FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD
It could be the acid he dropped when he was nine or the death of his entire family within the next
few years. Whatever the case, Bobby's a little odd. Adopted by his friend Jonathan's family, he's a
perpetual child, maintaining an impassive nonchalance and optimism, and approaching the future
with an almost unfailing attitude of openness and adaptability. This comes in handy when, in his
twenties, Bobby (Farrell) moves to New York to live with Jonathan (Roberts) and his roommate
Clare (Penn). He enters into a relationship with Clare but tries to maintain his close friendship
with Jonathan, and A Home at the End of the World is essentially about Bobby's
maintaining a balance within this self-made family. Mayer directs the
film crisply and expertly through Bobby's childhood and adolescence, and Cunningham
condenses this broad swath of time into a few choice scenes. Sissy Spacek sparkles early on as an indulgent suburban mother, and Erik Smith and
Harris Allan convey all the awkwardness and marvel of teenage Bobby and Jonathan.
But when the film moves to New York, it staggers. We're told that the characters have something
special together, but it's hard to believe it. None of lead performances convey much beyond the
dialogue. Farrell has the unluckiest role here. He's required to play a character whose naiveté is a
mask for a deeper emotional force. Unfortunately, playing the innocent can steer any actor
into a one-note performance. "You are a strange and mysterious creature," Clare tells Bobby. But
Farrell's no mystery; he's just a blank. The film is full of scenes that seem calculatedly affecting,
and its most emotional moments are forced and turgid. Mayer and Cunningham try desperately to
convey the wonder and beauty of life, and seem to endorse Bobby's easygoing attitude. In
some places - like a scene where Farrell and Roberts dance to Mozart on a city rooftop - they
come close to realizing this goal. But mostly, A Home at the End of the World is so
easygoing it puts you to sleep. Arthur Vaughan
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