WHO LOVES THE SUN (Matt Bissonnette). 94 minutes. Opens Friday (April 6). For venues and times, see Movies, page 99. Rating: NN Rating: NN
Who Loves The Sun is Jules And Jim On Golden Pond. That’s not meant as a compliment.
Lukas Haas (the kid from Witness) and Adam Scott play Will and Daniel, best friends from a small cottage community who’ve been estranged since Will disappeared, leaving his wife Maggie (Molly Parker) stranded at the proverbial dock.
When Will shows up again, the two friends rip into each other, and writer/director Matt Bissonnette‘s script sizzles with some choice putdowns. Then it devolves into a “Why the hell did you sleep with my wife?” picture.
Haas and Scott are good at glowering and Parker is incapable of a fake emotion. What they need is a script that’s strong enough to make you concentrate less on the bucolic vistas and more on character and story.
Veteran actors R.H. Thomson and Wendy Crewson take up the thankless job of playing Daniel’s clueless parents. Crewson does, however, get to shout, if a little unconvincingly, “Fuck you!” After this film, you’ll know how she feels.