A sudden realization popped into my head upon revisiting Elizabethtown for the first time since I caught it in theaters over fifteen years ago. This film that I had remembered enjoying started to feel awfully similar to another mid-2000s dramedy that had a huge impact on my life. While some find it easy to hate these days, Zach Braff’s Garden State was often cited as my favorite movie during my formative years, and the parallels between it and Elizabethtown are notable. Both feature young white men in a dark place in their lives who have to travel back home due to a death in the family where they meet a too-good-to-be-true love interest who opens them up to the world emotionally – all set to a great soundtrack. While Garden State certainly did it better, Elizabethtown still charms me after all these years despite some glaring flaws. The world certainly expected more from director Cameron Crowe, who brought us classics such as Say Anything, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, but the turn from a post-Spider-Man Kirsten Dunst keeps this film on the right side of enjoyable.
The white guy in crisis this time around is Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom), who really messed up at work. Not just a small mistake, mind you, but a billion dollar mistake. “With a B!” he says emphatically at one point in the movie. He was given free rein to design a shoe that would revolutionize the industry, but his much-hyped design has been written-off as a failure before officially hitting the market. He has the collapse of an entire company on his shoulders, and he understandably gets the boot. At his lowest point, he prepares to end his time on Earth before getting a last minute call from his sister (Judy Greer) informing him that their father has passed away. Quite a bleak beginning to a film, right? Well, Drew is tasked with traveling from his northwest residence to Elizabethtown, Kentucky to take care of the arrangements for his dad while reconnecting with his distant family. This process is made much more enjoyable upon the meeting of a quirky flight attendant named Claire (Kirsten Dunst) who takes an instant shine to Drew for reasons beyond our understanding. Drew did not think there was a reason to keep living, but Claire is the type of person that can change your outlook on life.
I am in no way oblivious to the fact that a character such as Claire fits pretty well into the classic “manic pixie dream girl” trope that was particularly prevalent in this decade. She is the type of girl who male writers create that checks every box in the “fantasy woman” checklist. She is bubbly and interested in Drew despite him being as interesting as a piece of dry toast. She does cute things like clicking an invisible camera to capture a mental picture of key moments. She will drop everything to support you, a virtual stranger, during your emotional breakdown. Yet, I love these characters. I hate myself for loving someone so blatantly created to appeal to me. Then I see Kirsten Dunst acting her butt off to carry the weight of this entire film on her shoulders and I just melt. She is wonderful in nearly every project she has ever been in, and she deserves so much more from the film community. Orlando Bloom is objectively bad in this film, but I also do not hate him. He could have used some of his charm from the Pirates of the Caribbean films to help him from being so aggressively average in this role. I can only guess that this character was made to be so bland where other dudes could have an easier time projecting themselves onto the screen.
Outside of this core relationship dynamic, the film is a bit of a mixed bag. Cameron Crowe does a really admirable job of not making the Kentucky locals come off as the caricatures that you often get on film. As someone who was born and grew up in the neighboring state of Tennessee, I felt like I knew the characters that Drew was interacting with as he got to hear more about his father. I have been in those crowded houses where everyone is talking over one another and sharing stories with a healthy sense of camaraderie amongst everyone. Also, it would not be a Cameron Crowe movie without an absolutely stellar soundtrack, including appearances from Kentucky natives and top 5 personal favorite band My Morning Jacket. These aspects go quite a ways to making up for the fact that the film is ridiculously overlong. There is no reason that this should be over two hours, and a good fifteen minutes could have been trimmed out. Also, the great Susan Sarandon is wasted in her role as Drew’s mother, and the scene in which she does get to shine is very much something that would be dreamed up for a script. This entire film really feels like a movie – these are heightened scenarios that only feel believable in a scripted narrative. At the end of the day, though, Elizabethtown has enough that speaks directly to me that I cannot deny getting lost in its charms.
Video Quality
Elizabethtown has been granted a director-supervised 4K restoration via the Paramount Presents line for this stunning new Blu-Ray disc. The film grain present is beautifully natural and consistent while allowing fine details to shine through. Subtle details stand out with greater clarity than ever before, especially in clothing or elements of the production design. Exploring the settings like the cramped house or the Brown Hotel with this new transfer almost makes it feel like a whole new film. Facial features are likewise detailed with fine lines and pores detectable alongside natural skin tones. Colors are vibrant without being unnatural for the environment. The transfer affords several opportunities for them to pop off the screen with items such as clothing. Black levels are deep and inky without any noticeable blocking or compression artifacts. This is by far the best the film has looked on home entertainment.
Audio Quality
Paramount Home Entertainment brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that is a stealth powerhouse. As with any Cameron Crowe film, music is of utmost importance to the general aesthetic of the film with classic tunes being given great depth within the mix. Likewise, the Nancy Wilson score sounds nice and warm as it fills up the surround channels. The dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely and given a dynamic placement throughout the speakers. The sounds of a raucous hotel bachelor and bachelorette party along with a slew of other sounds bring nuanced life to the rear speakers. This is a track that was way more dynamic than I ever expected it to be. A truly pleasing experience.
Special Features
- Filmmaker Focus – Cameron Crowe on Elizabethtown: A six-minute conversation with director Cameron Crowe in which he discusses how the idea for the film came to him, how this movie fits into the careers of the performers, his refutation of the “manic pixie dream girl” label for Claire, the locations in the film, the themes that connect with people and much more.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes: 24 minutes of unused material composing eight scenes are provided here with an introduction from Crowe in which he discusses the first cut of the film that was submitted to the Toronto International Film Festival. There is some really interesting material in here including an alternate ending that shows Drew’s shoe becoming an unexpected success.
- On the Road to Elizabethtown: A 14-minute vintage making-of featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the themes of the movie, the casting process, the personal nature of the story and more.
- The Music of Elizabethtown: A six-minute look at the importance of music in the film and how it impacts his filmmaking. Crowe discusses bringing My Morning Jacket in as members of the fictional group Ruckus, which is a lot of fun.
- “Meet the Crew” Featurette: A three-minute look at some of the various crew members working on the set of the film.
- “Training Wheels” Featurette: A two-minute look at some of the footage from early rehearsals.
- Photo Gallery by Neal Preston: Various collections of still photos including sections for Behind-The-Scenes, spotlights on various characters, Kentucky, the road trip and more.
- Trailers & TV Spots: Five minutes of preview materials are provided that do a very nice job of establishing the lighthearted tone of the story.
Final Thoughts
Elizabethtown is an average movie that I find myself enjoying quite a bit. The script is a bit bloated and contrived, but Kirsten Dunst is a strong enough presence to wash away most of the problems I have with the film. This is a narrative made to appeal to the romantic at heart, so those looking for something light and inconsequential will probably have a fine time with it. With a stronger male lead, it may have been able to become something truly memorable. Paramount Home Entertainment has given the world a brand new Blu-Ray with a 5-star A/V presentation and some fun special features. If this is a film that also speaks to you, you will find that this package delivers the goods. Recommended
Paramount Presents Elizabethtown is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
