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10/21/02
Sunshine State (2002)
80
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Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:106
Fresh:85
Rotten:21
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: Wonderfully acted, but the story and pacing can use a little work.
Runtime: 2 hrs 21 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Welcome to Delorna Beach and the 2nd Annual Buccaneer Days! Take a trip! Take a drive! See Florida Today! Oceanfront motels. T-shirt shops. Golf courses. Palm trees. Sandy beaches. Condominiums.... [More]
Starring: Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite
Director: John Sayles
Reviews for Sunshine State
...as good as all the performances are, they just can't make up for the fact that it's just too darn long.
10/20/02
The dialogue is sharp and insightful, the cast is superb, the performances are rock-solid, the story is provocative and multilayered.
10/15/02
Sunshine State lacks the kind of dynamic that Limbo offers, and in some ways is a rather indulgent piece.
10/05/02
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09/18/02
...Sayles continuously wrings stirring drama from everyday life.
09/12/02
Exquisitely acted and masterfully if preciously interwoven… [the film] addresses in a fascinating, intelligent manner the intermingling of race, politics and local commerce.
08/26/02
A fiercely intelligent South Florida mosaic.
08/20/02
Sayles has a knack for casting, often resurrecting performers who rarely work in movies now ... and drawing flavorful performances from bland actors.
08/16/02
Thanks to John Sayles, audiences can rely on a director who understands time and place like no other. If Altman weren't so fried he's make Sunshine State
08/12/02
Sunshine State resembles Sayles' sketchbook more than his finished work, and we might hope that something more polished might spring from it.
08/09/02
At its best, Sunshine State is vintage Sayles, full of richly drawn characters and witty dialogue.
08/09/02
Sunshine State is Sayles at his most Robert Altman-ish, purposefully juggling about a dozen narrative balls in the air, and letting the mundanity and smallish drama of everyday life tell a larger story.
08/09/02
As expected, Sayles' smart wordplay and clever plot contrivances are as sharp as ever, though they may be overshadowed by some strong performances.
08/09/02
Sunshine State has the structure, the theme, the style and, at 141 minutes, the length of a great John Sayles film. What it doesn't have, alas, is the merit.
08/09/02
Sunshine State is an efficient helping of Sayles, insightful even when it's not richly entertaining or imbued with apparent passion.
08/09/02
The sand and soil provide merely the foundation for Sayles’ engrossing story about class and race, the search for redemption and the impact of life’s decisions.
08/08/02
Edie Falco sparkles as a mermaid on dry land
08/06/02
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08/04/02
This is geographic history as personal history, a look at a vanishing world before the tide of progress immerses it. It's also superb independent filmmaking.
08/02/02
Latest News for Sunshine State
June 23, 2005:
Production Wraps on Roth's "Freedomland"
Revolution Studios issued a press release that ComingSoon.net was kind enough to publicize, and here's the scoop: The Joe Roth mystery thriller "Freedlomland," which... More...
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