Forces of Nature

Rating: ****
Date Seen: 1999-03-19

I could just cry right now. I just spent four hours writing an entry about this movie and why I liked it so much. Then, for some reason which I still haven't determined, something totally started to hog my processor resources, then X restarted, and everything was lost before I could hit the "Submit" Button. Well, I know I'll never remember everything I wrote about it, so here goes a brand new review. More on the malfunction, and its implications, to follow in Random Ramblings after I've finished redoing this writing.

I loved this movie. It has everything a good movie should. It takes the audience on a journey, forces us to think about life's questions, makes us laugh, tells a compelling story, presents us with visual splendor, and in the end, we feel like we've come full circle. I left the movie with a reaffirmed belief in the goodness of life, humanity, and nature.

Forces of Nature asks questions and poses issues about marriage which I myself have thought for quite a while. Just because two people are in love right now, what basis is there to assume this will be the case twenty, ten, or even one year in the future? Or maybe marriage isn't supposed to be so much about romantic love, but a way of holding society together, providing children with a stable environment to grow up in, and creating a place where people can feel at home -- a family. Whatever the case, watching this movie is bound to make you think about it.

The plot is as follows: Ben (played by Ben Affleck) is going to get married. His plane from New York to Savanna, Florida, where his wedding is to take place, meets an untimely accident on the runway during takeoff. A bird flies into the jet engine, causing the plane to angle off and crash into a sign. He doesn't want to try flying again after the incident, and no rental cars are available, so he catches a ride with two other stranded passengers who share the same destination.

He becomes attracted to Sarah (played by Sandra Bullock), one of his travel companions. They have one misfortune after another on the way, and he has to ask himself whether he really wants to get married, or whether marriage itself is worthwhile.

Throughout the movie, secondary one-line characters whose marriages have failed in one way or another are paraded by. Their tales would lead to the conclusion that marriage is pointless, worthless, something to be ignored, or a necessary evil. However, this movie is NOT a slam against marriage, and I think anyone who watches it from start to finish would agree with me on this point. It invites the viewer to question the purpose of marriage and why it exists. No matter your beliefs about the issue coming in, you will be challenged and to examine them, and hopefully come out with a clearer picture because of it. I know I did.

On another note, this movie was also awesome in technical areas. The cinematography was excellent. If you see it on video, avoid pan-and-scan at all costs. The director possesses a high degree of competency at the big screen, and as such, has made use of the entire screen real estate. If you miss the edges, you miss a lot with this one.

The special effects department was also right on track. Although you wouldn't expect it in a movie like this, the special effects played an important role in contributing to its excellence. I loved the raindrop effects used in a couple of scenes. I recently read an article by the guy who came up with the techniques behind it, and it was really cool to see in action. Basicly, raindrops in a storm move at super-slow motion, while everything else in the frame goes at normal speed. It was really cool to see. I also loved the dramatic sky backdrops scattered throughout the movie. Even though they weren't the main focus of the movie, a good sprinkling of visual effects really made it more enjoyable and enhanced the mood.

The nice variety of upbeat background music also helped make it an excellent movie. The acting was very good as well. Sandra Bullock, with her natural, down-to-earth style, was supurb as always. Ben Affleck did a good job playing the main character who is faced with the decision of whether to commit the remainder of his life to his fiance, played by Maura Tierney of News Radio fame, who also performed well in the role of his fiance. I really liked how the characters they all played were written. Nobody is set up as the villian. This allows the audience to carefully weigh the ideas presented, rather than falling into the trap of "Such and such person was so nasty, therefore (insert behavior or action here) is the wrong thing to do."

The movie also had a good share of laughs to lighten things up, although it doesn't fall into the genre of romantic comedy. It's too deep, has too many dark twists, and the non-Hollywoodish ending definitely keeps it out of this category. Sandra Bullock, in an interview with Howard Stern, classified it as a black comedy. I think this fits. I'm gonna have to add a field for genre in my movielog sometime soon.

Well, that certainly wasn't as nice and polished as my first attempt, but it covers all the essensial ideas. Now I'll head over to random ramblings and go into further detail about buggy software, all-night movielog entering sessions, and other miscellaneous nonsense.