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Overrated

Admirable film.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Just something to keep the audience watching, I found this movie lacking in the True to Life column. Bale- as the academically successful son of a mother who may have not been the best rolemodel for someone aspiring to be very detail oriented and on schedule. Bale- who can intervene when another parent is being too harsh/uncaring about their child, but cannot help but attack his mother for her faults. Bekinsale- who her life behind to follow her fiancée in his quest for a better education, yet allows drugs/bad-boy image to draw her away from her love and career a bit too easily. Bunk! Saving grace: the mom played very true to life. (singing by bad boy band lead is not worth a jukebox dime)

Writer/director Lisa Cholodenko follows up her much-acclaimed 1997 debut High Art with this examination of a young couple seduced into a hedonistic, left-coast lifestyle. Taking its title from its central locale, Laurel Canyon focuses on a pair of upper-middle class lovebirds from the East Coast who relocate to Los Angeles.The film stars Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, and Alessandro Nivola.Freshly graduating from Harvard,Sam and Alex are eager to continue their medical studies out West, but they need some lodging while they hunt for a home. Enter Jane, Sam's estranged mom, who's more than willing to put the couple up in her lavish digs. Jane is a successful record producer whose latest charge -- both in the studio and in her bedroom -- is Ian , a brazen, libidinous twenty-something Brit-rocker. As Sam and Alex settle in at Jane's, they gradually lose their straight-and-narrow approach to life and begin to experiment. Alex takes to Ian and Jane, while Sam is wooed by co-worker Sara.This film is a character-study about self-realization.The performances of the actors and actresses involved were worthy of commendation.Frances McDormand is terrific in her new role as record producer,mother,and corrupter of curious girls.While the rest like Bale,Beckinsale and Nivola were outstanding as well.But inspite of its unconventional storyline,the movie will leave people hanging and with a feeling unsatisfied as the movie turns into entertainment instead of providing better explanations about the characters in it except for the fact that they are seduced by the culture of Los Angeles - wherein Laurel Canyon is located and nothing more.

Strange to read a lot of glowing positive comments and then see the low scores... - Anyhow this erotically charged little drama is beautifully shot on location in L.A. and seems like a pinpoint accurate look at the consequences of growing up with an affluent hippie parent. The parent in question played to perfection by McDormand. An almost unrecognizable Christian Bale is unusually subdued as her extremely controlled son, who has more than a little trouble connecting with his WASP MD and PhD studying girlfriend (Beckinsale). She in turn thrives and loosens up when they are forced to live with his mother the record producer and various types from the west-coast rock environment, while he tries to control the advances of a colleague at the hospital where he is a resident. And don't get mad about the ambiguous ending - if it had ended any other way you wouldn't have got the chance to think about it would you ?

Frances McDormand (Fargo, North Country) steals this movie, written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, with her relaxed portrait of a successful record producer whose never-ending quest for the ideal lover has tarnished her relationship with her son (Christian Bale).While many people would be envious of having a mom who's a rich and famous rock-music producer and totally cool, Sam (Bale) sees only an irresponsible parent who refuses to grow up. "She's developmentally disabled." It doesn't help that mom is lot for the band's lead (Alessandro Nivola), who is half her age.His W.A.S.P. fiancé (Kate Beckinsale) starts putting aside her dissertation on the reproductive qualities of fruit flies to hang out in the studio with the band.Some may wonder what the point is, and if all the characters are losers in their own way, but I think having a mom who teaches lessons like "pass the bong to guests first, son," is way cool.Of course, the best part of the film is the cast - I love McDormand in everything she does - and the music.