SLOW BEGINNING, LOTS OF TWISTS, ENDS UP 4+ STARS
David W. Schweppe | Illinois | 05/29/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Hi. If you are reading this review, then you probably already have found this "sleeper" and are looking to own to dvd - that's what happened to me. Having watched it through twice in the past twelve hours - once alone and once with my wife (and yes, she cried near the ending), this film goes well beyond being another "chick flick." The social themes are there, but underlying them I found a powerful uindercurrent of a theme - forgiveness and reconciliation. In the end, I found that THAT was the ultimate theme (and hope) of the film.
One of the aspects of the film I find interesting is the author's use of names. For example Amanda (lovable) and David (beloved) end up being the two protagnists in the film. Grace (which means grace), one of the antagonists is ironically anything but grace-filled but rather has a bitter quality to her life and personality. The other antagonist in the film, Nick (victory of the people), attempts to sow his seed upon anything that moves as he drowns in his self-glorifying ego.
Overall, once said and done this film is powerful and worthy of being in one's dvd collection. It is a shame this film never got the promotion that it could have - society would be a better place if we'd begin to live out the movie's theme.
David Schweppe
Aledo, Illinois"
Diamond in the Ruff
lmc | Jerusalem | 07/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am writing this review from a culture that experiences more emotional extremes (between love and hate) than any other place in the world, Jerusalem. I found myself looking for a movie to watch this morning that could return me back to the safety and security I know in America, if just for a couple hours, when I ran across this one.
"Finding home" is a great wake-up call for what's really important in life. The acting is great, the setting is heart-warming, and the story line flows in perfect sequence from one scene to the next. It is also a mixture of the good and bad we experience in life and that also exists in each one of us. I wouldn't call it a chick-flick but you should get out of your head and into your heart if you want to get the most out of it. The challenges experienced in the lives of the characters portray a response that demonstrates the way we should all live our lives. Of course forgiveness is the is the main theme but there are other lessons to be learned as well; the importance of ones legacy through family, material insignificance, restraint from judgement of others, patience, kindness, even the importance of education if you look a little deeper. It is full of the subtle insights into life that can make or break our search for happiness and fulfillment.
I will certainly pass this film on to both friends and family members and I only wish it had subtitles in both Arabic and Hebrew so I could pass it on to non-English speakers here. I agree with the other reviewer that "It is a shame this film never got the promotion that it could have" and hence never made it into the public eye. I had to come to Israel to discover it and never heard of it before. At the end of the day I have to say it is truly a "Diamond in the Ruff"."