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That incomparable master of movie minimalism, director Jim Jarmusch, uses an uncharacteristically subtle Bill Murray as his onscreen surrogate in this placid but absorbing dramedy. Murray portrays Don Johnston, a womanizing computer-biz millionaire described by his most recent girlfriend (Julie Delpy) as "an over-the-hill Don Juan." After receiving an anonymous letter indicating that he's the father of a young man now looking for him, Don rouses himself from the comfort of his modest home to visit his former paramours in an attempt to learn whether or not he's being put on by an irate ex-lover. The ladies in question: a recently widowed scatterbrain (Sharon Stone); an uptight realtor (Frances Conroy); a flighty pet therapist (Jessica Lange); and a tight-lipped biker chick (Tilda Swinton). The female characters are sharply drawn and well portrayed by fine actresses in what amounts to glorified cameos. Murray's character largely reacts to them, and under Jarmusch's direction the erstwhile Saturday Night Live star holds himself back with unusual but welcome restraint. We never really know what Don is thinking, because his demeanor suggests catatonia; he's an emotionally immobile figure around whom the episodic story dawdles, provoking quiet laughs with the slightest of expressions and gestures. We daresay the movie's humor will be lost on those viewers who prefer the likes of, say, Wedding Crashers or The 40-Year-Old Virgin. But those who enjoy unpretentious comedies with intellectual underpinnings will find this sparkling Jarmusch jewel much to their liking. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

A man sets out to find the son he didn't know he had and winds up getting answers to some questions he never asked in this comedy drama from director Jim Jarmusch. Don Johnston (Bill Murray) is an emotionally blank middle-aged man who has never married and lives a quiet, comfortable life thanks to shrewd investments in computers (though he doesn't use one himself). After being given his walking papers by his latest girlfriend, Sherry (Julie Delpy), Don receives an anonymous letter informing him he fathered a son 19 years ago, and that the boy wants to find his dad. Not sure what to do, Don shows the note to Winston (Jeffrey Wright), a neighbor who fancies himself an amateur detective. With Winston's help, Don narrows the list of possible mothers down to four women, and with a mixture of reluctance and resigned determination he sets out to find them. Armed with a CD of traveling music from Winston, Don pays unannounced visits to Laura (Sharon Stone), an oversexed widow with a libidinous teenage daughter (Alexis Dziena); Dora (Frances Conroy), a stuffy real estate agent; Penny (Tilda Swinton), an aging biker with no happy memories of Don; and Carmen (Jessica Lange), a self-styled analyst for pets whose outward eccentricity disguises a firm inner stability. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 025192847721
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Alternate Wide Screen (1.78:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Français, Español
• Time: 1:46:00
• Sales Rank: 18,161

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