Real World Awards
FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN
Yet another dysfunctional family goes under the microscope in this movie crammed with big name stars that never manages to live up to its potential. The action is split into two parts: in the present we catch up with author Michael (Ryan Reynolds), travelling back to the family home as his mother (Julia Roberts) is killed in a car crash; in the past we visit Michael as his spirit is almost crushed by his over-bearing, bullying father (a great performance by Willem Dafoe). Then, the only thing that saved him was the support of his feisty young aunt (Hayden Panettiere in the past, Emily Watson in the present) who taught him how to have fun. Can she once again come to his rescue now his beloved mother has died? Or will Michael have to face his father and stand up to him as an equal?
Although there are some nice sequences in the film, with Willem Dafoe truly scary as the dad from hell, Ryan Reynolds, better known for his comedic roles, is too lightweight an actor to convincingly convey Michael's emotional tics and complexities. So, it is the flashback scenes of young Michael with his mum and dad that prove the most successful, while the modern day passages lack emotional clout.
Dee Pilgrim.
Send to a friend
Post a comment
Comments
No comments....
Graduate Employers
| Total Professions | TotalProfessions.com was created to guide and inspire you about th... | more |
| D&AD | What we do Well, if you were keeping it short, if you were writ... | more |
| RICS - Royal Institution of Charte... | RICS is the world's leading qualification when it comes to profess... | more |
| TravelWorks | TravelWorks offers a myriad of volunteer and paid work opportuniti... | more |
| ESCP Europe Business School | Founded in 1819 and now one of the world’s oldest business s... | more |
| Towers Watson | Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt have come together as Towers Watson... | more |
| Nottingham University Business Sch... | Postgraduate study at Nottingham University Business School offers... | more |
| nucleargraduates | The UK’s nuclear industry is facing its biggest challenge in... | more |
| AXA UK | With 210,000 employees and distributors worldwide and a presence i... | more |
| PwC | PwC is the one firm for all talented graduates. As one of the wor... | more |
Latest Graduate Jobs
| Title | Organisation | Apply by |
|---|---|---|
Company Secretarial/Governance Graduate - Immediate start
|
PwC | 03 Jun 2014 |
| Radiological Protection Engineer | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
| Materials and Metallurgy | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
| Project Management | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
| Waste Management and Environmental Science | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
| Project and Safety Care Engineers | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
| Chemical Engineer | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
| C&I/Electrical Engineering | Magnox | 31 Jan 2012 |
Exciting new business Placement opportunities within Human R...
|
PwC | 31 Dec 2012 |
Graduate Case Studies
|
JONATHON WEBSTER - STARTUP SUMMER SCHEME PARTICIPANTJonathon Webster is studying Information Systems Engineering at Imperial College London ... more |
|
VICTORIA MOREMON - SOLICITORVictoria Moremon is a solicitor working across the private client and residential property and land estates departments at Latimer Hinks. She studied law at Teesside University ... more |
|
PUJA MEHAN - TRAINEE SOLICITORPuja Mehan is a Trainee Solicitor with Herbet Smith. She studied Law LLB at King's College, University of London. ... more |
|
MICHAEL SKREIN - CSR PARTNERMichael Skrein is the CSR Partner for Reed Smith. He studied modern history at Oxford before doing and MA in international relations in California. ... more |
Graduate Advice
|
Less than Satisfactory: UK schools and colleges Ofsted (who inspect schools in the UK) just released their annual report,... more |
|
Getting Help from the Professionals Recently PUSH asked its viewers if they knew what a professional body was.... more |
|
Famous playwright Alan Bennett has today warned that the increased tuition... more |
|
Eyes opening.....or eyes closing? How that year out can wreck or reinforce your career... more |








Comments