Review of Winter Passing (2006) by Chadshiira — 04 Apr 2007

Reese(Zooey Deschanel) returns to the scene of the crime, her childhood home, and as she ascends up the curving stairs, we see the father's National Book Award(mom was no slouch either). In films about megalomaniacal artist-type parents, why do the childhood killers always have to be brilliant? A case could be mounted for parental myopia if the end results are masterpieces.

You could argue that these creative people had a higher calling and served the greater good. If they sucked, then by all means, Reese, bitch and moan all you like; it was all for nothing that you were treated like one of Daisy's children in F.

Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", like you were invisible. Reese is a whiny cokehead, but it doesn't stop "Winter Passing" from being a pretty terrific film about blaming your parents for everything under the sun.

The surrogate family that Don(Ed Harris) assembled to help ward off the loneliness of being widowed, of being left behind, is obviously meant as a replacement for his bitter absentee daughter. Will Ferrell and Amelia Warner helps round out this great ensemble; especially Ferrell, who tones down his dadaist impulses and underplays beautifully.