Come Early Morning (2006)

Great Film overall

good back-story, and good acting

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Amazingly enough, I knew segments of this film were being shot right down the street from my house here in North Little Rock in 2003, yet never got to see the film when it was released. I finally watched it here at the house this past June weekend.Although Joey Lauren Adams originally wrote the role of Lucy to play herself, she soon found it harder than she had imagined and got Ashley Judd to play the lead role instead. That was probably a wonderful idea although Ms. Adams is quite a talented actor.It took me a while to figure out the underlying message in this film, because it is presented in an almost silent and subtle way. One wanting happiness, but never really finding it. "One wanting something good in life, but nothing is worth having" type of message. We find out quite quickly that Lucy (Judd) has a taste for beer and pool halls. She shows us how miserable she really is in life, although she is trying extremely hard to come to grips with her family's skeletons.We never really get a feel for what the matter was between her and her Papa played by Pat Corley. All that we are able to gather, Lucy's father has moved back from somewhere and we know that Nana (Diane Ladd) has had previous conversations with him without prior knowledge. Diane Ladd is a wonderful actor who has been around in television and film for 52 years and I hope she gets to act as long as she can. We are made to feel a sense of almost desperation in Lucy as she tries to remain impervious to love. When she meets Cal Percell (Jeffrey Donovan) for the first time, we see the sparks fly in both directions, but we somehow know that Lucy can't decide to make anything good stick long enough to her ribs to make a difference.****************************** SPOILERS ******************************* Lucy struggles to find answers to her tremendous incessant remorse with her punishing habits of getting drunk and tying one on with any man that happens to catch her eye. Cal makes a comment that typically says it all. Cal asks Lucy "When was the last time that you kissed someone sober?" Lucy attends a local church with her father and soon has a meltdown while seeking answers to one of life's most difficult decisions one has to eventually make.Proper counsel with the very colorful pastor of the Holy Roller Church as it is referred to in the film does Lucy much good. She realizes that she has to forgive, not only others, but herself. The film takes a few disappointing turns toward the end, but still delivers to wrap up the story by easily making us aware that Lucy was about to leave her old ways behind and finally break free from her past so that she can really know what love is. The old adage is so true; before you fall in love, you need to love yourself.Director Joey Lauren Adams won the Women in Film Crystal Awards Dorothy Arzner Directors Award in 2006 for this film. Additional notice should be mentioned for the role of Uncle Tim (Tim Blake Nelson) and the roommate Kim (Laura Prepon) who both played memorable roles. Laura Prepon grew up in the north, so it was a pleasure to see her play such a wonderfully simple southern beauty.Thanks to the church and band members, the pastor, and Lyle's Starstudded Honky-Tonk Band. Don't let me forget two biggest guys Lucy loved dearly, Owen Allen (Stacy Keach), and Bob (Ritchie Montgomery).Joey, I hope you make more films in Arkansas because it's such a wonderful state to be from. Let's not for Grandmother "Doll" (Candyce Hinkle) who had a very small role but did great. Great Job!

great movie. Just a good, honest, satisfying movie. I went with my fiancé to go see this movie at the crossroads film festival and this one made me feel really glad that we have a quality, local film festival in Jackson. I thought the movie tried at every turn to not go for sentimentality or cheap emotion, but nonetheless had some real moments of pain and hope. It is good to see a movie that really tries to say something and doesn't pander. The movie is good in the way that "Half Nelson" is, it presents real problems that people face and the true difficulties which accompany these difficulties. The south i portrayed in a refreshing and legitimate fashion. This is a movie that reminds you that there are so many good movies out there that are just under the surface, much better in quality than 90% of the large-release movies.

Its one of the best movies Ashley Judd has done. She's very natural and likable in this movie. The movie of in itself is superb. A must see. Congratulations to Ashley Judd. The movie is at its best in that it represents everyday life. There's nothing better than seeing a close true based story. I believe the more natural and heart warming a film is the more people will enjoy seeing it and having it at home. Just like songs. People like to hear true tales that touch people within themselves onto which something they can relate to. In my opinion, the more down to earth a movie and a lead actor gets, the more people want to come to movie theaters. Simple answer.

Joey Lauren Admans "Come Early Morning" seems almost like a continuation of the film that made its star, Ashley Judd, famous, Victor Nunez' "Ruby in Paradise." Both pictures are about girls trying to make a life for themselves in small southern towns, but Lucy, the protagonist of "Early Morning" is at least a decade older than Ruby. That is why it seems almost to be the next chapter in Ruby's story.The decade has not treated the protagonist well. Where as Ruby was a sort of wide eyed innocent, Lucy is now a woman whose journey through life is encumbered by a lot of baggage.She has problems relating to men on a romantic level, seeing them as either cold and unresponsive like her father or just mean and domineering like some of the other men in her family and the slugs she picks up in local bars.So, somewhat predictably, when she meets a nice guy, she rejects him enough times that he eventually moves on.Ashley Judd is such a fine, appealing actress that she keeps you glued to the screen, despite the somewhat predictable plot twists. But there is something about the screenplay which fails, for I never had much faith in her character, who in many ways seemed as emotionally bottled up as her father.And that's the film's failure. "Ruby" ended on a hopeful note, if for no other reason than that the central character was smart, resourceful and had her whole life ahead of her. "Come Early Morning's" protagonist faces a cloudy future and while the film showed guts in admitting that, it didn't leave you wanting to see more of Lucy the way the earlier film made you want more of Ruby.Nice try by everyone involved, but it was just too dark a picture in many ways.One final note. So many films these days have no significant subplot. Lucy had some kind of construction business, but it was so downplayed that in the end, when she takes over the business, we don't exactly know how big an achievement that is, or if it really means more to her than just taking on harder work for no real pay off. This film could have been more effective had her career or some other aspect of her life been more fully developed so that she faced some real test there as well. Subplots are important in that they give stories and their protagonists depth. And of course, the stakes always need to be higher for the protagonist, to make us care.