhat slow at first but one soon becomes involved in it; though I liked it a lot I'd give it a 7 or 8: it's easy to get carried away in one's praise and enthusiasm for movies like this because it's such a relief not to be subjected to the same old cliches for the umpteenth time.

I caught this film by accident on IFC (Independent Film Channel) yesterday. I didn't really know what to expect, but I found the film involving enough to hold my attention.

Basically, this is a film about a man whose life is like a rudderless boat. Though we see only a week or so of his life, it seems clear that this is pretty much the way his whole life has gone. The main character, Francis MacGowan (played by writer/director Matt Mulhern) returns to his childhood home to sell the house after his father dies. He cannot, however, seem to begin the process, choosing instead to spend his days walking the nearby beach, recalling disparate events of his childhood. Eventually he makes friends with his dad's neighbors and meets Lucy (Hallie Foote) who falls in love with him. Unfortunately for Lucy, Francis is married.

Matt Mulhern is best known as Lieutenant Holowachuk on 'Major Dad.' (In the film, he plays an actor who appeared on a TV sitcom as a soldier. Does this imply that other aspects of the story are also autobiographical?) Also appearing in this movie are Beverly Archer and Jon Cypher (Gunny and the general from 'Major Dad'). Other TV actors include Alan Ruck and Michael Boatman (both from 'Spin City'), and Hal Holbrook (from 'Evening Shade' and 100+ other movies and TV series).

It's not mentioned in the trivia section for this film, but I'm pretty sure Hal Holbrook also supplied the dead father's telephone voice, which makes the scene on the beach between Francis and the old man just a tad spooky. Was this supposed to be Francis' dad giving him advice?

Everyone in the movie plays his/her role well, but Hallie Foote is a standout as the lonely tourguide who falls hard for this sensitive young man.

There are no car chases, fist fights, gun battles, not even a murder. No heroes and no real villains. This is a sweet and simple story of a moment of indecision in a man's life.

Some viewers will complain that nothing much happens here. I found it true-to-life and involving.

I started watching this movie on IFC one day and it was so wonderfully done; great characters and story - well developed - it catches the feel of the Jersey shore so beautifully and the people who live there year round and often work in Atlantic City. Not to be missed.