Why so much hype?

To me, this movie is perfection.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Purslane Hominy Will (Scarlett Johansson) is surprised to hear about her mother Lorraine's death. She misses her funeral. She returns to New Orleans to find former professor Bobby Long (John Travolta) and Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht) living in her mother's house. Bobby tells her that her mother left the house to all three of them. She decides to stay in the house. Georgianna (Deborah Kara Unger) is the bartender.This is a long meandering aimless movie like a leisurely lazy summer day. Travalto is acting for all his worth to be a faded drunk. Johnansson outshines everybody. She's not only holding her own against Travalto. At an early age, she shows that she's becoming a true movie star. It's got some good Southern moodiness but the story has no drive.

a delicate picture from South. the atmosphere, the story, the acting - all is splendid. and must see it not for actors or for the reviews but for taste of a special experience who remind memories, choices, errors of each of us. game of nuances, convincing, show of vulnerabilities and masks, transformations and decisions, a little Tennesee Williams and Steinbeck, it is a gentle lesson about real essence of freedom.Scarlett Johansson shines in her role and the light is a kind of rainbow. John Travolta remembers his great and powerful potential. a film who presents slices of a state of soul. and its virtue is not the art to do a realistic/touching picture but to seem be an experience for viewer. that is all. so, it is a not bad idea to see it. as a story who can speak about yourself.

Just saw it on TV. Great, great movie.It makes me want to read the book.It is an absolute shame that it did not receive the publicity it needed and not be shown in all the big theaters.Also, in my opinion, it has a silly, unappealing title. Should have stuck to the title of the book.I hope it will get renewed interest now that it is showing on television.If it does get a second life, maybe the actors will not feel the disappointment they must have when it did not do so well in the past.

Travolta's unconvincing Cajun accent notwithstanding (I never cared for any of his "Southern" accents so was not expecting much), this is one of the better indie films of the past decade, and I thought the direction was steady. This is good storytelling. You find yourself caring about every character; not seeing Lorraine was a fine idea; it is enough to imagine this dissolute mother and New Orleans singer. The film very convincingly portrays three people who have almost always failed themselves. And here they get another chance to get life right. I thought Gabriel Macht and Scarlett Johansson did good work. Travolta did well when he wasn't hamming it up. This is one of those films that bears repeat viewings.