Elizabethtown [M]

Anyone can create a failure, but Drew Baylor has created a fiasco, resulting in his losing his job. Seeing no light at the end of the tunnel, Drew decides that suicide is the best solution but, as he attempts to kill himself, his sister calls and informs him that his dad has died. It’s up to Drew to go to Kentucky, have his dad cremated and then bring him home. Intent on killing himself when he returns, Drew accepts the assignment, but whilst amongst his Dad’s family, a new light is shed on his gloomy perspective of life. 

I went and saw this at a time when I was young and going through an Orlando Bloom obsession. Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I had a massive crush on Orland Bloom. Yes, ORLANDO BLOOM. I didn’t stutter. So I went and saw this movie for the simple fact that Orlando was in it and came away smiling because I had just watched one of the cutest and refreshingly original stories about love and life. 

Drew Baylor is a shoe designer and has recently created a shoe that has flopped spectacularly. Causing the company to lose a billion dollars and Drew to lose his job, no light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. For Drew there is only success and failure and, finding himself a failure, he decides that suicide is the only sensible solution. Upon attempting to put an end to his misery, he receives a call from his sister saying that his father has died. Drew’s mother and sister send Drew to Kentucky to have his dad, Mitch, cremated and then bring him home. Intent on keeping alive the fantasy that he is a successful shoe designer amongst his Dad’s family, Drew puts on a brave face, all the while counting down the days. But as he spends more and more time with his Dad’s family and with a flight attendant he met on the plane, Drew learns that success is not the only joy that life offers. 

Elizabethtown sounds like a boring story, but the film was actually quite clever with a smart and quick-witted script, memorable characters, and wonderful actors. 

Orlando Bloom plays Drew, taking a step away from action movies and battle sequences. In Elizabethtown Orlando is clever, confused, lost, and sometimes quite funny. Playing a guy with a bleak outlook on life doesn’t offer much room for interpretation and Orlando made the most of the character he had. His was a very good and refreshing performance. 

Kirsten Dunst plays Claire the flight attendant and she was absolutely adorable. As we all know, I don’t usually take to actresses, but Kirsten was refreshingly eccentric and wonderfully impulsive, insightful and unique. She was a real free spirit without a care in the world. One of the greater heroines of romantic comedies. 

Featuring other familiar faces such as Susan Sarandon, Jessica Biel, Judy Greer, Bruce McGill, and Alec Baldwin, Elizabethtown was a cool glass of fizzy water on a hot day. It was both refreshing and bubbly. I guarantee that you’ll smile at least once. A very cute and clever romantic comedy about the different luxuries of life.