Spring Forward

Its Pauls first day on the job. As the film begins, he and an older employee of the local park department, Murph, are driving to a work site. Pauls blurts out two words, "Armed robbery. This is the hook, the problem/conflict and a key element in the storyline. What follows, is the story of the relationship that develops between these two male characters that are different in age, background, experience and situation when they are thrown together on the job.

. It is an intriguing film, however there is not a lot of action. Sometimes there isn't even much dialogue. In fact, I would call, watching this film, a meditation activity. It's a gentle story, presented much like a stage play, with the passage of time depicted by unrelated, but significant, interposed scenes of normal hometown activities. This unique cinematic technique adds to the contemplative quality of the film. Another aspect of this cinematography is the gorgeous nature imagery of the northeastern United States seasons captured by the camera for these scenes.

I have experienced this kind of special male camaraderie several times in my life, so I know it's real and I know how important it can be. This film is a thoughtful statement of that experience presented artistically.

Ned Beatty plays Murph, a lifetime worker for the parks department. Beattys acting career kicked off with his role as Bobby Trippe in Deliverance (1972). He has appeared in 123 TV and film roles since then. He always delivers a solid acting performance, although usually in secondary roles.

Liev Schreiber plays Paul, a hot head working on his second chance. Schreiber has only been in films for nine years, but he has had 35 roles. He was in one of my favorite films, Big Night (1996) and also in The Hurricane (1999) and The Sum of All Fears (2002).

Tom Gilroy wrote and directed the film. It is his first screenplay and second direction.

Reviewed August 22, 2003