jcappy "Winter Solstice" is a gem. Its great strength is its acting and characterizations. And it almost never gives in to its audience. Nor to the usual guy film boilerplate.LaPaglia and Janney are up to their usual high standards, but what amazes is that the two sons are remarkably up to their level. They are outright convincing both as individuals and as brothers. And are no more self-conscious, or less in control of their roles than the two leads. If anything, Aaron Stanford as Gabe may have almost stolen center stage.But no worry because the acting, the script, the direction seem to conspire against stardom and showing off. Low key is the intent and no manipulation is in order. The only reservation I have is the touch of romance between Jim and Molly. It may be argued that this is who they are, but I think that the movie's context and content, or the movie taken as a whole, insists on friendship and mutual support--and no more.Finally, this is chiefly a male movie. But to its great credit it never hints at male bonding nor aligns itself with male socialization. Every attempt by the father to assert his role is easily foiled by his peer sons, and every time father and sons act in the male mode, they are quick to relent. The father no more runs his family than does a single parent mother, although like them, he may occasionally try. In short, all the societal and peer pressures are present in this film, but male bonding or male authority are never shown to be a viable responses--not for the father, not for the sons, nor for the other guys that inhabit their world.

dtshidle This is one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. I only continued watching it because I was sure it would get to the point. It never did. Its pace is glacial with no apparent redeeming qualities. This is the first review I have written and if it keeps one person from enduring what I did, then I will know my life was not wasted.This is still one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. I only continued watching it because I was sure it would get to the point. It never did. Its pace is glacial with no apparent redeeming qualities. This is the first review I have written and if it keeps one person from enduring what I did, then I will know my life was not wasted.

radudca I think everyone should see this movie, it is an example of a inexperienced director who dangerously gambled on a script he authored, without consideration for the character differences in personalities and how these differences reflect their emotions. The minimalist direction throughout provided no pacing, no emotional highlights to carry this film along and provide us--the viewer-- with a needed satisfaction that all good movies deliver. There is an excellent story here and it was not developed to the fullest.What contribution Sundance provided besides financial, we the viewer will probably never know. They could have stepped in and provided excellent development ideas. The beginning 10 to 20 scenes could have given us insight into the mother who was the heart and soul of these men's lives. It never happened and the first part of this film suffered because of it. The cinematography was excellent but used mid range scenes almost exclusively, thereby avoiding closeups of the actors and the needed emotional development you can achieve with the more intimate closeup techniques. What contribution to the development of this film Anthony La Paglia provided as the executive producer and experienced actor remains a mystery. A great rewrite of the screenplay in the beginning scenes could have provided a needed lift and more dollars at the box office. I realize the minimalist aficionados will love this film, that is their privilege and no one will change their minds. Still this is a film that could have been a classic.

noralee "Winter Solstice" is a quiet, almost all-male counterpart to "Imaginary Heroes," dealing with the same theme of family grief, and was even filmed in the same town of Glen Ridge, NJ.Debut writer/director Josh Sternfeld perfectly captures the inarticulatelessness of working class guys, particularly in father/son and brother/brother interactions.Anthony LaPaglia as the landscaper dad and Aaron Stanford as his restless older son add to the minimal script with on screen charisma. It's sweetly charming how absolutely clueless they are in their lack of communication with the women who are attracted to them, but Allison Janney and Michelle Monaghan are overly understanding minor characters in their intersections with the dad and older son, respectively. I presume this is to emphasize the hole in their lives caused by the absence of the mother.The problem is that without either more intervention by the women or the alcoholic violence of Sam Shephard's male family explorations, authentic looking and sounding guys hanging out together don't do very much or resolve issues. Pretty much the only plot point is the older son's gradual decision to leave --though I was surprised he has LPs to pack up--and how the other characters react to that.It was nice to see Brendan Sexton again, more filled out, but he looked distractingly like the younger son played by Mark Webber so that I was confused at first that he was the best friend not the brother.John Leventhal's intricate guitar playing on his original score is almost distractingly good. The song selections are beautiful sounding, though not particularly illustrative.