Still reeling from the death of her father, a young girl spends one last summer at the Jersey Shore before heading off to college. But when her plans fall apart, the girl stumbles into a mysterious world of Russian sailors, high-stakes gambling, and unexpected love.
Reviews
The Worst Film Ever
If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
How sad is this?
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
I had never heard of this movie until I caught it on a movie channel on television. Once I saw a few minutes, I was hooked. Something about it drew me in. I spent the rest of the movie trying to figure out what that something was. I think I know.It's a true "feel-good." It's not offensive, it's not run-of-the-mill, it's not cliché. In fact, I was surprised it was rated R, it could easily have gone PG or PG-13. Some of the humor is edgy, but the romance is pure and sweet, there are NO sex scenes (can you believe it) and yet it's still effective.The characters are real and the acting is right-on. The dialog is strong. The plot is unique. Perhaps the climax scene is a little predictable, but it doesn't take away from the movie. It only adds to the lightness of it. Sometimes it's refreshing to just experience something that is in its essence sweet and good and simple. That's what this movie is. If I had one word to describe it, it would be "genuine." You feel genuine when you're watching it and you feel genuinely satisfied once it's over.7.5
In the tradition of Dirty Dancing and Mystique Pizza, Greetings From The Shore is an entertaining, well made, and well acted little film. If you thought Sleepless in Seattle or An Affair to Remember were just corny love stories, you might still enjoy this story because of the added drama of the high stakes poker game, and the baffling contingent of foreign heavies that populate the seaside landscape. Jen is a truly sympathetic character, just as Flip is the stereotypical guy that you love to hate. Whether you watch it for the intrigue or the romance (both of which are worthwhile endeavors), as you watch it, keep in mind that it is based on true life experiences of the screenwriter.
Other than quotes from co-screenwriter Gabrielle Berberich that appeared in the print media promoting the three-day Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, NJ, I knew nothing about "Greetings From the Shore" when I was asked to introduce it Saturday night, April 5, 2008. Having seen it, I think the film is a wonderful example of a fully realized, completely relatable story that a lot of people would want to experience with others in a movie theater. New Jersey has exported enough natives around the country who will want to see this quintessential summer coming-of-age-at-the-Shore story. May they take with them friends who would be surprised to see the 'other' Jersey. The acting was well done: With her subtly expressive facial features, lead Kim Shaw has a promising future ahead of her. Paul Sorvino, who spoke from the stage afterwards, expressed the cast's collective gratitude for the chance to perform in a well-crafted narrative.
The lead actress (Kim Shaw) in this movie is fantastic. She is a sweet character who has vulnerability and strength. The setting of this film on the Jersey shore at resort/restaurant gives a feel to it like "Dirty Dancing." The cast is rounded out with other memorable characters Paul Sorvino for example, as well as the manager at the restaurant (good comic relief!) There are really nice moments throughout this film and the build-up of the movie's romance is good. Mid-way through the film though, it starts to lag. It feels like the stakes could be higher either on the romance-end or in the conflict that is felt between the workers and the rich "frat boys" or in the main character's grief over the loss of her father (which gets lost in the story). It's lacking that "compelling something" to pull me into the next scene and next. I needed something more to make me feel like I NEED to know what is coming next. It is worth noting that the movie finishes on a strong note with a "showdown" of sorts.The locations, directing, acting, and cinematography are all strong. The story could have been stronger. Cutting out some of the middle scenes and/or trimming them down would speed up the pacing and improve this movie in my opinion.I feel like this movie is a 6, or maybe a 7 out of 10. Since it is an indie film, I rounded up to a 7 (since it is hard to make a good movie with less money). If you like romances that aren't formulaic romantic-comedies, this is a nice coming-of-age one.
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