Based on Rosellen Brown's best-selling novel, Barbet Schroeder's film asks whether love is more important than truth. After the murder of a high-school girl, the Ryans (Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson) panic when their son Jacob (Edward Furlong) disappears. Finding the murder weapon in Jacob's trunk, the Ryans wonder: did he do it? Should they protect him? A fascinating dilemma, though the film isn't as compelling as it could be. While Furlong turns in an appropriately moody performance, Streep and Neeson rely on hysterical behavior to show their fear, frustration, and anger. As a result, the gray areas of the film become lost in black-and-white characterizations. Optional. (L. Russo)
Before & After
(Hollywood, 108 min., PG-13, avail. Sept. 23) Vol. 11, Issue 5
Before & After
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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