Certainly a pleasant little film. Could have been cut a little around the middle where the film drags a bit. Though it may lose some momentum, it never bores. On the contrary, once you're over the unlikely premise, the script has a great deal to offer in dialogue, not just humor, not just heart-tugs, but actual intelligent thought and a fair and necessary reflection on the State of the Union.

Besides, tightening up the pace a tad, the only other improvement I would have suggested would be to recast the main character. Not to say Kevin's a poor actor. Actually, I think he's a very good actor, it's just that audiences won't completely buy him in the role. I think Larry the Cable guy would have knocked it out of the park. That said, Costner's nicely written speech at the end had me completely in tears -- I'm such a softy.

Oh, there is one other rewrite, I would have taken the local reporter in the opposite direction. And oh yeah, one more bit of praise. The writers were careful to bring several characters through their own personal arcs instead of simply relying on the main character to carry that burden. This gives the film a depth often missed in other films. A very strong B+, almost a weak A-.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --