Slow-moving movie about just-plain-folks living their lives, and when the storm hits, it's exactly as randomly tragic as such storms are in real life. I really loved how the move showed a range of background social issues, never dwelling on them or trying to take a side, just showing that these are the sorts of things that are going on in all of our communities, every day. Unplanned pregnancies, buying a first home, undocumented migrant workers, business owners trying to make a buck, at the expense of their employees--everyday, every life things.
And then a storm hits, a tornado large enough to eat whole neighborhoods. They did a wonderful job of showing what such a monster can do as it consumes its way across the landscape--absolutely no shelter is safe, no one unaffected, and the warnings are life-saving only for those who invest in paying attention to them.
When I saw that the characters were mainly going to be white Midwestern Christians, I was afraid the movie would be preachy. Instead, it treated religion as it should be treated: it was a feature of the character's lives, not something a movie-director was pushing on the audience. It makes this watchable for anyone of any religion and non-religious belief system.
... It's a slow-paced movie, so if you don't care for the view of small-town lives, you can go watch Twister instead. I think this is exceptionally realistic in its treatment of extreme weather, and of people. Read moreLess
top expert
Slow-moving movie about just-plain-folks living their lives, and when the storm hits, it's exactly as randomly tragic as such storms are in real life. I really loved how the move showed a range of background social issues, never dwelling on them or trying to take a side, just showing that these are the sorts of things that are going on in all of our communities, every day. Unplanned pregnancies, buying a first home, undocumented migrant workers, business owners trying to make a buck, at the expense of their employees--everyday, every life things.
And then a storm hits, a tornado large enough to eat whole neighborhoods. They did a wonderful job of showing what such a monster can do as it consumes its way across the landscape--absolutely no shelter is safe, no one unaffected, and the warnings are life-saving only for those who invest in paying attention to them.
When I saw that the characters were mainly going to be white Midwestern Christians, I was afraid the movie would be preachy. Instead, it treated religion as it should be treated: it was a feature of the character's lives, not something a movie-director was pushing on the audience. It makes this watchable for anyone of any religion and non-religious belief system.
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