JACK GOES BOATING

RYAN: Jack Goes Boating marks the directorial debut of Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.

CAROLINE: It’s based on a play in which he co-starred along with Daphne Rubin-Vega of Rent fame, and John Ortiz. All three actors reprise their roles in the movie, and they’ve added Amy Ryan as Phil Hoffman’s love interest. They’re all great actors so the best thing about the movie is probably the cast. It kind of bored me otherwise.

RYAN: I actually really liked this movie. There’s major relationship drama, and it’s a real character study. It covers a lot of territory including friendship, marriage, love, drugs, adultery, etc. And even though these characters aren’t like people you and I know, I’m sure there are many people like this in the world, who have difficulty communicating and expressing themselves.

CAROLINE: I guess that was my problem; I couldn’t relate to these characters at all, which I’m thankful for. I got bogged down in what a sad sack Phil Hoffman’s character was, and it was hard for me to get over his weird pseudo-dreadlocks and pathetic love life. This movie was kind of a downer for me.

RYAN: I just thought all of the performances were so good, and Phil Hoffman did such a good job illustrating their lives. My favorite performances were from the women – Amy Ryan is amazing, and what her character goes through is really interesting. And Daphne Rubin-Vega has some really powerful scenes too, especially toward the end.

CAROLINE: No doubt the acting is great, I just wasn’t that compelled by the story. The problems the characters are having are interesting and somewhat relatable, but I found it all depressing.

RYAN: I hear you, but I thought it was uplifting at the end. I was proud of Phil Hoffman’s character and what he accomplishes. Maybe I was just in the mood for a small, character driven movie when I saw it. And even though some play adaptations still feel like plays when you see them as a movie, this one didn’t.

CAROLINE: I really liked the friendship between Phil Hoffman and John Ortiz, but overall the movie bored me. I think this is exactly what we’d expect from a Philip Seymour Hoffman directorial debut – small, indie, great acting – but I was definitely ready for it to end.

— BOTTOM LINE —

RYAN: If you want a quiet but great indie film with great actors, this is a good one. I’m impressed by Philip Seymour Hoffman as a director.

CAROLINE: He’s got indie cred and has a background in theater, so this is a good start for him. Even though I didn’t love the movie, I’m sure he’ll have future success as a film director. It’s a well made, well acted movie; I just didn’t love the story.

— RATING —