Moonlight Mile

A murdered woman’s fiancé and her parents try to reconstruct their lives. The mother (Susan Sarandon) is sardonic and bitter, the father (Dustin Hoffman) plans business ventures with his new “son,” and the young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) hasn’t the nerve to tell them that he and their daughter had just broken up when she died and that now he’s met someone new (Ellen Pompeo). Writer and director Brad Silberling’s film moves at a reverent, funereal crawl and is packed with big moments and important speeches. The camera creeps up lovingly on the actors, so we won’t miss a precious word. Then, it’s cut to soulful look, cue music—preferably something modishly life-affirming by Bob Dylan or Van Morrison. The whole film is like the title: It sounds as poetic as all get out, but it doesn’t really say anything.