Review of Arlington Road (1999) by Miz J — 16 Apr 2011

I love Jeff Bridges and Joan Cusack, but unfortunately they couldn't save this movie. This film is crap.

Ostensibly a film about clever domestic terrorists, the film is as poorly written as a bad television show. Bridges would be believable as a professor. Then you add the dead FBI agent wife, the inept "detective" work he runs around doing, the scary neighbors who put up with his nosing around (until they don't) and his willingness to let his son go off to camp for weeks with the creepy neighbor boy, and things get laughable.

Almost works, but as many have said, the plot is completely implausible, especially the end. It's also boring up until the big car chase which is so ludicrous at least it makes you laugh. There's a "twist" at the end you can see coming from a mile away, one that makes you wish the writers had given the plot a little more thought. The denouement is food for thought, but what comes before it is so ineptly handled, the message just makes you roll your eyes.

If it hadn't been free to watch I probably never would have given it a look. Bridges and Cusack are interesting to watch. Do yourself a favor and rent one of their other films.