The bulk of American society seems convinced that tragedy is something to be conquered, overcome and, ultimately, forgotten. Emotional and physical calamities have the uncanny ability to take on many forms, and when all is said and done, a miraculous “healing process” is always the explanation for one’s recovery.
This astonishing process of healing seems plausible in theory, but how does one really achieve catharsis after experiencing a tragedy?
Brad Silberling’s “Moonlight Mile” manages to portray and vividly describe the true nature of the healing process and grief that entails, though the film’s execution is not very provocative and, at times, quite dull.
The movie stars well-known actors Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon, as well as the young and rising Jake Gyllenhaal, whose credits include “Bubble Boy” and “October Sky.” Gyllenhaal’s acting seems to be steadily improving, though that does not mean that his performance in “Mile” is stellar.
Hoffman and Sarandon play Ben and JoJo Floss, two feuding parents that have recently lost their only daughter due to a random homicide incident in a restaurant. She happened to be sitting next to a young woman whose drunk husband wandered in and shot them both, injuring his wife and ultimately killing the Floss’ daughter. Gyllenhaal plays the part of Joe Nast, who was also her fiancée at the time of the murder.
Ben and JoJo decide to take Joe in as a sort of surrogate son, and the start of the movie finds all three of them traveling to the funeral.
The acting in “Mile” is multi-layered and interesting to watch because, depending on who is in the frame, it’s either compelling and exciting or silly and inconsistent. Hoffman and Sarandon do a terrific job portraying two opposite ways one can cope with grief.
Both are grieving for their daughter and are suffering tremendously; however, their anguish is projected in two dissimilar ways. Ben denies his sadness and tries to focus his attention on more business-oriented affairs to get his mind off things.
He even takes Joe on as his partner in commercial real estate, solely to fulfill a life-long dream. JoJo is suffering as well, though she implements sarcasm to deal with the pain. She is essentially much more frank and to-the-point than Ben.
Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, always seems to be wearing a different game face. One scene he is sad and depressed, the next frightened, and eventually sure of himself and going after another woman. I suppose Silberling did this with the intent of achieving stages of grief for Joe. These stages, however, come across as being unconnected and result in quite a disjointed ride. Joe’s persona is constantly changing, though the causes for these alterations are obscure and difficult to establish.
I expected the movie to be very dramatic and provocative, though in general it was quite dry and modest. There were very few emotional breakdown-esque scenes, and even fewer interesting conversations.
This caused the movie to progress very slowly, yet it did seem to have a positive effect: it provided a realistic depiction of tragedy. Because there are no action-packed plot twists, “Mile” is basically a portrayal of how a normal family can deal with death and suffering.
Aside from the acting issues and slow plot execution, “Mile” teaches a valuable lesson: it’s not overcoming tragedy that is important, it’s determining the significance of one’s suffering and using that knowledge to find truth in life.
“Moonlight Mile” shows us that by being ourselves and interpreting our suffering in terms of our own desires can we ascertain how a tragedy fits into the big picture of life.
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