Still Breathing (1997)

Absolutely the worst movie.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

For those thinking this is a chick flick, my partner brought this to me because it resonates with our story so strongly. And he is a gun-totin', beer-drinkin', crude & rude redneck. Sometimes it does happen that there's an amazing connection between people who belong together but can't necessarily believe it, because of personal histories and all of the paraphernalia of "real life". And it takes one person to believe all the time, or two people each to believe enough of the time, to carry them through the parts where you just have to *trust* the other person and take the leap. That's really what this movie is about, to us, and it captures all of that just perfectly.

I saw this at it's premiere in Austin at SXSW a few years ago--Joanna Going sat two seats over from me in the balcony at the Paramount on Congress Avenue in Austin--and the audience loved it. Brendan Fraser is pretty charming in the lead. I was surprised by the cameos: what's-his-face, Lou Rawls, as a street musician; and what's-her-name, who played Fraser's mom (I don't have the cast list handy). An "OLD Hollywood" icon. Anyway the plot is pretty unique, but maybe the main plot device could have been more clearly explained right off; I knew what was happening only because the director said what was happening in his opening remarks to the Paramount audience. The producer, a tall blonde BABE in a very lovely dress, gave me a CD of the soundtrack as I was leaving; I told her I thought the film was great and that I hoped she'd make a lot of money off it. She sighed and said she hoped so too.

I absolutely LOVED this movie. The way it was filmed was so beautiful. It made me want to visit Texas. I was thrilled to see Joanna Going. She was on a soap opera I used to watch a looooong time ago. She is as beautiful as ever. The characters are believable. Joanna Going's character, Roz, is a con artist but instead of disliking her you feel sympathy for her. I would watch this movie again and again. The music weaves throughout the film and makes you feel good.

This film is one of beauty. Not only for the amazing scenery but for the actors and direction as well. Brendan Fraser finds his voice as the eccentric and honest puppeteer and Joanna Going is impressive in one of her first lead roles. The chemistry between the two adds authenticity to the interactions between them and exposed emotions that do nothing short of putting you in their place, their emotional state at the time. The lush, rich colors of ivy and Texas's gritty breezes are stunning. Add to that a soundtrack that incorporates everything from jazz to Chopin to Morphine, all of which are used quite successfully to set the perfect mood/tone. This film is like a vacation, a breath of air if you will, from all of the special effects-packed blockbusters that fail in the area of plot and character development. It is so magical you might feel as if you have been dreaming. I would recommend it to anyone.