Angels Crest

ANGELS CREST is not a perfect movie: there are so many undeveloped sidebars that keeping everyone in a place where they seem to fit into the tale is difficult. But there are some powerful performances here and some cause for reflection that makes the movie very worthwhile watching. Based on the novel by the same name written by Leslie Schwartz, adapted for the screen by Catherine Trieschmann, and directed by Gaby Dellal, the story deals with numerous interactions of a small town populated with alcoholics, drug abusers, adulterers, and other strange types and how they deal with a tragedy that makes no sense.

Nate Denton (Ameko Eks Mass Carroll) is a 3 year old son of Ethan Denton (Thomas Dekkar in a breakout performance that deserves attention) who awakens one morning in his pathetic home to tell his beloved single dad that it is snowing. The father/son bond is strong and Ethan dresses them both to go out to view the beauty of the snowy countryside in their old truck. When they arrive at a perfect spot, Ethan turns to the backseat to take Nate out to make snowmen, but Nate has fallen asleep in this safety car seat. Ethan makes the truck warm, locks the truck and walks out to view the spectacle of winter, the deer, and the eloquent mountains. In a few minutes he returns - and Nate is gone! Ethan is terrified, begins shouting his son's name as he searches for him. The town is alerted and a search party begins. Nate's mother alcoholic mother Cindy (Lynn Collins) is notified of Nate's missing and begins her tirade on every person she meets. After an overnight search for Nate, Ethan discovers Nate's frozen body and is devastated. Ethan is taken into custody for a death stemming from negligence and the townspeople form sides as to Ethan's guilt. Among them is a waitress Angie (Mira Sorvino) and her small daughter Rosie (Emma Macgillivray), Ethan's friend Rusty (Joseph Morgan), a lesbian couple (Elizabeth McGovern and Kate Walsh), Cindy's preachy mother (Barbara Williams). and the local police. The town brings in the District Attorney (Jeremy Piven) who obviously has secrets of his won that mirror Ethan's crisis. The story is resolved in a strange and tragic manner, leaving many crises unsolved.

Thomas Dekkar gives such a fine performance that we are able to see inside his heart and head and soul. The supporting cast conveys the small town response to a tragedy among their own - who is guilty of what and how could the incident have ever occurred. There are many ideas created by the writers and the characters that are never realized fully, but the sense of human response to an accident is staggeringly real. There is much more to this film in retrospect, after watching it, that haunts the viewer.

Grady Harp

All the great vistas and quality cinematography, can't make up for the lackluster production and direction of this film. Thomas Dekker looks more like he should be playing Gerard Way in the "My Chemical Romance" story, than a grease monkey in a hillbilly town.

Then you have the textbook lesbian couple seen in almost all movies made in the past 10 years. Juxtaposed with the overtly religious mother with the alcoholic daughter, this story seems more like it's trying to please a film school students liberal teacher.

No heroes, no anti-heroes. No moral, no point.

Everyone seems to be in a rut here. No rhyme or reason.

A better name for this would be "Shit Happens".

Nice to see Mira Sorvino. I can't understand why she did this though. No opportunities for her to shine in this, but she plays her role well.

Same goes for Jeremy Piven, though in his case he should fire his agent. He's a great actor, and plays his part well, but seems constrained by the script and/or director.

Not bad, but not good either.

Where to start? Like Scrabble, all the pieces are there! Thomas Dekker. Thomas Dekker looks like what Michael Jackson might have hoped for with his 23rd plastic surgery. Thomas Dekker could don a long hair wig and play a female role without any further assistance from the make up department. Am I supposed to believe that this guys is a rugged outdoorsman? Jeremy Piven should have played the lead role! You dragged him out the way up to Canada for his short role! The producer should have kicked out the extra dough to cast Piven as the lead! You might have made your money back! The fact is, any male actor in this film would have been better in the lead role than Dekker. Dekker's luscious eye lashes and gentle features are a huge distraction! He is a pretty boy cast for a role that requires someone a bit more rugged, to put it lightly! This story is excellent and could have been knocked out of the park with some better casting decisions!

I am Paul Wayment's sister and this movie doesn't even remotely resemble my brother's life... It was a cowardly attempt to write a story and present it in a way that cheaply takes pieces out of a horrific real life situation and pass it off as cinema.

The story of my brother Paul and his son Gage is heart breaking...and teaches human frailties and timeless lessons. Please don't compare this piece of trash to my brother's tragedy. The Pulitzer Prize written story about Paul Wayment is a more accurate piece than what was loosely written in a book or screenplay. A story as haunting as my brother's needs to be told as a true story. There are countless lessons to be drawn but this movie takes a powerful story and destroys any good that could have come from it. Sorry hated it.

Simple story with no twist or purpose really. Thousands of kids go missing every year and this story just reminds those families how easy it can happen. The film tells a simple tragic story with little to no entertainment value. Story line is thin, acting in most cases questionable and direction amateurish. Would we watch it again - No. Not retained for future viewing.