Feel free to pass on this movie

With director Joe Roth (America's Sweethearts) and writer Richard Price (Shaft) teaming up together, along with a cast starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore, "Freedomland" had everything going for it. The trailers have the movie made out to be a thriller with an edgy and unknown twist that leaves you with a desire to see it. Previews are meant to catch your eye by revealing interesting scenes, but with some movies, it seems that all of the interesting scenes from the movie are shown in that one preview, leaving nothing left to the rest of the movie. \n"Freedomland" is one of those movies where the trailer is as good as the movie is going to get. Julianne Moore (The Forgotten) plays Brenda, a dead-beat mother who is a recovering drug addict. The movie starts out slow with Brenda walking through what looks like the inner-city projects and arriving at a hospital with her hands covered in blood. Being one of the first to notice her, Detective Lorenzo Council (Jackson) approaches Brenda to learn that her car was jacked by a black man. However, it seems that the stolen car is the least of Brenda's worries, as she reveals that her four year old son was in the back seat of the car. Brenda's story seems to have one black man as the lead suspect, causing a major controversy and protest in the black community as many question the truth behind Brenda's story. \nWhile Detective Council is on a hunt for the black man blamed for stealing the car and the kidnapping of Brenda's son, a group of mother's who have suffered from the disappearance of their own children gather in the streets for a silent protest. Leading the protest is Karen Collucci ("The Soprano's" Edie Falco), a mother who lost her son and has since been moved by the incident. Karen begins a search for Brenda's missing son and soon learns that Brenda isn't quite telling the truth about what happened and the whereabouts of her son. \nThough the movie itself was unsatisfactory, it was well acted. The DVD case states this is "…Samuel L. Jackson's best work ever…", which I would have to disagree upon. Although Jackson shows a lot of dedication and passion in this role, he has played far too many other characters which clearly outshine his portrayal of Detective Council. Julianne Moore did a great job as an out-of -whack mother, though her performance reminded me a lot of her work in "The Forgotten." And with Edie Falco's role a much different one than she plays in "The Sopranos", she acted with a very tough and compassionate attitude, clearly that of her character. \nWith the movie and adaptation of Richard Price's novel being much of a disappointment, the DVD also lacks as it contains no special features. Given an "R" rating, this drama/mystery is geared towards adults, maybe older teens as it deals with a very serious and mature subject. However, I would not suggest that anyone rush to see this.