THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE (Theatrical Release USA 2012)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Stars ìììì

The Magic of Belle Isle—a heartfelt classic—features a simple story perfectly scripted. It’s a 2012 winner. Wow! The movie’s slow, easy pace could not have been better. This film was not well received in the box office and received poor ratings from most movie critiques. Not so here. It’s a sleeper that will come into its own as a feel-good story about getting well and the power of others to inspire.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Alcoholic writer Monte Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman) and his nephew Henry (Kenan Thompson) drive an aging 1993 GMC truck to a small summer house. Henry takes a handmade plywood ramp from the back of the truck, sets it in front of the front porch, and Monte takes a remote-controlled wheel chair up the ramp into his summer quarters. While that is happening, the next door neighbor, Charlotte O’Neil (Virginia Madsen), washes the roof of her house with a garden hose and the story is off and running as it follows the interactions between the writer and his new neighbors through the summer.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Rob Reiner for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Liz Glotzer, Jared Goldman, and Martin Shafer for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Charlotte O’Neil (Virginia Madsen), Finnegan O’Neil (Emma Fuhrmann), Willow O’Neil (Madeline Carroll), Flora O’Neil (Nicolette Pierini), Fire Captain (C.J.Wilson), Carl Loop (Ash Christian), and Mahmoud (Debargo Sanyal).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film is easy on the mind with a small town flavor that is easy to digest.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers