Jack Goes Boating
Autumn 2010 Features series
Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 4:00pm
Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 7:00pm
Acadia Cinema's Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main Street, Wolfville, NS
Directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman
Screenplay by Bob Glaudini
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega
Rated NR ·
1h 29m
United States
English
Jack Goes Boating
Premiering at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s assured directorial debut Jack Goes Boating is an unconventional tale of love, betrayal and friendship set against the backdrop of working-class New York City.
Based on the acclaimed off-Broadway play of the same name, the story centers on Jack (Hoffman, Capote, Doubt), a reggae-loving limo driver with vague dreams of landing a job with the transit authority, and not much else. Jack is a quiet, mostly unremarkable man with few friends, and even less family. He spends most of his time hanging out with his best friend and fellow driver, Clyde (John Ortiz, Two Lovers, American Gangster), and Clyde’s wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega, from Broadway’s Rent). Outgoing and truly fond of Jack, the two look to break him out of his quiet existence by introducing him to Connie (Amy Ryan, Green Zone, Gone Baby Gone), Lucy’s co-worker at a Brooklyn funeral home.
Beingwith Connie soon inspires Jack to learn to cook, pursue a new career, and take swimming lessons from Clyde so he can give Connie the romantic boat ride she wants. But as Jack and Connie find the courage and desire to pursue their budding relationship, Clyde and Lucy’s marriage begins to disintegrate.
Featuring touching, realistic and full-fledged performances and complemented by a warm, impressionistic visual style, Jack Goes Boating is a charming slice-of-life story that shows us how love can be awkward, funny and important, often at the same time.
“Hoffman brings a sympathetic touch to a small dramatic piece that recalls the warm-hearted “little people” dramas of the ‘50s.” – Todd McCarthy, Variety