Overrated and overhyped

Boring

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

If you like feeling comfortable while watching a movie, this isn't it. This movie has real feelings and will make you confront those weird feelings about things you may be uncomfortable with in your life. The movie has a real view of bitterness a man can feel from the unfortunate turns of life. It shows how a man, so distraught from losing all of the things that determine his self-worth. Totally lost in bitterness this is his driving force even when the biggest blessing in the world to heal others is given to him. It is NOT what he wants, not what he has prayed for when he seldom prays. Everything is tilted, with strings attached to him, and still very unfair. But, the truth of what he can really be, not what he wants to be, is the whole essence of this film. His journey is not unlike anyone in real life. That, is what makes it uncomfortable, it makes us ask ourselves about our own unfortunate events and how they too have stripped us of our own self worth. So, if you watch the movie in that frame of mind, you can enjoy it. You can relate to the raw feelings of the main character. And if your lucky you can actually finish watching this movie with a feeling, I can do better, I can make something better of myself. Congratulations to Mr. Ruffalo in his directorial debut. It is fantastic!

The title makes no sense unless you know the main character's DJ name is "Delicious D". With this, there should be little confusion as one watches Sympathy. Sympathy for Delicious is well-respected actor, Mark Ruffalo's (The Kids Are All Right, Zodiac, Shutter Island) directorial debut and it was penned by one of his long-time friends who happens to play D (Christopher Thornton, a paraplegic who wrote the screenplay because of the lack of roles available to him in Hollywood).D was an up-and-coming music DJ in the rock world of SoCal until he is injured and finds himself confined to a wheelchair ... the story begins after this has happened and we find D living out of his car on Skid Row where he comes to the attention of a local priest played by Ruffalo. After a chance encounter with a fellow homeless man suffering from both gout and Alzheimer's, D finds out he has been given a Divine gift and can miraculously heal others (but alas ... he is unable to heal himself).Upon this discovery, the priest briefly puts Delicious to work doing God's will ... until D gets it into his head that he should be making TONS of money for healing others and so he makes a name for himself with the help of an odd rock band that decides to cash-in on his abilities. Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings, Elizabethtown, Haven) and Juliette Lewis (Conviction, Cape Fear, Strange Days) play fellow band mates while Laura Linney (The Truman Show, Kinsey, You Can Count on Me) co-stars as their icy and conniving manager who readily admits to exploiting their Divine find. By making such a public, high-profile spectacle of himself and telling everyone he's only doing everything for $$$ ... D opens himself up to all kinds of scrutiny (and he isn't up to the task of taking it all in). It doesn't help that his lone friend in the band, Lewis, sees him as a sell-out which causes things to spiral out of control. And, well, BAD things happen ...I didn't believe much of what unfolds on screen (I allowed myself to buy into this premise ... but come on) which makes THIS story that much harder to accept. My primary problem: if there are some major stretches taken early-on, why is there no leeway later in the film when the "stretching" should still be allowed?! Sympathy wanted to "have it both ways" for dramatic effect which is simply the error(s) of screen writing 101 I am sure.This is a VERY difficult story to make humorous (the film is classified a "comedy" on IMDb). I viewed it as much more of a tragedy as it is a film about some VERY lost individuals; but I am sure some might find it funny/hilarious (I didn't ... laughing at an actress pretending to have cerebral palsy isn't laugh-out-loud funny). Sympathy for Delicious has some good moments and it is a promising debut from a new director; but the subject matter is simply too tricky. Had it presented/sold itself differently from the outset, I might have viewed it differently ... but there is a bit too much ultimate trite-ness here for me to appreciate (not to mention D isn't very LIKE-able -- which, in turn, makes the film difficult to like as well).

SYMPATHY FOR DELICIOUS is well worth watching in theaters, on demand for television, or DVD. Though the film is out and available at present, this ad for a movie poster is the only opportunity to attract attention to an excellent movie and encourage people to watch for it. The story addresses several tough issues - the plight of the homeless on skid row, the lack of support for disabled persons, the arena of faith healing, and the at times crumbling dreams and realities of rock bands. The film was written by Christopher Thornton who suffered spinal cord injury in 1992 resulting in his being a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair: he has over come his disability by becoming a much lauded stage actor (the first to play Hamlet in a wheelchair, etc): Thornton also stars in this film and his performance introduces an actor of exceptional virtuosity. Mark Ruffalo directs his first film and also stars as one of the lead characters. 'Delicious' Dean O'Dwyer (Christopher Thornton) is a DJ on the rise in Los Angeles whose career is devastated by a motorcycle accident leaving him confined to a wheelchair, living in a car on skid row. He is part of the people cared for by Father Joe Roselli (Mark Ruffalo) who recognizes a life worth saving and turns his attention to Dean, attempting to restore his ability to walk by taking him to a faith healing revival lead by Healer (John Carroll Lynch). Though Dean is not healed himself he does happen to touch one of his fellow skid row dwellers who is subsequently miraculously healed. One of Dean's friends, Rene (Noah Emmerich) discovers Dean's powers and pleads with him to heal fellow paraplegic Rene. Dean does not believe in his power of faith healing (he is frustrated that he cannot heal himself!) and continues to search for a place where he can return to being a performing DJ. Dean meets bass player Ariel Lee (Juliette Lewis, in a stunning star turn) who is convinced Dean should join a forming band composed of The Stain (Orlando Bloom), Ariel, and Oogie (Dov Tiefenbach). While the rasty band recognizes Dean's talent as a possible addition to the band, the band's PR person Nina Hogue (Laura Linney) will have none of it. it is only when Dean's healing powers surface that the band - and Nina - want him to give them an image that will make them famous. Dean is discouraged by Father Joe, pleading with him to remain at skid row performing his healing so that Father Joe will increase donations to his charity care house. Conflicts arise, incidents occur with the band and at skid row and Dean's place in all of this new fame is altered: money seems to be the driver that destroys many people and gets in the way of the true value of Dean's healing gift. The film is strong on many levels - especially the acting (except for Orlando Bloom who overwhelms the story in the wrong way) - and as a first film to be directed by the very gifted Mark Ruffalo it holds promise of works to come. Christopher Thornton is not only a fine writer and actor, but his screen presence i so powerful that it is likely he will become as major a star on film as he is on stage. Grady Harp

I was able to attend the premier at Sundance this year, and let me begin by saying, this movie riveted my senses. With strong performances by the cast, especially writer and star Christopher Thornton, the movie worked it's magic. I sat in awe near the front row, as Mark Ruffalo, the director, got on stage before the film began and gave a brilliant opening speech. Then the room grew dark and the movie started.I'm writing this from the New Frontier located on main street, Park City. Two hours after the film ended, and yet i still find it hard to clear my mind of "Sympathy for Delicious." After the film finished and the audience gave a standing ovation, Mark, Christopher, and a large portion of the crew, climbed on stage to answer our questions.Among the many questions answered, was the story of how it all began. Mark began by saying how he had been best friends with Christopher for the past twenty years, how they had studied together as actors in New York, and about Christopher's tragic accident seventeen years ago that rendered him a cripple. Then Christopher took the mike and told us of Mark's pressuring him into writing a movie based on his own character and experiences. This began a ten year trek to getting the film made. The numerous rewrites and financial difficulties it went through were astounding, yet they persevered and finally succeeded in making a masterpiece.If you haven't yet viewed this movie you're missing out on something great. Not only does it supply emotionally gripping characters but also a wholly original script. And let's not forget Mark's directing, which in itself is a powerful debut.