The Shipping News Movie Review 2001

Spacey is Quoyle, a middle-aged lifetime loser who returns to his childhood home of Newfoundland with his daughter and aunt (Dench) after his adulterous wife (Blanchett) dies. There, among the absurdly quirky citizenry, he meets Wavey (Moore) a widow who runs the day-care center and may hold the key to changing Quoyle's life around. Those who read the book (and there are many), will be deeply disappointed, and those who haven't may merely be deeply depressed. The desolate landscape is beautifully shot, but Spacey is badly miscast as the sad-sack loser, and subplots that could lead to some drama are dropped inexplicably. Blanchett and Moore distinguish themselves nicely.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 120 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Canada, Family Drama, Front Page, Single Parents, Widows & Widowers

Screenplay

Robert Nelson Jacobs

Cast

Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Scott Glenn, Rhys Ifans, Gordon Pinsent, Jason Behr, Larry Pine, Jeanetta Arnette, Robert Joy, Alyssa Gainer, Kaitlyn Gainer, Lauren Gainer

Cinematography

Oliver Stapleton

Director

Lasse Hallstrom

Music

Christopher Young

Other

Glen Gauthier, Randy Spendlove, Andrew Mondshein, Karen Schulz Gropman, Peter Rogness, Renee Ehrlich Kalfus, David Gropman

Producer

Irwin Winkler, Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Leslie Holleran, Miramax Films

Awards

Natl. Bd. of Review 2001: Support. Actress (Blanchett).