Loggerheads

This isn't a tidy little movie with a predictable end, predictable characters nor script— rather this is a compelling, profoundly moving film refreshing in how delicate it is. The performances are nuanced and the dialogue and story lines have a verisimilitude that left me feeling touched by the characters. They felt "real." That is rare in any film— that quality where you stop watching actors and start watching characters and feel their pain, hopes, dreams. I only saw this movie by accident as my boyfriend and I got to the theater to see another film which happened to be sold out and seats were available for this film. Lucky for me.

First - let me say that I am not associated with the movie in any way and I paid $10.75 to see it. (I was reading the other comments and the only negative one I saw decided that all the other glowing comments were shills.)

I loved the way the stories intertwined. The acting was superb. Tess Harper and Bonnie Hunt were particular favorites for me. Like others have mentioned, I was very impressed by Ms. Hunt's dramatic work in this movie and hope she'll get to do more of it. The movie was quiet and thoughtful. Some might think it was slow, but I didn't feel that way. I was totally involved with the story and interested in the characters every step of the way.

A really wonderful film.

Kudos to Tim Kirkman for assembling a marvelous cast to tell the poignant story of "Loggerheads," a 2005 independent production filmed in North Carolina. "Loggerheads" (the title refers to large turtles as well as the normal meaning of the word) tells three different stories in three different time periods. The stories eventually intertwine. The first takes place in 1999 and stars Kip Pardue as Mark, an HIV-positive young man working to preserve the loggerheads. Kip is sleeping on Kure Beach in North Carolina until he is taken in by George (Michael Kelly), who lets him stay in the motel he manages.

In the second story, which takes place in 2000, an unhappy woman (Bonnie Hunt) who lives with her mother (Michael Learned) wants desperately to find the child she gave up for adoption but isn't having any luck until she meets a detective.

The third story is in 2001 and concerns a Christian couple, a minister (Chris Sarandon) and his wife (Tess Harper) who must come to grips with a sad family situation, but the minister's faith holds him back.

All three stories are beautifully told and acted. The normally funny Bonnie Hunt is here in a serious role, and she tears at the heart, with Learned offering down to earth, quiet support - they are an ideal mother and daughter. The juvenile-looking Pardue gives a sensitive performance as someone who seems totally alone, at odds with his world and has given up making sense of it. As the minister, Chris Sarandon is powerful as a good man who believes in a punishing God and of a different opinion than his normally acquiescent wife, Harper, who has a tough decision to make. There are two other standouts: Michael Kelly as George, who befriends Mark, and Ann Pierce, an Olympia Dukakis lookalike, as Harper and Sarandon's wise neighbor.

Though the pace of the film is a little slow, the stories are intriguing enough to hold the viewer, as are the performances. It's also very well photographed. One IMDb poster stated the ending was clichéd - perhaps it was, but it was nevertheless satisfying. This is a film from a director/writer who has something to say - catch it if you see it for rent or on the Sundance channel.

I saw this film last night at the San Francisco Frameline Film Festival (6/20/05). This is a profound and moving filmgoing experience. I don't really want to say much about it but I encourage people to see it. One thing I particularly liked about it was the use of the Carolina locales. The film suggests that there's a whole world out there that Gay people have been deprived of. Yes, major cities like San Francisco and New York have been Gay turf for a long time. LOGGERHEADS dares to make the statement that we have to right to belong everywhere comfortably be it "the heartland" or the urban center. This film really is about "the heartland" -- a place where people have to grapple with their most personal issues and come out as better, stronger individuals. Between seeing LOGGERHEADS and Gregg Araki's MYSTERIOUS SKIN this week, I think the so-called "Gay Film" has really come of age.

I loved this movie. The cinematography, direction, and acting are fantastic. The NC shoot is exquisite (particularly the scenes at the beach). Using three different story lines that ultimately converge is a great way of drawing the viewer into the story and making it much more intimate and meaningful. There is a certain level of shock at how antiquated adoption laws and mores have been (and still are).

The ending is uplifting without being a "Hollywood" saccharin sellout. The bittersweetness of the closure is a wonderful way of reminding one that we can always do a better job of being human to each other - even when we don't understand each other.