Back when Lasse Hallstrom was good, he made this attractive and
convincing portrait of the lives of an offbeat American family.
Perhaps coming from Sweden, Hallstrom had the ability to see Americans
as they couldn’t see themselves. Depp and DiCaprio are misfit brothers
whose mother is so fat she hasn't left the house for years. Depp spends
all his time caring for his family, especially his younger brother
(DiCaprio gives an amazing performance as this mentally-disturbed
boy) until he meets Lewis, the equally offbeat new girl in town. Lighter
than Bergman, but not as gooey as Chocolat.
