Friday, September 15, 2006

R

For language

Drama

Joshua Jackson, Donald Sutherland, Louise Fletcher, Juliette Lewis, Steven Pasquale, Zack Ward, Timm Sharp

Brent Boyd

James C.E. Burke

Aurora Borealis (2005)

Ever since the premature death of his father, 25-year-old Minneapolis slacker Duncan (Joshua Jackson) is content with shuffling aimlessly through life, hanging out with his lifelong friends, and ditching one dead-end job after another. Duncan takes a job as a handyman in a high-rise that allows him to be near his gravely ill grandfather Ronald (Donald Sutherland), who's more than a handful for his grandmother Ruth (Louise Fletcher). That newfound sense of purpose, plus a budding romance with home healthcare provider Kate (Juliette Lewis), gives Duncan the motivation to take charge of his life. However, Kate isn't one to stay in the same place for too long, and Duncan is soon torn between following her to California and a new, more responsible life, and his feelings of familial obligation to an increasingly suicidal Ronald. This funny and touching family drama from director James Burke, with a soundtrack featuring music by Minnesota natives Bob Dylan and Paul Westerberg, has something to say to audiences of all ages.