Sadly Over-hyped

Purely Joyful Movie!

Don't listen to the negative reviews

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

'A Cool, Dry Place' is not a bad film by and means and I think Smith's intentions were genuine but there's just something about it that doesn't make the film stay in mind. Perhaps it's the too familiar plot. The film is a little on the mellow side but enjoyable and has some very funny moments and gives a warm feeling. The location of the setting is refreshing and the score adds well to the country mood. Both Joey Lauren Adams and Monica Potter do well. Adams's performance is more natural while Potter's effort is sincere (she did have the harder part) but it is Vince Vaughn's film. The actor is outstanding. All the actors share a good chemistry that shines on screen. On the whole this 'A Cool, Dry Place' is a nice warm film but it's not one that stayed after ending. Perhaps I should give it another chance.

Our daughter came to visit and brought the DVD with her. She recently found out that a friend of hers wrote the book that this movie is based on, so we all settled in this Sunday afternoon, in our own cool, dry place, the living room, and watched it.I was particularly pleased with the performance of Vince Vaughn as Russell Durrell, attorney and single dad that settled in a small, semi-rural community to work and raise his 5 year old son. By all indications he was doing a good job. We don't find out much about mom until a bit later, but she is alive and well, sort of.Monica Potter, Cleveland native and blonde Julia Roberts look-alike is Kate Durrell, the mom who apparently left almost two years earlier and never came back. The son, Calvin (cute Bobby Moat) doesn't even remember her.The love triangle is completed by Joey Lauren Adams as Beth Ward, young and interesting local girl who is divorced and has a younger brother living at home with her. He happens to be a basketball player on the high school team that Russ is coaching temporarily.So, the movie is pretty good, it is about Russ and Calvin trying to make it in spite of the difficulties.SPOILERS FOLLOW. Mom shows up, Russ thinks she might want to get back together, he still loves her, but she admits she never loved him and has someone else. She didn't say as much, but we assume she is there partly to get a divorce. Russ decides to take a big job in Dallas, do courtroom work that he misses, and let young Calvin stay with gramps. But mom takes Calvin to her sister in Cincinnatti, Calvin is scared, Russ realizes family is more important than the job, and turns down the Dallas job, he and Calvin go back to the small town.

Okay, I'm in the minority here as I did not like this movie and thought there were absolutely no saving graces in the performances which seemed very flat to me. The story was trite and uninteresting about a father/son/separated mom idea. How many of these have we seen. What comes to mind in being a better film on the subject and makes COOL DRY PLACE look like a carbon copy is KRAMER VS. KRAMER. Now that film had better actors better script and talk about a child's performance. The kid in KRAMER outshone this kid by a mile.Vince Vaughn I'm not familiar with. He seemed to be one level acting without too much of anything going on inside. If he's the new heart throb, I fail to see this. Blank looks and no emotional backbone, this actor I felt made stupid mistakes throughout the movie. Guess that lies in the acting. I felt he deserved to be dropped by both girl friends and his son.His girl friends were losers as well. Maybe the one he meets has a bit of an edge. At least she had guts. The ex-wife was a washout. And the boy was typical child actor. Nothing that good. All in all it was an evening to be forgotten. Sorry, there are better ones out there.

This movie did not have a wide release in New Zealand. I had to have the film couriered from the other side of the country, and it was well worth it.A Cool Dry Place is a movie that leaves you feeling warm. Its sensitive, and funny and even a little sexy. The storyline is believable, and the calibre of Vince Vaughns acting shows through in his scenes with Bobby Moat who plays his son Calvin . Vince Vaughn does not have children but you would never believe it after watching this movie.Joey Lauren Adams and Monica Potter also both shine in this movie. Joey Lauren Adams character Beth is reminiscent of her character in Chasing Amy, tough and sassy but ultimately sweet. Monica Potters Kate is someone we like to hate, such a vast difference to her role in Patch Adams. I urge people to watch this movie, its beautiful and I loved every minute. After watching this movie, you'll fall in love with Vince's character Russ, and end up falling in love with Vince Vaughn too.