Ruby Sparks

The moment I heard about this movie, I wanted to see it; how could a writer resist?  Learning that the film's directors were the same as those that created the wonderful Little Miss Sunshine only increased my desire.  The trailer, though big fun, made me a little nervous both about the schmaltz level and how the writers would resolve the moral dilemma they'd posed themselves, but I was still game to go.



So, off a group of us went the other night to a local art theater to check it out.

I'm glad we did. 

If you haven't seen this one yet, I very much don't want to spoil it for you, and I recommend you not read any other spoilers, so I'm going to have to keep this short and vague.

The story does address its moral implications, and it does avoid excessive sentimentality, so the writers largely addressed my two big concerns.  The beginning is slow, but I'm willing to forgive it that.  The actors were uniformly strong, with Annette Bening particularly wonderful in a small role.  The movie's greatest weakness, at least to me, is its ending--not its emotional climax, which is satisfying, but the denouement.  That said, all of us left discussing it, which is a good sign, and opinions varied, which is another good sign.  About it, though, I will say no more, lest I spoil it.

Ruby Sparks was one of the more intelligent, emotionally complex films I've seen recently, and I'm glad to be able to recommend it strongly.  Definitely catch this one before it vanishes.