Manna from Heaven

This film is being released nationwide by region and will be at our local AMC theatres starting the weekend of February 28th, 2003. Keep an eye open for this film because it is a real winner!

There are few films I have seen in the last few years that have touched me like this one. If you want to see quality filmwork with a believable and well executed story-line, then you really should see this film!

Getting the opportunity to see the media release showing at the Bexley Drexel on Friday January 10th was a true pleasure. After the film Gabrielle Burton, one of the co-directors and co-producers, made herself available for questions. The questions, ranging from the current distribution process to the use of numerous Academy Award winning actors to how they landed such a heart-warming story, were answered with insight and wit. The session had to end after about thirty minutes and yet there were people still wishing to ask additional questions. Gabrielle was gracious in making herself available in the lobby of the theatre for viewers and the press to continue with questions about the film.

I waited around until after she was interviewed on camera for some media outlets and then was able to let her know how I felt about the film. I thanked her for being an inspiration to those of us who are just starting in the film business and although she is an amazingly talented person, she still speaks to every independent film director/producer/writer with respect and support. I think she is a class act and will go further in the industry. Mark my words.

So get out on February 28th and see this film! It is one of the best films I have seen in the last five years!

Charming, well-written movie with good character development. Off the beaten path, and I agree with many posters here who say that they found themselves thinking about the film long after seeing it.

The usual major-development-per-minute mainstream mindset for people with no attention span is nowhere in evidence here. A very interesting story - It's not built to a formula. I just had no recollection of having seen this all before when I was watching it, and that's so rare now in the movie-as-formula age.

Wonderful performances by some really wonderful actors - Frank Gorshin especially was so good, as were Jill Eikenberry and the hilarious Cloris Leachman.

It's good to see this movie doing well, and being picked up by distributors.

We walked out of 'About Schmidt' so depressed and saw a local group promoting 'Manna from Heaven" - what an improvement! Excellent mature actors and actresses in a light, feel-good movie. "Manna", an independent film, may have less polish, but I'm not a movie critic so I don't care. Definitely worth seeing.

Although this was a low budget movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't great, but it made you, from the beginning, want to sit down and watch until the end. I liked all the characters, especially Jill Eikenberry who played such a subdued character, Cloris Leachman, Wendy Malick and Frank Gorshin, and even though I tend to agree with one poster who said that Shirley Jones was miscast, I think it's because we expect her to be sweet all the time and didn't want her to be "bad". But I loved her turnaround. I even stopped to look at the special features on the DVD, because I wanted to see how the show was made, and I felt a part of the process while watching it. I also learned that one of the elderly couples in the dance scene are the parents of the Burton sisters! Interesting info, I really liked the "feel-good" feelings of this movie.

A lot happens in this movie, but it is all predictable drivel with no character development. Written by the "5 sisters" this movie can be taken as a warning of what can happen with writing done by committee. I found myself not only not interested in anything that happened, but resentful that the filmmakers seemed to presume that I would be.