 |
 |
| Directed by Morgan J. Freeman; Starring Brendan Sexton III, Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci, John Heard, Lucinda Jenney, Casey Affleck, Sara Gilbert, Isidra Vega, Ethan Suplee, Michael Ironside, and Aunjanue Ellis |
There is no need to fear, it is not a re-teaming of the cast of 200 Cigarettes for another romp. Of course the fact that Gabby Hoffman is not in this alone gets it kudos. It is actually a well made and nice looking new film from second time feature director Morgan J. Freeman. His first film was last year’s Hurricane Streets, and while he is unable to parallel the achievement in independent filmmaking that Hurricane Streets was, he has brought a nice story to life.
The film mainly surrounds the residents of Baxter Beach, a small California desert town with what seems to be maybe 15 in population. Anyway, near the town is three landmarks. The first is a giant ice cream cone erected by a recently departed resident to attract people to the city. This little attraction causes a visit by a teacher of road side attractions (Heard) and his somewhat famous TV star daughter Skye (Hudson). Along the path is the second attraction attempted by this Baxter fellow, a ocean type park that would run off the California aqueduct, unfinished due to his death. Then there is the third landmark: a factory that makes a new cola with a secret ingredient. It is this factory that somewhat serves as the plot catalyst as a truck carrying its secret ingredient wrecks and its drenched driver dies of unknown reasons. This causes alarm from the FBI and the town goes into a quarantine. This is awful for Skye, who now must cope with these vagrant townspeople as she misses an important meeting. The film for the most part follows her and the resident she’s bound to fall for, Blue (Sexton), as they both come to terms with their own problems (the Sexton one’s climax was a little too much like that of Lone Star, not alike in revelations, but alike in filming).
I liked the screenplay and direction of the film, even thought at times it did show that it was merely Freeman’s second feature. The cast is great, especially in Sexton, Hudson, and Ricci (as a pyromaniac), but every time that Affleck would take the screen, something was lost. I guess he could be one of my choices for the worst actors of the late nineties (yes, some competition for David Spade). All in all, Desert Blue is a respectable little film, but not as respected or little as Hurricane Streets.
