“I remember once imagining what my life would be like, what I’d be like. I pictured having all these qualities, strong positive qualities that people could pick up on from across the room. But as time passed, few ever became any qualities that I actually had. And all the possibilities I faced and the sorts of people I could be, all of them got reduced every year to fewer and fewer. Until finally they got reduced to one, to who I am.”

i was expecting a fluffy comedy for some reason, but this movie actually has a little depth. i really felt for Cage’s character: he tries so hard but things never go his way. i wasn’t expecting it to have the ending it did, but this film is definitely worth seeing at least once.

It’s…ok. A man who’s life just isn’t what he was hoping for. Divorced, not sure how to deal with his kids, sees himself in the shadow of his father, unhappy professionally. Trying to resolve it all.

But the film, on the whole, doesn’t go anywhere. There are subjects, though, that could have been exploited, deepened. Such as the place archery took in this life. Or how he desperately looks to do the right thing with his children.

Is this a book? I don’t know. If it is, I’d like to read it, hoping that these subjects were more fully developed.

On the whole, it’s not a bad film. Just not a really good one. I won’t discourage you from seeing it. But this is no more than a renter.

This was fine, but I am giving it 2 stars because it wasn’t good, damn it. This is one of Nicholas Cage’s ho-hum movies I am indifferent about. He plays a depressing and fucked up character trying to figure out what to do with his life. It’s a somewhat different story (okay, it’s the same but with interesting specifics) and ultimately wraps itself up, though he doesn’t exactly ride off into the sunset with his lover and life looking peachy. So, it won’t hurt to watch it, but I won’t actively recommend it.