"Bright Angel" tells of a young Montana man (Mulroney) and a young Canadian woman (Taylor) who end up on a road trip together. A plodding, tedious film, "Bright Angel" is full of characters who range from a little weird to very weird and who seem to be necessary to maintain audience interest in the absence of a story. A plotless and disappointing film which manages to do very little with a whole lot of talent, this flick is not likely to receive good reviews from the board of tourism for big sky country and will be easily forgotten by the public in general.
9 Reviews
Unbelievably bad!
Albatross424 January 2001
This was one of the most worthless movies I have ever seen. The acting was bad, the plot was worse, and the script was pathetic. The only thing remotely interesting was beautiful Lili Taylor. Too bad she was in such a dog of a movie.
Challenges the Viewer
esouthmayd-998-55715210 March 2011
There is no accounting for taste and yes, a movie has to entertain first or not much is happening for the viewer, but one has to wonder about the general sensitivity of some of these negative reviews after watching the quality of acting and the story unfolding in Bright Angel. You generally don't find the quality of cast throughout found here (although it's surprising how many mediocre films Sam Shepard has managed to make). I found the movie believable and based on the reality of the hardscrabble life surrounding the oil fields of Wyoming and Billings, Montana where it was filmed. It's an evocative piece of film and very well directed.
I don't enjoy this at all
snarlah-17 December 2010
It's odd. I like the actors so I thought I would like the movie, but the opposite was true. It was just unpleasant and not particularly entertaining. It seems to go on forever getting nowhere in particular and doing so unenjoyably. I don't like most of today's movies either, especially anime and other cartoons featuring famous voices. It seems that since the writers's strike Hollywood has done everything to spend a lot of money without using good writers,new ideas, repeating old movies that did not need to be remade ever. Most people cannot afford the prices of movies--$9.50 per show and the snacks are more expensive than they could possibly be worth. Where are people getting the money for these prices with virtually no jobs in the country and people losing their homes and having little or nothing to eat.
Not bad, but not so good you would remember it.
acearms20 December 2003
I saw this movie a couple of years ago. Recently I picked up a copy not remembering I had already seen it. I was about 15 to 20 minutes into the film when it began looking familiar and I realized I had, ergo, why I say its not one you would remember. The plot was some what off beat and you wonder just how much trouble Dermot Mulroney's character can innocently get into; he seems to attract it like honey does flies. Growing up is part of life and it is seen some what here as a young man transitions into manhood, all be it, Mulroney was 28 when he played the part. Several actors did not appear to be of an age near the individual characters they portrayed; specifically, the mother and aunt of Mulroney's character. I found this somewhat distracting. While okay to watch once, I was not that thrilled the second time around.
What a worthless piece of crap...
Jodie-428 December 1998
Congrats, this was the worst movie I was ever unfortunate enough to see (and I've seen a lot). Acting sucked, script sucked, and if there had BEEN a plot that would have sucked too. I don't blame the actors, they didn't have much to work with. This just stumbled into every single trap it could have stumbled into. The kicker? The *ending*...what the hell was that?
Not a bad film at all -- quite the opposite.
jack_9470627 January 2001
I saw this film with two senior citizens; I'd picked it out from the video store -- which I did frequently for these friends. The husband was in his 80s, his wife her late 60s; both love the theater and have been active in local amateur productions. We all thought this film was exceptional -- in just about every way. Delroy Lindo has a typically rather small part (unfortunately) but manages to be breathtakingly captivating for every moment he's onscreen (also typical for him). But the maturity of the young man, the son who has just seen his parents break up in a rather nasty fashion -- that's what's so outstanding. His presence, his sense-of-self, his ability to steer his way through difficult situations into a growing awareness of what matters and what doesn't. Rarely are teenagers or young twenty-somethings given roles where this is shown. Finding one's way to maturity doesn't usually get such an honest treatment; maybe it's unappealing to teenagers to see it told without the usual Hollywood froo-frah of frat house parties, beer guzzling, and bimbos. Too bad. Yes, this does have a bit of that "play made into a movie" feel to it; but what a play, and what a movie, nonetheless. Hats off to Sam Shepard, and all the other actors and crew for this piece. Shepard himself is not onscreen much, but excellent in the opening as the hot-tempered father. We end up, as the film goes on, seeing Shepard through the character of the son, so much so, he seems to be in almost every scene. Just look in the young man's eyes, how he carries himself, how he appraises himself and others clearly and honestly, but without the usual teenage brashness of expression. He's more the strong, silent type. Maybe you have to be over 30 (I'm 47) to like/love this film. It's kind of a modern-day "noir" film -- except it's not a crime movie; more of an existentialist, Sartre "No Exit" type of work. But it's not exactly that bleak, either: the strength, the resolve of the son, as well as the damaged, semi-paranoid character played by Lindo -- both these men cannot be forgotten, and neither can ultimately be seen as tragic figures. The film's story texture allows for much richer evaluations; it may be raw, it may be rough, but you come away uplifted by what you've witnessed.
I like this movie a lot!
Jerry-19131 July 2002
It's a different kind of movie about coming of age. Dermot Mulroney is great as are most of the cast. Dermot Mulroney is a working-class, high school boy whose time to grow up has come.
Not a formula film in any way that I can tell. A great cast. Lili Taylor, Sam Shepard, Delroy Lindo, Mary Kay Place, Benjamin Bratt (not his best performance perhaps), Will Patton, Burt Young.
The ending was great, in my opinion. In fact, what said it all for me was at the end of the film, the change in the expression of Dermot Mulroney's face as he sat in the back of the pickup. I thought the acting was good. A strange movie, I grant you, but I feel it was well worth the watch.
Not a formula film in any way that I can tell. A great cast. Lili Taylor, Sam Shepard, Delroy Lindo, Mary Kay Place, Benjamin Bratt (not his best performance perhaps), Will Patton, Burt Young.
The ending was great, in my opinion. In fact, what said it all for me was at the end of the film, the change in the expression of Dermot Mulroney's face as he sat in the back of the pickup. I thought the acting was good. A strange movie, I grant you, but I feel it was well worth the watch.
A collector's gem for fans of Mulroney and Taylor!
roald-17 July 2003
Beautiful portrait of a young man whose innocence is so pure that he is not affected by the harsh reality around him. Mulroney radiates his sweet personality all through the movie. A collector's gem for all fans of him or the rest of the impressive cast.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
