Echoes of Innocence is one of the worse movies I've seen in a long time. Not as bad as Broken Flowers (don't go see it), but still bad. Where to begin... Let's start with the good elements. That won't take long. First off, the two lead actors, Sara Simmonds and Jake McDormand, are pretty good. They do a good job of conveying emotions and making the characters sympathetic, despite the completely unrealistic characters they're given to work with. Also, the technical film-making was decent, and there were no major cinematography problems. The soundtrack was good for the movie--it's not too intrusive, but it helps to set the mood.
Now for the bad parts. The acting of every other character in the movie is simply terrible. Sometimes it's so bad it's funny. Alec, the main villain, is horrible. He's so over-the-top evil that you can't take him seriously. Every time he appears, the movie becomes downright laughable. You can't blame the actor entirely, though. The writing was awful, too, so he didn't have a lot to work with. Another example is the overly psychotic mother, who seems to belong in a mental hospital rather than a trailer. Also, the grandmother is unbelievably complacent and mindless. She sits and watches T.V. at all times. Yet, from what the mother says, she's very industrious when it comes to cover-ups.
Beyond the characters, there's also the awful story. I can't say much without spoiling the movie, but there are many horrible flaws in the plot. One major thread is ignored at the end, and the explanations for the entire movie are just stupid. The idea of two twelve-year-olds making this oath is just wrong. Getting married as soon as you possibly can so that you can lose your virginity isn't something the church should support. Saving your virginity may be a good thing--that's not my moral position, but I may be wrong--but pledging to wait only 'til you're 18, and then get married to the first guy you ever liked isn't the right thing to do.
The beginning is awful. The ending is awful. But, there's a good chunk in the middle where you think things might end up OK, and for that, which made it bearable to sit through this movie, I give it a 4 instead of a 1. After all, it couldn't possibly be as bad as Broken Flowers.
Now for the bad parts. The acting of every other character in the movie is simply terrible. Sometimes it's so bad it's funny. Alec, the main villain, is horrible. He's so over-the-top evil that you can't take him seriously. Every time he appears, the movie becomes downright laughable. You can't blame the actor entirely, though. The writing was awful, too, so he didn't have a lot to work with. Another example is the overly psychotic mother, who seems to belong in a mental hospital rather than a trailer. Also, the grandmother is unbelievably complacent and mindless. She sits and watches T.V. at all times. Yet, from what the mother says, she's very industrious when it comes to cover-ups.
Beyond the characters, there's also the awful story. I can't say much without spoiling the movie, but there are many horrible flaws in the plot. One major thread is ignored at the end, and the explanations for the entire movie are just stupid. The idea of two twelve-year-olds making this oath is just wrong. Getting married as soon as you possibly can so that you can lose your virginity isn't something the church should support. Saving your virginity may be a good thing--that's not my moral position, but I may be wrong--but pledging to wait only 'til you're 18, and then get married to the first guy you ever liked isn't the right thing to do.
The beginning is awful. The ending is awful. But, there's a good chunk in the middle where you think things might end up OK, and for that, which made it bearable to sit through this movie, I give it a 4 instead of a 1. After all, it couldn't possibly be as bad as Broken Flowers.
