GOOD NOT GREAT

HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT


THIS film released BY STEVEN SPIELBERG'S AMBLIN COMPANY JUST DOESN'T ADD UP. THERE'S WAY TOO MANY STORIES AND THE ENSEMBLE JUST DOESN'T CLICK. THERE'S NO SECOND RATE ACTORS IN IT BUT SOMEHOW IT LEFT ME UNFULFILLED. THE ONLY REASONS FOR SEEING THIS FILM ARE JANUSH KAMINSKI'S PHOTOGRAPHY (WHICH IN HIS YET TO BE RELEASED DIRECTORIAL DEBUT "LOST SOULS" WINONA RYDER STARS. ), WINONA RYDER'S LIKABILITY ON THE SCREEN (WHICH DOESN'T COME TO MUCH IN THIS FILM; ALSO IN HER FIRST FILM SINCE "REALITY BITES"(1994;BEN STILLER) IN WHICH SHE OOZED LIKABILITY) & TWO FLASHBACKS SCENES: THE SAMANTHA MATHIS AND LOREN DEAN FLASHBACK & THE ALFRE WOODARD STORY FLASHBACK. ALL THE FLASHBACKS SEEM THE SAME EXCEPT THESE TWO IN WHICH WE HAVE SOLID ACTORS IN THEM. AND MAYBE SEE IT FOR THE NEIL DIAMOND SONG SEQUENCE (WHICH IN THE TRAILOR PLAYED THE FILM AS HAPPY GO LUCKY WHICH IT CERTAINLY IS NOT). OVERLONG & COMPLETELY BORING, IT TRIES TO WEAVE A QUILT OUT OF MANY STORIES BUT JUST DOESN'T WORK. EVEN THE ALWAYS LIKABLE DERMOT MULRONEY HAS NOTHING TO DO IN HIS NOTHING PART.