Don McKay (2009)
This slow moving (romantic) drama is a little strange and it’s called Don McKay after the leading character played by Thomas Hayden Church (the Sandman from Spider-Man 3). It also stars the lovely Elisabeth Shue along with the man-does-he-look-old M. Emmet Walsh. It’s good to see Emmet working, good for him, you know?
Basically Don McKay is a high school janitor who has been living in his dead end job for 25 years when he receives a letter from Sonny, his high school sweetheart. Turns out she says she’s dying of an incurable disease and wants him to be with her the rest of her life. The two haven’t been in touch since it “ended badly” those 25 years ago.
It is pretty easy to realize that Don McKay is being played, but you wonder how can he be that dull to not notice? Or does he notice and he’s just playing along, pretending to be dull. His character is dull, however, a stiff guy. But really, who is fooling who, and why? I can’t tell if the movie is supposed to be a comedy, a romantic infactuation piece, or what! It boggles the mind.
And perhaps since I’m sort of in the same place in life, with a gorgeous girl who I can’t understand what she wants with me or from me, or exactly what — and I too feel that I’m not getting straight answers. Oh well, that’s not your worries.
“Some things are better left buried” the film tells us. And to a large extent that’s true, when somethings over and done, why dig it up? Another nugget is that you can’t live in the past – and that is very true too. The past is gone and done with, yes there are consequences to what has happened in the past, but you can’t change it, so pick up the pieces and move forward trying to make the most of your life from today forward.
Things learned from this movie: In small towns everyone knows your name and history about you from almost 30 years ago. In small towns no one has an answering machine or caller ID or cordless phones/cell phones and busses run whenever you want them. Old men found locked in a car trunk are subject to arrest. Always have an epi-pen handy. Love letters to former flames are like the Field of Dreams – go ahead, pour your heart out, it will at least get you laid in the future.
Rated R (why? I’m not so sure). 87 minutes (1 hour 27 minutes). Profanity, some. A little violence as someone is killed with a broken milk bottle, and more are killed with frozen meat. Zero nudity aside from a little temptation from Elisabeth Shue’s cleavage.
