Greetings from the Shore

Not knowing what to expect going in, I was pleasantly caught off guard by the simple elegance of "Greetings from the Shore," a terrifically earnest coming-of-age story of love and redemption set at the Jersey shore. Call it a love letter to the locale's sandy beauty, there's no denying the film's unabashed enthusiasm for the power of its setting.

"Greetings..." tells the story of Jenny Chambers (Kim Shaw), a Columbia University-bound girl reeling from the recent death of her father. Returning to the Jersey shore to work at a pizza parlor for the summer, Jenny's plans suddenly fall apart and she finds herself in rough waters teaching English to a group of nomadic, sea-legged (and less than amenable) waiters at a local boat club. Much more welcoming is "Catch" (Paul Sorvino), a retired sea veteran and mechanic who once fixed the Chambers family car and is now content to spend his days alone on his own landlocked vessel. When Jenny and one of the waiters, Benicio (David Fumero), develop a mutual attraction, Catch's fatherly protectiveness puts her in between a place of love's impetuousness and cautious practicality. The effect of this is that all are forced to reevaluate the plans, regrets and possibilities their lives have served up.

The cast is uniformly strong, the dialogue natural and assured, with the lush direction maximizing the scenery. Newcomer Kim Shaw brings with her a tough vulnerability and charm that will certainly make her an actress to watch, while Fumero offers many shades of complexity to a role that doesn't just require hot and brooding. Ever the consummate character actor, Sorvino exudes tenderness and heartbreak as a man torn up by his past. Other stand-outs include the scenery-chewing sinister club owner, "The Commodore" (Jay O. Sanders), and Benicio's pensive colleague, Lars (Lars Arentz-Hansen).

All in all, this is a well-made movie that satisfies the heart. Worth a couple of viewing hours for sure.

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.

This film reminded me of movies from my high school years, sort of like a John Hughes flick. I definitely enjoyed it and will watch it again if I get the chance, but I know that if I'd seen this film when I was younger, it would have been in heavy rotation on my schedule of flicks to watch on weekends with my girlfriends and a huge bowl of popcorn, or maybe salt-water taffy. Heck, I'd watch it again just for the eye candy of David Fumero! But seriously it's about time some movie showed New Jersey in a favorable light. My favorite place there is the Jersey Shore (whose isn't?), and that's what this movie is all about. It shows off the best things that come with spending a summer there -- the boardwalks and games, beautiful beaches, and all the quirky characters that make up this unique slice of Americana. The movie is fun and funny, and it's romantic and sweet. I gave it a 9 out of 10.

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

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.