Review of Come Early Morning (2006) by Jennifer A — 19 Mar 2007

Joey Lauren Adams creates a perfect atmosphere for a simple character study in this indie film. Review of [i]Come Early Morning[/i] below.

[b]Come Early Morning (2006) - 7.7/10[/b].

Director - Joey Lauren Adams.

Starring - Ashley Judd, Jeffrey Donovan, Laura Prepon, Scott Wilson, Tim Blake Nelson, Diane Ladd, Stacey Keach, Wally Welch.

Joey Lauren Adams, best known for her role as Amy in Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy" makes her directorial debut in this small town tale of a woman with relationship issues. Ashley Judd, in her best performance in years, plays Lucy, a thirtysomething woman with a penchant for casual sex and avoiding serious relationships. Things change when Lucy meets a local named Cal (Jeffrey Donovan). Will Cal help her something more meaningful than casual sex or will Lucy resort to her old ways? Relationships are at the heart of this little indie film.

I suspect many will dismiss or ignore this this film as it received almost no hype and the story itself isn't exactly original. That said I wholeheartedly recommend [i]Come Early Morning[/i] to anyone who enjoys a healthy dose of realism. Joey Lauren Adams, who also penned the script, obviously cared a great deal about this film. From the authenticity of it's small town setting (somewhere in Arkansas), to the astutely penned and believable characters, and the excellent mix of old school country music you feel like you are part of this town. The pacing is deliberate and the characters are fleshed out so realistically that there isn't a need for any highly dramatic payoff. It's not so much a film about revelations as it is realization. Ashley Judd is so natural she doesn't even appear to be acting. Easily one of my favorite performances of 2006. And I'm hoping Joey Lauren Adams is given more opportunities to write and direct as she shows enormous promise with her debut. I''ll bump this one into my Top 10 of the year.