Spacey's latest old 'News'

The Shipping News -- R
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore
Directed by: Lasse Hallström It is a shame that this movie dropped off the radar of many moviegoers this year. "The Shipping News" received several Oscar nominations, despite its lower profile on movie screens across the country. But after watching the DVD, I can understand why people didn't get too excited over the concept of this film. Director Lasse Hallström's work was great, but I feel like I have seen this film already in several other forms. The basic concept behind the movie was the rebirth of a timid, self-deprecating man into someone more confident and loveable. It was particularly odd to see Kevin Spacey in this role, as he also played a similar part in "American Beauty." Although the settings and the histories behind the two films are drastically different, I couldn't help drawing similarities between the two as Spacey developed his character on screen. Spacey begins his metamorphosis in Newfoundland, the birthplace of his ancestors. The setting and culture that were mixed into the film were particularly interesting, simply because they were not too common. The superstitions and traditions of the small town were a nice addition to the plot line. The acting in the film was indeed the most redeeming feature. Julianne Moore (Wavey) was fantastic and had excellent chemistry with Spacey (Quoyle). Cate Blanchett was also surprisingly good in her role as Quoyle's wife Petal, and she pulled off that rough American accent like a pro. And once again, Dame Judi Dench (Aunt Agnis) added just the right touch of age, wisdom and quick wit. The bonus features on this film were not particularly special, but this is not one of those DVDs that you rent to see the deleted scenes (not that there were any to see). Bonus features on this disc include a documentary on the making of the film, a photo gallery, feature commentary and previews for other Miramax films. The documentary was very interesting to watch because no one really holds back about the problems they encountered while making the film. Although the documentary, commentary and gallery were all fun to watch, I was really struck by the previews. I am a sucker for previews, and they are the one thing I miss when I am watching most DVDs. Props to Miramax for including those. If you want to see some amazing acting in an untraditional setting, go ahead and rent this one. But if you just want to see Kevin Spacey take a mediocre man and change him into a badass, just go watch "American Beauty" again.