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by Frank Wilkins
This introspective tale comes from the heart of writer/director Brad Silberling who calls upon a dark period of his own life to create a stylish gem of a movie that will shamefully go unnoticed by most moviegoers. He bases the story of Moonlight Mile upon the real-life emotions he experienced after the tragic murder of actress Rebecca Shaeffer (1986 CBS-TV, My Sister Sam), who was gunned down in the doorway of her apartment building by a stalker in 1989. Silberling was dating Shaeffer at the time of the incident, so we get a first-hand accounting of the grief process and the effects it has on the surviving loved-ones.

Set in the early 1970s, we meet the grief-stricken Joe (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he sits in the home of real-estate agent Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and writer JoJo (Susan Sarandon) Floss, the family who would have been his future in-laws. The Flosses lost their daughter, Diana, and Joe lost his fiancée when a crazed gunman entered a coffee shop to shoot his wife and Diana was caught in the crossfire. Now Joe lives in the home of Ben and JoJo. The plan was to have Joe join Diana's father in a real-estate business and, after the tragedy, Joe reluctantly fights his intuitions and continues with the plan.

The arrangement begins to get a little complicated and emotions sour when Joe meets the young and beautiful Bertie (Ellen Pompeo), who works at the town's post office and tends bar at the local tavern. Bertie carries her own emotional baggage and the two find in each other, kindred spirits.

All the actors deliver high-caliber performances that tinker with Oscar® consideration. Gyllenhaal is very convincing as a young kid attempting to rationalize his sheer confusion as he wages a strong battle with the truth. Sarandon, as JoJo, hides behind a veil of courtesy as she fends off the tacky mourners and well-wishers with a contrite politeness. "It pisses me off when they ask about her, and it pisses me off when they don't. That's just the way it is, so there"! Ben is ready to move on and get the real-estate business going despite his unhealed wounds. Pompeo shows great talent and emotional range in a role that may be just the one to put her on the map.

Moonlight Mile moves at a deliberate pace, slowly revealing the characters' multiple layers of emotion and individuality. It dredges up the pain and bereavement buried beneath the exteriors of nice and genuine people. Silberling recognizes the power of the talent at his disposal and guides them with a careful hand. He has a message to get across and takes his time, slowing the pace in just the right places for dramatic emphasis. I was reminded of the deliberate nature with which Todd Fields unfolded his tale in 2001's In the Bedroom.

Running concurrently is the trial of Diana's accused killer in which Joe takes the stand to speak of his love for Diana so that the jury can understand the family's loss. Shattering revelations are delivered and emotional weight is lifted as Gyllenhaal gives one of the best monologues of the movie. He bares his soul to the courtroom and even though his testimony initially seems disastrous, the mourners seem revived by the outcome of the extreme "truth enema" as JoJo puts it.

The story becomes a bit forced and emotions turn a bit sappy as the ending nears but Silberling's first-hand message ensures us that there is life after loss. You can never replace a loved-one, but you can laugh and be truthful with yourself. In the end, Moonlight Mile misses a bit on some of its delivery but Silberling's masterful character analysis coupled with phenomenal acting; make Moonlight Mile an overlooked treat.

Frank Wilkins

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