COMMITTED
2000

August 12, 2001
Starz

Woman follows her husband to Texas after he leaves her two years into their marriage.

-->Written and Directed.....Lisa Krueger [Mystery Train; Mr. and Mrs. Bridge; Benny & Joon]
-->Joline.....Heather Graham [MichaelVox Top Five; Twins; Drugstore Cowboy; Twin Peaks; Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me; Six Degrees Of Separation; Mrs. Parker And The Vicious Circle; Swingers; Two Girls And A Guy; Boogie Nights; Bowfinger]
-->Jay.....Casey Affleck [To Die For; Chasing Amy; Good Will Hunting; American Pie]
-->Carl.....Luke Wilson [Rushmore; Preston Tylk; Legally Blonde]
-->Neil.....Goran Visnjic [The Peacemaker; Rounders; ER]
-->T-Bo.....Mark Ruffalo [You Can Count On Me]

Free-spirited woman (Graham) runs a club in New York. She's married to her soul mate (Wilson) who is a photographer but is relegated to taking pictures of food for the newspaper instead of news. He leaves town, but she doesn't give up hope for their marriage. She believes him when he says that he just needs space to figure things out. She seems to be the most understanding woman on the planet. She stumbles upon him in El Paso, where she doesn't contact him, but sits back to make sure he's all right. Even when she sees him with another woman, she has faith for their relationship. She tells people he's in an 'emotional wheelchair' no different than if he had been hit by a car, and she wouldn't leave him if that happened so why would she now. While in El Paso she meets a southwest-centric cast including the Hispanic woman who slept with her husband, the sexy paper mache artist, and a grandfatherly medicine man.

It was enjoyable watching Graham's huge eyes filling up the entire screen. The weight of the film is on her shoulders and if we didn't believe that she is as innocent and big-hearted as she seems, the film would collapse. She seems honest and committed (hence the title) and sees only the best in people without being an idiot. The film begins to lag at the end when the title becomes literal, but along the way it certainly is fun. Great use of Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire sung in Spanish.

This one was much better than I thought, but then again having Graham onscreen for most of any film would make it enjoyable.

6.25 Videohound