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Simply Perfect

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The first must-see film of the year.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

A Slipping down life was shelved for many years, and the lack of real hipness or accessibility is probably to blame for this. Helmed by two indie stars Lili Taylor and Guy Pearce, this film was held back simply because neither person could conceivably carry this film.But unlike some crappy movies that see a rebirth it didn't deserve, ASL was quietly pushed into the underground cinema and then quickly reborn on cable. And while this doesn't sound good on paper, ASL actually surprises you a little with some of the little nuances within each character's performance (with the exception of Sara Rue and Shawnee Smith---ugh!!). Lili Taylor exhibits yet another introverted woman who is somewhat shunned not just due to her nature but also her looks. Much like previous films Dog Fight and even The Haunting (where her character was visibly overwhelmed by Catherine Zeta-Jone), Taylor makes you believe she is her character rather than an actor. And some people say method acting is dead.Guy Pearce is especially interesting in this film. I especially liked the transgression of him embodying all the things his father hates and then turning into his father near the end. It was a strange transformation but an effective one. And its even more impressive how he can cover up his deep Australian with an effective North Carlina twang.While the plot was pretty random at best, at least these two performances added some life to a film that would have been altogether listless.

I watched this movie on a rainy day when I had nothing else to do...and b/c it has Guy Pearce. I usually find Lily Taylor really annoying and strange but she does pull innocent off well. So many moments in this movie are AWKWARD. LOL but I found her father poignant and wistful. One other commenter mentioned that there were 13 original songs- one of the songs is Elizabeth Jade which I recognized instantly as a Robyn Hitchcock song (Jewels for Sophia album). It did break my heart to see Evie's father in law insult her in front of her own father. As a parent thats hard to see... Another thing: Guy Pearce is obviously a super attractive man usually. But I do NOT understand how any of the woman here thought he was so great- his character that is- was gruff and he just spoke a lot less than I prefer out of a man. I'm surprised he didn't just grunt through the movie. He does have a good accent. This movie is depressing. I never read the book and I don't plan to but based on the other comments here it does seem as though Evie's character should of remained a teenager. Irma P. Hall was hilarious and thank god for her role/character - it lent some much needed lightness.

I just happened to catch this movie on satellite. I like both Lili Taylor and Guy Pearce, so I sat down to watch it. I thought Guy was very hot in this movie. He is a good actor and I didn't know he was a musician until I saw it.As for the movie, I didn't know anything about it or the book, before watching. It was kinda off the wall, but what kept me watching was the songs. Guy Pearce has a sexy voice and can sing! So all in all, I wasn't disappointed. The satellite went out for about 20 minutes, so I missed whatever happened from where he kisses her for the first time until his mom and that pr*ck were eating dinner with Evie, Drum and her dad. I'll probably try to watch it again.I don't really like Shawnee Smith's character. Was she ever sober?

"A Slipping Down Life" was originally released at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999, but because of "creative differences" between the producers and the director/actors, it never was released...until now. Lion's Gate Films now owns the distribution rights. The film premieres in NY and LA on May 14th (elsewhere across the United States in late May/early June). I saw the movie last month at the Phoenix Film Festival. Toni Kalem, the director, was present, and she conducted a Q&A session with the audience after the showing. One of the common topics during this discussion was related to the differences between the book and the movie.While I haven't read it, it appeared that the die-hard fans of the book were totally drawn in and satisfied with the movie (and Anne Tyler, herself, gave her "official approval" to Toni Kalem's screen play adaption).Lili Taylor is absolutely brilliant in this movie, and Guy Pearce offers a performance you might not expect. Finally, before heading out to see this, make a point to grab a box of Kleenex - I found myself in tears more than a few times.