Although its tale of marital crisis, A Walk on the Moon is a story that gently involves. The characters are authentic, and, best of all, Diane Lane is given a chance to show why she’s one of the most genuine and underrated actresses of her generation.
Here she plays Pearl Kantrowitz, a devoted housewife on a routine vacation in the Catskills with her TV repairman husband Marty (Liev Schreiber), 14-year-old daughter (Anna Paquin), and rambunctious younger son (Tovah Feldshuh).
It’s the summer of 1969. Neil Armstrong has made his “one small step for man,” Woodstock is about to happen nearby (leading to a barely plausible dramatic coincidence), and while her husband is away on business, Pearl is cautiously receptive to the seductions of “the blouse man” (Viggo Mortensen), a hippie salesman who offers the adventure and passion that Pearl sacrificed to young pregnancy and marriage.
Once the stage for infidelity is set, A Walk on the Moon progresses predictably, but first-time screenwriter Pamela Gray stays true to the emotions of her characters, and actor Tony Goldwyn (making a smooth directorial debut) maintains precisely the right tone to downplay most of the movie’s dramatic clichés.
Add to this a sharp dynamic between Lane and Paquin, whose performances create a substantial mother-daughter relationship. Graced by stolen moments and fleeting expressions that speak volumes, this unassuming little film is eminently worthwhile.
Such high-quality movies like A Walk On The Moon rarely get released. It’s a film about the stormy turns a family’s daily life takes when wife Pearl (Lane) meets a charming blouse man (Mortensen). Although it’s clear that she does love her husband (Schreiber), she fails to remain faithful to him. At the same time her daughter (Anna Paquin) is slowly becoming a woman. Her first flirt with a boy takes place and the girl , full of doubts and questions tries to come in terms with her puberty. The film’s biggest strength is it’s cast.
Character to watch: Diane Lane as Pearl Kantrowitz.
Journal your answers to the following questions after you watch the movie.
- How does this particular character’s journey compare with yours?
- Did the character develop certain characteristics during the movie that you have or that you would like to have? If so, what are those characteristics?
- What obstacles did this character face? What was his or her biggest challenge?
- What would you have done differently if you had been in the same position as the character?
- Is this character the type of person you would be friends with? Why or why not?