PhillipMichaelH Director Brad Silberling isn't the greatest director to ever come out of American film but given that he was trained by working in television and then was even chosen by producer Steven Spielberg to direct his first film says that he is a worthy talent. After 10 years of working in television, Brad Silberling began a friendship with Steven Spielberg, who felt he was the right choice to direct a film which he was producing. The result was the 1995 blockbuster, Casper. While not the greatest film ever made, Silberling proved that he could handle a big budget special effects production and he didn't even have one film to his credit before then but also he showed how he could work well with actors and bring out solid performances. While I'm not defending Casper as a masterpiece, I think it has some inspired moments of comedy and drama in it that dealt with loss of a loved one and how to carry on from such a tragedy. The only thing I could have done without was the last minute of the film where the cast dance along to a Little Richard cover of the popular Casper theme song. Other then that, the movie works well.Silberling then decided to make a more grown up film but still dealt with the same themes of his first feature, the result was City Of Angels (1998) which was an American remake of the popular art house film Wings Of Desire from 1987. Again, not what most would consider a masterpiece but it still showed Silberling's talent with working with actors and it was also a well made film if you ask me. The heavily emotional scenes with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan caught the attention of acting legend Dustin Hoffman and then Silberling was able to make his dream project for his third film.Moonlight Mile (2002) is loosely based on a real experience. Silberling was dating actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989, who was killed by an obsessed fan. This unfortunate event inspired the idea for his most personal and best film to date. I won't give away too much in this review but I felt that this was a unique film about following your own heart and not focus on what is expected of you. Many films have done this in the past but Moonlight Mile has a different take on it because it is also about grief, keeping secrets and not opening up to people which I think makes it even more thought provoking and inspiring which I feel are the two most important elements to a film.So check this one out when you have the chance. Again, not the greatest movie I have seen in my life but it's still an interesting twist on subjects that have been repeated many times. Unfortunately, Silberling has made some weak choices as a director. I will not be defending his latest film Land Of The Lost with Will Ferrell but other then that, the rest of his work is rather impressive and while he hasn't reached the same heights as Steven Spielberg or many other directors who work in the genre he works in, he almost got there with this film. Let's hope if he does make another film, it will take us completely by surprise. We can only hope.

bzb2001 People grieve in different ways. In the case of 'Moonlight Mile,' the way people don't grieve may even come into question. There is a crassness involved when people assume they would act different. How do you know unless you're in that exact situation? Brad Silberling writes and directs 'Moonlight Mile,' a film as touching and heartfelt as it is off the cuff and quirky. As in Silberling's other efforts, 'City of Angels' and 'Casper', he has created a film that perhaps overloads on the whim and fanciful but lands as an entirely engrossing experience.Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the fiancée of a woman who is murdered in a small town eatery. We meet him as well as the woman's parents, played by Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman, at the funeral and we are surprised by the lack of emotion of any kind. But what does not surprise us is the undertones of pain. Sarandon's mother hides under a blanket of sarcasm and calloused annoyance of the clichéd behavior shown by family friends and well-wishers. Hoffman's father copes by staying busy. Busy with the funeral, busy with the business, busy with the sick dog, and ultimately busy with the murder trial.If there is a section of the film that can be pointed to as being not on par with the rest of the film it would be the preparation for the trial. Though it makes sense this would be included in this type of story, the tone does not ring true with the rest of the film. There is a strong performance by Holly Hunter as the prosecuting attorney, as she attempts to put the murderer behind bars, or worse.It should be said the film is based in part on the murder of Silberling's own fiancée, actress Rebecca Schaeffer. I feel that real life instance helped with the tone which is somber, yet whimsical. In fact there is a scene that involves a dog puking on the shoes of a hand-wringing relative at the funeral. So how depressing can it possibly be? The very best section of the film encompasses newcomer Ellen Pompeo who plays Bertie. She works at the post office and is enlisted by Gyllenhaal to retrieve the wedding invitations which were never halted. She also tends the local bar where she patiently awaits her boyfriend, who is MIA in Vietnam. She carries her scenes with a veracity that keeps her quirky lovability intertwined with a grievous glow of sadness just aching to get out. She is, of course, Gyllenhaal's moral dilemma. How can he care for his fiancée's family if he is suddenly in love with another girl? There is a subset of people who didn't like this film simply because it allowed it's characters to be human. Not all people grieve like your supposed to on TV. Maybe there isn't a lot of wallowing and screaming. Maybe the emotions are kept within and bubble to the top only momentarily. It is almost always more interesting what emotions an actor can hide rather than an over the top burst.It is also true there is no easy way to swallow 'Moonlight Mile.' There isn't a way in to it's core that is accessible without accepting these people for who they are. It can be hard to accept the whimsy or the humor when we are supposed to be sad that a person has died. It is hard to shift gears into a courtroom drama when we are also put in a position of watching a budding romance. But isn't that true of all of us? Can any of us be compartmentalized as sad or angry or distraught without having to also apply other labels of varying truth? In 'Moonlight Mile' we are not asked to rely on our own senses to complete the story, we need to rely on accepting someone else's. ***.5 out of ****

eroglu Actually I can't be objective about that movie because of Bertie Knox (Ellen Pompeo)and I want to focus on her. Dustin Hofman, Susan Sarandon and Jake Gllynhall were really great but for me Ellen Pompeo was the real star of Moonlight Mile . I saw a lot of character like Bertie in the movies before. Desperate and sad small town girl but non of them were acted as real as Bertie. Every man in this world easily in love with this character which Ellen Pompeo gave life. Ellen Pompeo will be or must be a great Hollywood star in the future. She have a gift, she can touch the souls of viewers from white curtain when you watch her, you want to share her sadness. Moonlight Mile was a great film. Congrulations Ellen Pompeo and all other crew of the movie.

luce_857 This film is perfect if your looking for a good cry but with some humorous bits too, in fact this films got everything you want in a drama, joy, sadness, hope, fear the lot. OK this movie is not for everyone some people are bound to find it really boring and a bit of a drag so if you into all action and full of energy kind of films then I would advise you not to even consider this but to all the people who are into dramas or Jake Gyllenhaal then I would recommend this movie 100%. The acting is truly amazing, they are all really believable as the roles they are playing. Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon as the parents of their murdered daughter, Ben and Jo Jo, clinging on to her fiancée as they feel he is a big part of her and don't want to see him leave them too, while Jake Gyllenhaal as the part of Joe the nearly son-and -law to Ben and Jo,Jo, who tries to be perfect for them and be everything he wants them to be despite what he wants..which he really doesn't even know..he's confused..doesn't know what he wants to do in life. As he said, "I want to figure out what I want to do". This film is truly beautiful and shows deep emotion that isn't in any way corny.A film that I think is very underrated.To be honest I saw it for Jake Gyllenhaal but after seeing it it is now one of my favourite Jake films.I loved it!