There were two films dealing with reincarnation in 2004 — this film and P.S. BIRTH is more dramatic while P.S. works more as a romantic comedy. Though BIRTH has a more artful approach, P.S. works better.
In BIRTH, Anna (Nicole Kidman, THE HOURS) is in a depressive state over the death of her husband, Sean. She has finally decided to remarry a wealthy businessman named Joseph (Danny Huston, SILVER CITY). Then during a birthday party for Anna’s mother Eleanor (Lauren Bacall, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD), a young boy named Sean (Cameron Bright, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT) enters the apartment and declares that he is the reincarnation of Anna’s husband Sean.
At first Anna just kicks the boy out. Then he comes back and they quiz him like all people in these movie type positions do. In a great scene at the theater, Anna has an epiphany that young Sean is really Sean. The young Sean insists that Anna not marry Joseph and tries to tear them apart. Anna tries to find solace in friends Clifford (Peter Stormare, FARGO) and Clara (Anne Heche, SIX DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS).
To deal directly with the film’s good and bad points would reveal too much of the film’s secrets. In brief, the theme of the film doesn’t hold up with the characters that are presented. In P.S., I felt the Laura Linney was so well-developed that I believed that she was the kind of person who would think and feel the way she did. In BIRTH, Kidman’s Anna seems too intellectual to be convinced so easily. However, Anna does only — seem — intellectual because the film doesn’t expand on her character too deeply besides the feelings that she feels once young Sean appears.
The film caused controversy because of its underlying issues of pedophilia, which were overblown. The film deals with the issues of a 40-year-old woman with a 10-year-old boy in a smart and innocent way. The reincarnation theme helps. However, there are conceits dealing with the boy and Anna’s time together that don’t work that well. The film has an interesting twist, but it allows too much sunshine to flood though some plot holes.
Kidman is very good, bringing depth to the character, and Heche gives her best performance. However, I felt Bright was too stone-faced. He let no emotion out, which I felt weakened the overall believability of the film. If Anna were supposed to be ruled by her emotions, wouldn’t she be drawn to the emotional side of her husband? If so how could she fall for an emotionless 10-year-old version of her husband?
Then we come to the biggest problem I had with the film — its tone. The muted and somber tone adds a nice uncertainty to the film, but it gets to be too much. Reincarnation by nature creates an idea of hope, second chances and sometimes whimsy. This film has none of that. It’s like listening to a funeral dirge for an hour and a half.
In pieces, the film has a lot of greatness in it, however it doesn’t hold up as a complete, believable tale. By playing the topic straight, it had a harder road to make the premise work and sadly it didn’t work. For the adventurous, this film will prove challenging and provide something to think about. For moviegoers looking for something more successful and entertaining, check out the underrated P.S. instead.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
