By Jae-Ha Kim
Amazon.com
May 5, 2006
Shadows in the Sun is a feel-good movie that tells the story of two men who’re struggling to overcome their fears of not being good enough.
When Jeremy Taylor (a charming Joshua Jackson of Dawson’s Creek) is assigned the unenviable task of tracking down and signing up reclusive author Weldon Parish (Harvey Keitel), he has his work cut out for him. The American expatriate hasn’t written a book in 20 years, has no interest in dealing with junior editors such as Taylor, and sees no reason why he should change his idyllic lifestyle in Italy to worry about meeting hurried deadlines and publisher’s editorial changes.
In reality, Parish–who stopped writing when his wife died–is scared he won’t be able to live up to his reputation as a relevant literary icon. After a few fistfights and the reclaiming of a stolen cow, the two begin to bond. A little.
As Parish tells Taylor, “I dislike you less today than yesterday.”
Not as subtle as Diane Lane’s Under the Tuscan Sun, Shadows in the Sun highlights the beauty of rural Italy–and of Claire Forlani, who plays Parish’s daughter Isabella. The warm acting and lush scenery transcend the film’s slow-moving pace and the predictable ending, which, in movies like this, can be nothing other than happy.
