Search - The Battle of Shaker Heights on DVD

Extremely Pleased

Bookaday | Cleveland, Ohio USA | 09/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"*backgroundI have always been a Shia Labeoudf fan. When I saw the "Battle of Shaker Heights" trailer I knew I had to see it just because it had Shia in it. I am lucky enough to live about 20 miles from Shaker Heights, so despite the limited release I was able to see it in theaters. The day it came out, I picked up the paper and was dissapointed to see that it had only recieved 2 1/2 stars. I still went to see it, not expecting very much, and boy was I pleasantly suprised. The storyline was incerdibly touching and so real that everyone can see themselves in one of the characters. I laughed out loud at least a dozen times. What was so touching was the article I read after I had seen the film about the extreme parallels between Shia's real life experiences with his father and the role of Kelly's father in this film. It was probably difficult for Shia to revisit certain aspects of his childhood, but at the same time I really think this aided him in making his character come alive.I did not watch the "Project Greenlight" show but I plan to watch it when it comes out on DVD. I think this movie might have been even better if the studio was given more money and time to produce it. It is a shame that movies like Gigli get millions of dollars to produce and this movie barely had enough to scrape by. *SynopsisSome critics labeled this movie as a dull coming of age story. I beg to differ. Kelly ( Shia's character) was able to derive a sense of gravity from his interactions with his mother ( Kathleen Quiinlan), who was a starving artist, and his father (William Sadler) a recovering drug addict, that at times made it difficult to predict whether the movie would end up being a drama or comedy.This story chronicles Kelly, a war reanactor enthusiast, who falls for his wealthy friend Bart's ( Elden Henson) sister, Tabby ( AMY Smart). Kelly akwardly approaches any social situation with the same cluelessness he employs on the mock battle field. He even mentions to Bart that he writes his own rules about everything. Unfortuantely in highschool individuality is not a hot commodity. Instead of blending in, all of Kelly's flaws are accentuated by his akward, sometimes forward demeanor. You can only imagine how funny his interactions are when he attempts to win the heart of Tabby. Despite his flaws and quirks, the audience will end up rooting for him to win all the perverbial "battles" in his own life. Due to his friends urging, Kelly eventually takes a stand against his peers in school and confronts his parents. He later is forced to deal with regret after seeking revenge on a certain classmate that had been his greatest nemisis. The movie ends on a bittersweet note when Kelly ultimately reconciles with his father and forgives him for squandering his college savings for drugs. Kelly also realizes that Tabby ( Amy Smart) has entered into a grown up world in which Kelly is not yet accustomed to. When Tabby dismisses Kelly, it is a moment that everyone can relate to. It will bring the viewer back to their own experience of akward adolescent relationships. It definately is a pivotal moment in the film, and rightfully so.I think that this movie was much better than critics suggested and it proves that movies do not need to be laced with vulgarity and sex to be entertaining. Perhaps this is why the critics did not enjoy it. Maybe we are so used to seeing garbage that it has become some sort of standard in which we measure everything by. Bottom line : See this movie you wont be dissapointed."

A SURPRISING SUCCESS

M. golay Erisman | North America | 01/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I watched Project Greenlight when Battle of Shaker Heights was featured. Getting a fly-on-the-wall perspective of the movie making process was fascinating. The show allowed a glimpse of the angst the writer experienced having her story re-written a few times to suit the directors' vision. Conflicts between the directors and the writer and producers as well as Mirimax execs made it seem the movie would not finish successfully.Sadly, the movie was only released in a limited number of cities and theaters, and probably wasn't the blockbuster hit originally hoped for. I believe the movie was a huge success in a couple of ways: great writing and super acting by Shia LeBeouf. Witty subtleties in the dialogue can be attributed to brilliant writing. I hope Erica, the writer (also listed in the credits as a bridesmaid), didn't have to compromise as much as it seems she did during the course of Project Greenlight.I think this was a breakthrough performance for Shia. He artfully and comically captured Kelly's (his character) intriguing mix of angst, passion, self-deprecating humor, knowledge and intellect. I was captivated by his passion, pitied him for being a bully target, and was mad at him for his resentment aimed at his freshly sober dad.The movie was lacking in plot and character development, especially the relationship between Kelly and his father. This, I believe, was due in great part to editing, and not the original story. Another area I felt the movie lacked was the crush Kelly had on his best friend's sister. It didn't seem particularly believable and more awkward than anything. Hooray that in the end Kelly chose his friend-coworker. That was a much more believable and endearing match.Though I wouldn't categorize the movie as Oscar-worthy, all in all, it was very sweet and cleanly pulled together. It held my attention and left me loving and empathizing with Kelly."