Directed by Ang Lee
Written by James Schamus(screenplay), Rick Moody(novel)
Cinematography by Frederick Elmes

Kevin Kline as Ben Hood Joan Allen as Elena Hood Henry Czerny as George Clair Adam Hann-Byrd as Sandy Carver David Krumholtz as Francis Davenport Tobey Maguire as Paul Hood Christina Ricci as Wendy Hood Jamey Sheridan as Jim Carver Elijah Wood as Mikey Carver Sigourney Weaver as Janey Carver Katie Holmes as Libbets Casey Michael Cumpsty as Philip Edwards

Running Time: 113 min.
Release Date: Sep. '97

Overall Call:
The Ice Storm is a beautiful piece of work. Some have likened it to an art house version of "American Beauty". I'd say that's a fairly accurate assessment. If you can tolerate a slow paced artsy flick that deals with many of the same topics American Beauty does this might be worth a look see. Where Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee's latest masterpiece) gives you a healthy dose of visual action the Ice Storm leaves you to imagine what is not being shown. In restrained performances I found very impressive some viewers are bored, expecting to be force fed intense breakdowns or emotional upheavals. Sexual experimentation, both adolescent and adult, is tough one to pull off tastefully which Lee accomplishes here. Other issues dealt with were, maturity or lack there of, family structure and emotional responsibility to name a few. I found it interesting how all the issues were paralleled in both the kids and adults lives. A particular facet I loved was how the costumes and set decorations captured the early '70's so well. All aspects of the film seemed very strong. The main problem this film faced in garnering a broader audience is, what was left out forced the viewer to piece together meaning themselves. What has been mistaken for poor acting may very well be characters that are emotionally stunted having to deal with heavy times in their lives. This one isn't for everyone. Those that are interested in this type of movie should love it.

Reasons For Recommendation:
+ Great restrained performances
+ Visually beautiful
+ Well captured 70's look and style