User reviews

I bought Earthly Possessions because they filmed some scenes in New Jersey's Ocean Grove which is doubled as Perth, South Carolina. I really liked the chemistry between Sarandon and Dorff to surprise me. It is such a surprise delight and worth a viewing. It is well written with a somewhat believable story. It has solid acting performances by Stephen Dorff and Oscar winner, Susan Sarandon. Anyway, the film begins with a hostage played by Sarandon who is an unhappy housewife trying to get away from her life and marriage. Dorff's character is desperate for some money. The leads provide an entertaining interaction between two very different characters.

I like the opening scene in this movie, with a person walking down the street under an umbrella. It doesn´t get much more exciting than this though. This movie is about a woman who ends up being taken hostage by a young man during a bank robbery. Then they run away together, and get to know each other...

Even tough this, in the beginning anyway, is supposed to be a comedy I didn´t really laugh once during the whole movie. The story is pretty simple and the movie doesn´t feel really believable or original. But, if you are looking for 98 minutes of half descent (?) entertainment this one is o.k. (along with a whole lot of other movies out there).

Well, I rented this film because I like "Hostage and Kidnapper fall in love" kind of movies and I must say I wasn't too disappointed. I didn't expect a brilliant film, and it wasn't, but it was still quite enjoyable. Susan Sarandon is amazing, as always. Stephen Dorff is (without sounding too shallow) really cute. Together, they produce a pretty fine dynamic. I too was disappointed by the ending, but I still liked the film. What can I say, I always fall for those cute kidnappers...

I love this movie it`s a romantic movie where the thief falls in love with the hostage... so romantic and Stephen Dorff is gorgeous!!! I mean I would not complain if Stephen Dorff or some other hunk took me as a hostage and we fall in love...! Anyway back to the movie, Susan is as great as ever and in this role she turns from a boring house wife to a sexy woman that wants to divorce her husband. I like this movie because it`s so warm and romantic and Stephen Dorff is so pretty!!! //sofia

Best things in life always finish!

It's a bittersweet movie. Nice to watch, although I couldn't have imagined how it would end

Wowo ... I am suprised to read so many positive comments about this movie that is soooooooooo predictable and gets dumber and dumber by the minute ... especially near the end where that annoying girlfriend of Dorff shows up ... God, help me ! Definately one of the most annoying characters I have seen in a long time !

I thought this movie was almost a waste of my time and give it a 1.5/5 mainly because I am usually a fan of Susan Sarandon (She was the only reason I was interested in seeing this movie in the first place !) but in this one she is really wasted.

What can you do with a story and some dialogues like that ... no one could save such a turkey ... Lame storyline and dumb situations made me cringe often ... I should have watched Dead Man Walking, White Palace or Bull Durham again !

I thought this was quite a good movie. It stirred something in me.

I thought that Charlotte and Jake had real passion. I found myself laughing because of the ridiculousness of some of the stuff that they did.... picturing people in their situation doing the things they did.

I really liked it because it was so different and unpredictable. I was very disappointed with the ending though.

I worry that foreigners see simple-minded tripe like this and think it is representative of the American psyche. He is holding a real gun against her ribs after robbing a bank- are we supposed to believe that this is an appropriate setting for plucky cutesy music and Susan musing how she's never left town before or that she is really concerned that he's playing with her Keep-On-Truckin' pin? Or that he'd really be amused that she is concerned about that pin??? Made me want to VOMIT!

There are real sparks here between Sarandon and Dorff and their performances give Earthly Possessions some real emotional weight. I've never been much impressed with Dorff in the past, but playing against Sarandon seems to lift him to a new level as an actor. His physicality serves him well in this role and Jake's hotheaded moments are both funny and slightly threatening (a hard line to walk). Sarandon builds her character so effortlessly that all of Charlotte's personality just magically appears before the viewer. Is there anything she can't do as an actress? The screenplay shows some big changes from Anne Tyler's book, but it does do a good job of capturing the novel's quirky mix of drama and comedy. Many people mention dissatisfaction with the movie's ending and I felt it too. In the novel the ending feels natural and right, but it's as if this screenplay didn't quite take into account the sexual sparks that would be generated between the two leads. Because Sarandon and Dorff have this chemistry together and do such a great job showing the characters challenging each other to be better people, the inclusion of the girlfriend and the "earthly" resolution feel like intruders in a great romantic drama. It left me wishing that instead of an adaptation of Tyler's book (which deals with taking responsibility for choices), the movie was just a continuation of Charlotte and Jake's journey together. In the movie, you just KNOW that their being together is right, even if this isn't the message in the screenplay; that difference leaves the viewer dissatisfied. In a way though, it is more satisfying that the movie doesn't have a pat ending and Charlotte and Jake's relationship is more complicated than it has to be. Movies that challenge our expectations are rare enough these days.

I like the opening scene in this movie, with a person walking down the street under an umbrella. It doesn´t get much more exciting than this though. This movie is about a woman who ends up being taken hostage by a young man during a bank robbery. Then they run away together, and get to know each other...

Even tough this, in the beginning anyway, is supposed to be a comedy I really just laughed once during the whole movie. The story is pretty simple and the movie doesn´t feel really believable or original. But, if you are looking for 98 minutes of half descent (?) entertainment this one is o.k. (along with a whole lot of other movies out there). My rating: 7/15

After the first 15 minutes This film "based on" Anne Tyler's novel bears almost no resemblance to the story she wrote. Maybe if you haven't read the book or any of her wonderful stories it won't matter, but to me it matters a lot. 2 thumbs down. On its own it may be an OK film. Sarandon is always terrific. But....

This movie was a big breakthrough for HBO. I have seen some of HBO's original movies, and I have to say that with most of them I was disappointed, but this movie it was the exact opposite. Stephen Dorff made the character seem real, he really got into his role. The cast and crew did a splendid job, the atmosphere of this movie was very comfortable. Also the humor of the movie was great, at certain parts you were on the edge of your seat, wondering what happened next. Susan Sarandon did a GREAT job, and as one of her biggest fans, I have to say that this is one of her greatest films, although all of them are great!

Earthly Possessions is a great combination of drama, suspense, and comedy. Although it is an original HBO movie, I would love to see it out on video, because it is a very great movie. Everyone reading this should check the TV Guide and the next time it comes on should watch it. You won't be disappointed, I promise you that, because I sure wasn't.

It was simply horrific😂 I recommend watching if you're in the mood for a very bad written script and for actors that look like actual fools.

It took me a while to come across this film, but I finally got it a few days ago, and guess where? A grocery store! Oh ya, not just for fruits and veggies; get some good finds there! Anyway, I loved the movie, it is really funny in certain places and the acting is really great too. I am a huge Stephen Dorff fan so I figured it would be good anyway, but it was surprisingly good. It wasn't the most original concept -bank robber, hostage, but it all worked and was enjoyable! You feel part of their trip, and you don't want to turn your back. Susan Surrandon is also good, even if you are not a huge fan. It is a story many people can relate too if you find yourself tired of your life, or "feel the world is closing in on you" like the characters do in the film. If you can get it, rent it!

Not one viewer has commented on the age difference between Dorff and Sarandon...I can't believe it. My daughter and I watched this together, and couldn't wait to get online to check out their birthdates. 1946 and 1973....hard to get past that! The movie itself was awesome...fun and easy to imagine (or wish) that this could truly take place. Sarandon did a SUPER job with her role...a very believable bored wife. Dorff...well, he's Stephen Dorff...what more needs to be said!? He's a great actor who could get by on his looks but doesn't have to. Their interaction is wonderful. Makes a girl think she should hang out in banks until this happens for real!

When I think of Susan Sarandin I think of a hip, sexy, woman with no reserves about anything. It was really interesting to see her play a character so totally opposite. In this she is a virtual recluse in a town she has never left since girlhood, a non-Christian married to a Minister! On the day she plans to take her money from the bank and run she is taken hostage by(Jake) played by actor Stephen Dorff,a very appealing guy! .

Here is Susan, dressed as a frump ,trapped and in tow, by a confused and possibly dangerous handsome guy fresh out of prison. Their interaction and eventual meshing of opposites is FUN to experience in their day by day relationship. The situations are sometimes heartfelt, or sexy, or scary!

By the end, we see Susan as we all know Susan,dressed in red boots and a mini -skirt.

All the time through the film, Stephen Dorff's inner violence ,just under his calmer surface, smolders. What is he capable of? Is he mellow? Or a tiger?

There is a surprise "almost end" (I thought it was the end,) to the film that blows your mind, and it positively shocked me.

You need to see this movie. Maybe you can find it on eBay or Half.com. I hope so. I think you will enjoy it .

The first time I saw this movie it was in the middle of the night and all I remember from that time is that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Mostly, because I'm a sucker for the kind of impossible romance stories like 'kidnapper falls in love with hostage' as seen in this movie.

The few times that I watched this movie later, I was kind of disappointed. In my head, the movie had been so much better than it was in real life, but the fact the movie isn't brilliant and the storyline isn't always very much believable, doesn't take away the fact that the movie is beyond entertaining.

There is some serious chemistry between Susan Sarandon and Stephen Dorff. The way they interact and their conversations are definitely enough reason for someone to instantly love the movie. Susan Sarandon is a respected actress in Hollywood and I believe almost every single movie with her in it is worth watching. Stephen Dorff managed to impress me with something other than his cuteness, his acting. Having two great actors in a mediocre movie kind of helps to reach the movie a higher level and that is definitely the case in this movie. I think the movie is entertaining by itself, but the fact Susan Sarandon and Stephen Dorff are in it, adds to its appeal. The movie is there not to be taken too literally and to just sit back and enjoy.

Just like most other people, I was fairly disappointed once the character of Mindy joined the duo. Not because of Mindy herself, but simply because I felt it wasn't necessary. Charlotte and Jake were still entertaining enough together and a third character was not necessary to keep the movie interesting.

The ending may have disappointed some people out there, but I think the ending was decent. It's obvious that the 'happily ever after'-ending everyone's hoping for isn't going to come and it is inevitable that Jake and Charlotte had to say goodbye at some point.

Conclusion: Not good in the traditional sense, but good in the way that it'll keep you entertained for the entire time. The movie has got its flaws that will sometimes disappoint you, but at the same time the movie has got enough charm to keep you interested all the way and will make you love it from start to finish. At least, that's what it did for me.

8/10

I watched the DVD version. It is an HBO production. While the picture and sound were fine, it was not even in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, which is a big disappointment. Plus, there were no "extras" on the DVD. The story was sometimes believable, but most of the time it seemed like the actors were "acting" to make this movie. Susan Sarandon was really good in this so-so story but I can overall only give it 5 of 10 rating. The end left me asking "is that all there is??"

Who knew Stephen Dorff could really strike a cord with Susan Sarandon, but both do a wonderful turn in this strangely romantic comedy about a bank robbery with a twist. What a great story line, but light enough to keep it easy, nice movie watching.