Two Weeks

Saw this film at an exclusive NYC advance screening presented by Gen Art, with the writer/director present, and I gotta say: if you've ever lost a loved one, this film will have you nodding in remembrance. If you've yet to lose a loved one...it's a good primer on how to handle it.

Great performances all around, and I liked the way the film expertly balances comedy with drama. It's a fact of life that we all have to deal with this subject sometime...and a film like this deserves attention because it's one of the few to tackle a delicate subject with grace and humor.

I loved this movie. The characters blended humor with the grief and sadness of losing their mother. Sally Field was excellent. She put aside any vanity and let herself be seen as a person dying would look. Her emotions and her portrayal of the loss was very good. I thought the writing brought out the rivalry and the bond between the "kids" very realistically. They all grew through the process of helping their mother die and helping each other through it. While there were some thin areas - specifically the role of the step-father and why he seemed so distant, most of the characters were well rounded. I don't remember this movie being in the theaters in 2006. Too often Hollywood goes for the big shoot-em-ups and CG movies instead of portraying real people going through real life situations. I would like to see more like this movie.

I had the opportunity to preview this movie in New York City and I was very touched by the performances. It made me laugh, cry and sometimes both at the same time. I was very impressed by the actors and I thought they accurately portrayed what a family would go thru if they were losing a loved one. I think if anyone has ever had to live thru losing a loved one they will appreciate the honesty of this film. I hope it gets to theaters so others can experience this film. I especially thought Sally Field was at her best with a flawless performance. I also really enjoyed seeing Tom Cavanagh on the big screen since I was a huge fan of the TV show Ed. Ben Chaplin and Julianne Nicholson were both great and give heart to this film.

I saw "Two Weeks" at the Hampton Film Festival in a packed theater. While "Two Weeks" is a serious film about a family going through a tragic experience, it is also very funny and true. Stockman, who wrote and directed the film, manages to capture the humor and emotion of a family as they cope with of the impending loss of their mother. It is a brave and honest film. Sally Field is wonderful as the strong and funny matriarch who stares death down. Her performance is powerful and complex. Ben Chaplin, Tom Cavanaugh and Julianne Nicholson deliver honest and subtle performances. They truly seem like a family sharing all of the affection, sorrow and conflict you would expect of siblings going through such a difficult experience. The film is funny and moving. I will be going to see it again when it opens in NYC on March 2nd.

I read some bad reviews, but saw this film at a sneak preview with an audience that laughed out loud, some cried, and many stood in the lobby talking about it afterward. Sally Field puts it all on screen, and I've actually lived and felt many of the awkward experiences the humor is based on. I remember how difficult it was to suddenly be right back with my Brothers and Sisters dealing with the finality of what was about to happen. This movie captures that perfectly. At the same time, once you face it, you have to live, laugh, talk, and take care of details. A lot of the experiences in Two Weeks are so common to everyone, but NEVER really talked about.