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Best movie of this year hands down!

A Major Disappointment

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Going into this drama I wasn't quite so sure what to expect from the simple plot explanation. Once the film's narrative kicked into high gear I was sucked in and invested in what really amounts to a character study of its leading players and its various subjects ranging from abuse, grief and family. Boasting a talented A-list cast, the drama tells the story of the Taylor family gathering for what was to be a joyful celebration of the family matriarch graduating from college when a terrible accident forces the family to confront traumatic events of their past; in particular son Michael and his rocky relationship with his controlling father.The performances in the film are dynamic especially from Ryan Reynolds as Michael Taylor, the son who has many demons inside him due to his troubled relationship with his English professor father, and Willem Dafoe playing Reynolds's father Charles Taylor, a controlling perfectionist who wants nothing less from his reserved, soft-spoken son. The actors display a tenuous chemistry as their characters butt heads throughout the story in confronting their painful past and handling the grief of losing a beloved family member. The supporting cast is equally gripping from Emily Watson as Jane, aunt to Michael and the female character meant to keep peace following the film's tragedy, to the child actors who are put in the middle of the long-simmering tensions between Ryan Reynolds' Michael and Willem Dafoe's Charlie, and in a subdued performance is Julia Roberts as the family matriarch (seen mostly in flashbacks), the put-upon wife of Charlie who finds herself unhappy in her life but willing to stay cordial for her children's sake. The film benefits well from its use of flashback sequences as it fills the gaps on the Taylor family dynamic and how they ended up in such precarious positions. The movie opens on a memory of young Michael as he was left on the roadside by his upset father and we are already privy to how an adult Michael still has lingering problems with resolving his past. The present- day scenes in which the majority of the film takes place deals with the aftermath of an accident and its effects on the Taylor family makes for even more compelling drama as all the film's players are forced to confront life without the family leader and to come to terms with their inner turmoils. However closure is still kept at bay for some characters by the film's final scene as we are left to wonder what would have happened had some of the others known what was kept hidden from them but known to the viewer.

'Fireflies in the Garden' reveals how much film producers despise their writers, directors, actors and audience. A movie which ran for 122 minutes in its original cut, has been chopped down to 89 minutes for its DVD release. The story is a fairly complicated family drama about past abuse, secrets and betrayals, so even the most attentive viewer will be watching with furrowed brows as the missing action frequently makes the characters' behavior incomprehensible.The film has some decent performances from an outstanding cast, but their talents are wasted since the fragmented plot produces only confusion and frustration. Few screenplays can survive losing 25% of their material, and it's pointless to write a real review when the narrative arc of this abbreviated version makes so little sense. There are numerous instance where issues are raised, but never followed up, leading to a conclusion which is an anti-climactic farce due to all the excisions and omissions.

I'm not a literary genius or anything but this movie left me totally confused. Why did it seem like everyone was beating up on Michael, the one who had been abused? Even the aunt Jane whom I thought would have been the most understanding had zero empathy for Michael and defended the father to the death. She said that the book would kill the father (William Dafoe). Well, so effing what if it does? At least the writer could have let the audience know why she cared so much, after all her relation is to Lisa not the father so it makes absolutely no sense to me. She said to Michael "everything you touch turns to sh**", where did that come from? In my eyes it was totally unwarranted and if it had been me she would have gotten punched in the teeth for saying it. Then she never apologized even after Michael found her son. So it just seems like continued abuse on the abused. Then to throw the Manuscript in the fire is supposed to be a sign of forgiveness? So Michael's supposed to feel guilty for his father's sins? What!? Come on....It would have been a better movie if Jane didn't grow up to be such a turncoat b**ch.

Fireflies in The Garden was panned by basically everyone. The dysfunctional family story took three years to be released on DVD which is astounding considering the enormous strength of this cast. Many reviewers all say the same thing that movies like this are a dime a dozen and that might be true. That doesn't this cast and this film any less captivating. Perhaps part of the issue that many see in this movie is that it is in no way packaged in a neat little box with sunshine and rainbows. This is a very dark drama about a very messed up family and there isn't a happily ever after for them. If you can handle a dark drama then you will be rewarded with some terrific performances. Ryan Reynolds shines in his role as the grown up son who has many emotional problems because of a verbally abusive father. That father is played with excellent force by Willem Dafoe. Obviously playing a villain type character is not new for Dafoe but his character is so pathetic, with so much depth, you will just despise him and beg for his redemption much like his family does. Emily Watson is sort of ho-hum compared to the rest of the cast. Once you've accepted that Hayden Panettiere somehow grew up to look like Emily Watson...she also loses all her passion for the role. Panettiere is much better as the younger Jane in the movie. Julia Roberts is good in her role though she isn't used all that much and sort of takes a more ceremonious role in the movie. People are always clamouring for Hollywood to do something unique and I give a lot of credit to first time writer and director Dennis Lee for not making everything neat and tidy. Sometimes you can be in the mood for a dark drama and some solid performances makes this one captivating. Ignore the harsh reviews and give it a chance! 8/10