From Elfbean

I really enjoyed Elizabethtown. It was a slow movie, yes, but it had character. It is one of those movies that develops the character. They are called character plays (or in this case movies). For some, it may not float their boat, but I had a huge liking towards it. Orlando's performance was spectacular, and I can be a hard critic. You can tell he really meditated on the character and really became Drew Baylor. Kristen Dunst was excellent. I really enjoyed how she portrayed her part.

The two main characters, Clair and Drew, contrasted. And they reached the end, together. Some may say Orlando didn't try hard enough, or that Kristen tried too hard but that was their characters. The script was amazing, I really enjoyed the monologues, the scenes, and the commentary. The soundtrack was stupendous. I enjoyed the music full-heartedly. The message of the movie is so clear and so real, that may be what makes it so boring and drawn out to some. But it was a simple movie with inner complexities. I like action, and I like movies that make you think and listen.

The comedy was great, and Orlando did an excellent job on that. I'm not going to complain about his accent because overall he did a great job with it, and I also know how hard it is to do accents. In the end I thought the movie was fantastic and heartwarming.

From Lana

I loved Elizabethtown to death! I am very impressed by Orlando's accent and acting in this film. He is always good in his films, but this shows a different side to him.

Kirsten Dunst was great as well! The chemistry between her and Orlando was amazing. The whole cast is wonderful! I love the story and it has such a beautiful message. I cannot see why so many people did not like this movie, it is crazy. It is sad to see such a beautiful film get no credit at all! I will never listen to critics reviews and those critics really need to give Orlando a little more respect! Critics need to quit praising over an actor like Brad Pitt and give Orlando a chance!

But this movie was a hit at the theater I watched it at! Everyone was laughing like crazy and I personally was laughing until tears! I also cried for the character Drew. Also, after the movie was over people CLAPPED, including myself! After the movie was over and I left the theater, I wanted to go right back and watch it again. I see that alot of people love the Highway 60B part and I can see why. It was hilarious!! This will be a classic Orlando moment for his fans!

I give Elizabethtown two thumbs WAAAAAAAAAAAY UP! I cannot wait for it to come out on DVD!

From Keri

WOW!!! From all of the hype that was going on, I was prepared to be dissappointed. It was the greatest movie ever. Orlando and Kirsten had a lot of chemistry. Even though I didn't find her character believeable. Orlando's accent I feel was a bit over emphasized. Maybe he tried too hard. Other than that it was fantastic. Can you tell me when was the last time that you actually went to the movies and at the end, the entire movie theater was clapping. There was a lot of laughing and some crying toward the end. All of the music was spectacular. I would see it again in a heart beat. GREAT JOB ORLANDO, TEXAS LOVES YOU!!!

From Marj

i went to see elizabethtown on friday 1st showing,i didnot know what to expect because i could not get a real feeling from the trailers. i loved it, its funny,sad, very quirky. orlandos part is very different for him, romantic, funny but not in the romantic comedies we are use too. i thought his acting was right on,kirsten was great too. i know not everyone will like it because it is so kind of bizarre, but i like different movies and this is one of those. everyone that writes for movie reviews always blames the kind of movies showing now and that does have some effect but the major reason in the usa is high octane prices and people not being able to afford between 8 and 10 dollars a shot to see a movie.

From Alexa

I am a huge Orlando fan, but I honestly have to say this was not one of his best films. Don't get me wrong, it was not Orlando's fault at all. I just think it felt like Cameron Crowe was trying too hard to make it a "thoughtful reflection of life." Most of the movie was long, drawn out conversations full of mashed-together witticisms and quotes. True, I did laugh out loud a few times. Alec Baldwin's cameo was fantastic and the character Chuck was a lot of fun to watch. Even so, I thought the movie dragged. A lot of things seemed rather pointless to me, like Jessica Biel's character and Susan Sarandon's attempt to tap dance. Neither did anything to move the plot along, but they did waste a lot of time. Also, someone must explain to me what in the world was going on with Claire. She sees an exhausted man on a plane and knows that his father has died, yet she relentlessly bombards him with pointless chitchat anyway? Why does she stalk Drew, a complete stranger, throughout the entire movie? Kirsten Dunsts' fake accent and extreme perkiness got on my nerves. So, in conclusion: Orlando, I think we'd all much rather see you with a sword and Johnny Depp than with an urn and Kirsten Dunst.

From Angie

I've been telling people that watching this movie is like reading a book. That's the best way I can describe it. I can honestly say it lived up to my expectations. I hoped that for Orlando, it would be a real chance to show his acting skills. And that it was. I like the fact that he doesn't try to chew up the scenery. He has such an expressive face, he doesn't need to, and in any event, he was playing a man of quiet desperation. I've always thought it was harder to do comedy than straight drama, and to be funny without trying to get an obvious laugh, even harder yet. And he was pretty danged funny. (Yes, his accent could have been better, but I thought he did well enough with that.)

I've read some of the local folks criticized the movie because they said it didn't correctly depict the real Elizabethtown. Well, boo-hoo. I doubt that anyone would think that it did; it's a movie, for cryin' out loud. A movie that does depict what it's like to suffer severe professional and personal loss. That depicts what it's like to go to the funeral of a family member and have everyone smother you with their good intentions to the point where you feel like you're suffocating. I'd like to know where all of these "critics" are from and if they've ever gone back home and experienced that, because I have.

I do believe the critics are biased against Orlando. If some Oscar-winning character actor played this role, the critics would be slobbering all over themselves. However, I can agree with the critics about two things: First, Kirsten was marvelous in the role, but her character was too far "out there." Cameron should have toned her character down some.

Second, the comedy monologue bit by Susan Sarandon just didn't ring true and seemed inappropriate or out of place. It's fine to tell a funny story or dance in tribute to someone, but that whole bit just came across flat to me. Didn't the movie imply they had a good marriage? If so, why did she need to learn to laugh? Why was she still waiting for things to get started? I just didn't get it. She's such a wonderful actress. I can't imagine why Cameron would get her for a movie and then limit her role that way.

Bottom line: I would have wanted to see this movie anyway, even without Orlando in it, because of the storyline and because I generally like Cameron's movies. But the fact that Orlando is in it and does such a wonderful job -- well, it's not like frosting on the cake; it's a whole 'nother cake!

From Rhonda

I saw Elizabethtown today and was very disappointed. I thought Orlando Bloom did a great job, but I don't believe his performance will stand out as it maybe should because the rest of the film was so bad. I actually considered leaving around the middle, and I NEVER do that as that would be a waste of my $6.50! Cameron Crowe seems to lose his way in his semi-autobiographical films, I thought Almost Famous was a mess as well. His emotion gets in the way of good sense and he ends up putting in (or leaving in) things that add nothing to the story. Susan Sarandon's big scene was just plain embarrassing, her character an afterthought. Kirsten Dunst was her usual wooden self. I've heard a lot about re-cutting and editing after TIFF, but I think the final version still misses the mark badly.

From Elaine

I really tried to be objective when I entered the theatre today. To be honest, I like Orlando Bloom very much but tried to watch Elizabethtown as though I never knew who he was (it's hard, believe me). Not having seen all of Cameron Crowe's films (only Jerry Maguire) I really am not a Crowe fanatic but I wanted to see where all of the negativity was coming from. Then I read Roger Ebert's fairly nice review and figured "how bad could it be if he liked it"!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the film and enjoyed the music and the cast.

Orlando Bloom's performance was charming and I was impressed that there wasn't much of a hint of British accent. I won't detail the storyline as everyone pretty much knows the story. He portrays a fellow who spends most of his time engrossed in his career (which is now collapsing) and is on the verge of suicide when he is informed by his sister of his father's sudden death, The subsequent responsibility of handling funeral arrangements is placed on him by his mother and sister, and he is now thrust into the extended family he never knew much about. Flight attendant, Kirsten Dunst's character Claire enters his life like a diesel freight train and helps him get his life back on track. She appears periodically via an all night phone call or at his father's memorial service just when Drew needs her. I got a creepy feeling about her though....The cross country trip she designs for him wherein he scatters his father's ashes is complete with road maps, photos and CDs. It's a wonderful segment of the film where Drew finally faces his father's death and the guilt he has had for being unable to bridge the distance between them in time. The Elton John song, "My Father's Gun" blaring at this moment was what made the film for me. I hope everyone feels that moment like I did.

An enjoyable film and a very unfair skewering of this film by critics who probably don't really experience or get what a filmmaker is trying to say most of the time. They just don't get the "feeling" behind some films. I am sure I felt exactly what Cameron Crowe was trying to say and make me feel. And I am glad I did. You will also.

From Kim

I just got back from seeing Elizabethtown and I loved it! Orlando and Kirsten were terrific together. I loved the phone conversation and how they met up at the end, that was really special. I thought Orlando turned in a great performance. I could relate to on how he was feeling. Here he was on top of the world and all of a sudden the rug gets pulled from underneath him. And I loved the road trip. I felt like I was there with him. He took me places I know I would never see myself, like where Martin Luther King Jr.'s motel room where he stayed on the last day of his life. The survivor tree in Oklahoma City. I also liked the part where he was trying to find 60B and he drives right by it and ends up in Indiana. Wow!, could me and my Mom relate to that. I can't begin to tell you how many times we have gotten lost like that, missed a road sign or a cut off. And of course I can strongly relate to the crazy relatives. So, yes I strongly recommend this movie. I really enjoyed it and just like Cameron Crowe said, I walked away feeling really good after seeing this movie. I don't think I have stopped smiling since. So great job Orlando, Kirsten & Cameron. It was an absolute gem and thank you for a great afternoon at the theater.

From Stephani

My name is Stephani. I saw the movie on the 6th at the Chicago Film Fest. My father-in-law plays a war veteran in the funeral scenes, and we drove seven hours to see the movie one week early because we’ve been excited about It’s release t for more than a year. I wasn’t disappointed. It has one laugh out loud moment after another. I am one of the greatest Orlando fans out there, and I think he did a wonderful job as a contemporary American, but I also have to say that there are few scenes where he is a bit upstaged by his supporting cast. The man playing Chuck, a stranger Drew meets in the hotel he stays in, is hilarious and memorable long after you watch his scenes. As is the man playing Jesse, Drew’s cousin back in KY. The big surprise for me is Dunst. I have read a lot of rave reviews about her, but her character and performance are surprising off putting. She is supposed to be corky and sweet, but I think she instead comes across as a lunatic stalker. She’s just not as near as likeable as I thought she was going to be, and the ‘chemistry’ I keep hearing about between she and Orlando does not reveal itself to me. If anything they seem like they would make a good brother/sister pairing, but the love interest in simply not convincing. Other than Dunst’s role, the only major complaint I have is the fact that some of the minor characters, so wonderful in their performance, are not fully developed. It leaves you wondering more about them than you probably should. But all in all, it is a great film, and very much worth paying to see. Orlando might not knock it out of the park, but he certainly does me proud in this. Oh, and the sound track is so good it gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. Here’s to the movies…

From Mary

I just got back from 2 viewings of Elizabethtown. Ladies, it was like eating chocolate knowing you may get tired of it if you could do it all the time, but this time you are going to indulge yourself! In all of his other movies, you had to wait to see him in different scenes, and then there was so much going on in the scenes too. This film is totally focused on him. In this movie he is the modern elf, slightly bewildered by the world and astonished in that he thinks his work, henceforth his life, is a failure. Girlfriends, let me tell you, the critics are all wrong. Those up-tight intellegencia balding potbellied assholes are so f’ing jealous of him, and have their noses up…….. Oh F with my criticism of them. The movie and Orlando were excellent. We get to see the sides of him that we always wanted to see, and he shows them, and he is wonderful. I predict that there will be times when I want to pretend that I’m in his club, and watching him in this movie will fulfill some of that fantasy…

From Leslie

I saw Elizabethtown opening night. The show before mine was sold out. I really enjoyed this movie. It was funny and touching. The characters were quirky but real, I could definitely point to many and see my own family members. I thought Orlando and Kirsten did a fantastic job and they had great chemistry. The only kink in the movie to me was Orlando's American accent. It was not bad just not very authentic; it sounded too much like someone pretending to do an American accent. He just did not seem to "nail it." I really enjoy Kirsten Dunst as an actress and she does not disappoint. She plays her role well and adds a calmness and depth to Orlando's character. All of the character actors and small roles in this movie added a rich texture to the story, and sometimes a lot of humor. I think there is a little something for everyone to take away from this

From Ellen

Excellent. I was worried all the hype wouldn't live up to the actual, but it was great. Sweet without being sappy. My only negative comment, and it is only a slight negative, is that they should have explained the necessity of the road trip home a little more. Why was he driving home? Where was the rest of the family? But, the road trip was a fantastic finish.