With a stellar cast featuring some of the best actresses of their generation; Vanessa Redgrave, Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, and Natasha Richardson, and a screen play co-written by Michael Cunningham (The Hours), I had great expectations for the 2007 romantic drama, Evening. Based on the highly acclaimed novel by Susan Mimot, who co-wrote the screenplay, the acting by this dream cast, actually transcends a disjointed plot, brimming with loose ends.

Ann Lord (Vanessa Redgrave) is a dying woman, apparently haunted by memories of a mistake she made 50 years earlier, involving her one true love. Her two adult daughters, Constance (Natasha Richardson) and Nina (Toni Collette), are mystified by their mother's semi-conscious ramblings of people they have never heard of. The setting suddenly changes to a picturesque summer house in Newport, Rhode Island in 1953, where a younger Ann, (Claire Danes) a struggling lounge singer, has traveled from New York to serve as maid of honor in the wedding of her best friend, Lila Whittenborn (Mamie Gunner). Just days before the wedding, Lila's hard drinking brother, Buddy, (Hugh Dancy) confides that she is really in love with the handsome son of the family's housekeeper, Harris Arden, (Patrick Wilson) now a small town physician. However, due his lack of social standing, a romantic relationship is unthinkable. Ann finds herself deeply attracted to Harris, when a tragedy occurs, that effectively ends their relationship.

Meanwhile, back in the present, Nina is coming face to face with the reality of her own unfulfilled romantic dreams and aimless life, while carrying the child a man she does not see in her future, while Constance tries to live up her ideal of having it all; a career, home, and a loving family. Everything changes when Ann receives a surprise visit from someone with whom her past is intimately intertwined.

This richly atmospheric, nostalgic, and beautifully acted film, benefits from a well-written script, as the parallel stories of Ann's past and her daughter's present unfolds. Unfortunately, there are quite a few loose ends, and thinly developed subplots, including details about Lila and Harris' early relationship, the reasons behind the deep insecurities that have lead to Buddy's drinking, and the immediate aftermath of the tragedy that ended Ann and Harris' romance, that are never resolved. The frequent flashbacks, also make the film seem somewhat disjointed, at times.

The outstanding performances by the gifted ensemble cast, make up, to some degree, for these shortcomings. At times, a subtle glance, tone of voice, or slight change in facial expression or body language, communicates much stronger than the spoken words. Claire Danes delivers a nicely understated performance as the younger Ann. If there is one weakness, it is in the choice of Patrick Wilson, as Harris, an actor who, though attractive enough, lacks the charisma necessary to explain Harris' dazzling affect on women. Aileen Atkins adds a strong supporting role as Ann's mystical night nurse. Mamie Gunnar, Meryl Streep's real life daughter, an obvious choice to portray the younger, Lila, is credible, although a bit stiff in her performance. Streep appears only briefly, but effectively, in a couple of scenes near the end of the film. Some of the most moving scenes of the film are those featuring Redgrave and her real life daughter, Natasha Richardson, as she comforts her mother on her deathbed. The beautifully lyrical orchestral soundtrack accentuates the film's lush, nostalgic, tone.

Director, Lajos Kaltai, infuses this story with a wistful appeal, as the film briefly touches on the themes of unrequited love, forbidden romances between differing social classes, sexual ambiguity, as Ann's unfulfilled romantic dreams becomes the metaphor for all the disappointments in her daughter's lives. While I find it difficult to argue with the technique, I can't say it is entirely successful, due to the aforementioned gaps and loose ends in the story.

Still, I would not be entirely honest to say this film failed to meet my expectations. Comparable in it's sentimental storyline, to the 2004 romantic drama, The Notebook, this film has much more intensity and complex characters, which raises it above the level of your average melodramatic chick flick. Despite some glaring weaknesses, the true value of this story is summed up by one of it's most memorable lines, delivered by Ann's unexpected deathbed visitor, "at the end (of life) so much of it turns out not to matter." By the end of the film, the few minor weaknesses matter even less, as the viewer is lost in the warmth and tenderness of the final scene.

My Rating: ***1/2

DVD Special Features:

Deleted Scenes
One Weekend by the Sea: Remembering Evening (making of the film featurette)
Adapting the novel
Run time: 117 minutes


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older