Along the Way

What has happened to make Hollywood so spineless? They will release Gigli because it has the name and nothing else. But The Haven has everything but name appeal, and can't get distributed. This film is a STAR MAKER. Andrew Bowen crafted an amazing story as both writer and director, and then personally gives one of the most electrifying performances I've seen in the last ten years. The power of Penn, the charisma of the Rock. The rest of the cast, from the 3 co- stars to the smallest bit part, turns in wonderfully crafted performances. The visuals are amazing, the music was perfectly chosen, the editing and pacing were seamless, hell, even the credits were a joy to watch.

This is a delicately crafted masterpiece of friendship, loss, and redemption. You won't escape this movie without sore ribs from laughing or damp cheeks from crying.

Okay, forget the flowery talk. This is Steel Magnolias for 20-something guys. Someone is Hollywood is eventually gonna figure that out and make a helluva lotta money distributing this film. Too bad they all seem to forget that here in the real world, we care an awful lot more about story than we do about tabloid friendly names. And if you are in Hollywood, I beg you to remember, once upon a time, none of us had ever heard of Frank Capra, Spencer Tracy, or even Steven Spielberg. Take a chance.

I watched this one about a month ago. The VHS was lying around in the corner of my bedroom, and when i desperately needed to watch a movie, i reluctantly picked it off from the floor and jammed it into the video player. What i didn't realise was that this movie would keep me pinned to the couch for a couple of hours to the point where i wouldn't even want to go to the kitchen to make myself some coffee in case i missed any of the movie (im too lazy, so i couldn't even consider pressing the pause button on the video player. The remote control was lost so....). Anyway... The story behind the haven goes as follows: Four best friends grew up together. They were together since they were pre-teens and stuck together till after their college graduation. When they were kids, they discovered this ranch-like place called "the haven" and made it their special meeting point. The place was special to all 4 of them because it symbolized their brotherhood and soon became their protection. They had made it a customary practice to visit the place together and continued to do so until they were adults. Following their graduation from college, they continue to live their lives together under the assumption that they will always be together or will at least always be there for each other. However, as time goes by, things change. Their bond of brotherhood as sealed by the haven, slowly begins to crumble until disaster strikes into each of their lives. After the spine-chilling tragedies occur, the friends that remain live life in regret, thinking about how things could have turned out better if they had acted more responsively to their other 2 friends who lost their lives. They end up questioning themselves about the bond of brotherhood between the four of them and whether or not it became soo weak to the point where the haven stopped protecting them. This is a very good movie (if not spectacular)and i would recommend it to anyone regardless of what type of viewers they are. This one will fascinate anyone.

I give this a 7.5/10....

I only wish every person could get a chance to experience what I have with this movie. Never In my life have I had total strangers spend 15 30 minutes talking to me about something with such passion. Never in my life have I had people tell me that this movie can save lives. Do yourself a favor and find a place that is showing this film, it is so worth your time and money. This has the kind of realizm and heart that doen't happen very often and is so desperately needed

this movie took you on a journey--and you absolutely can't stop thinking about it when it's over. you want the four of them to find their way and stay friends forever. the music is one of the most amazing aspects of this movie. it is beautifully written and perfectly coincides with the story so much that sometimes you don't even notice that it is the notes of the music that carry you from one scene to the next. i recommend this film to anyone looking to watch a story that affects you long after the movie is over. thank you for such a great effort towards making a quality film about the things that are the most important parts of life: friendship and loyalty

I caught a screening of this film last night at a small film festival, The First Anual Desert Reel Festival in Odessa, TX, and was absolutely blown away. This film should not be reduced to scraping around at festivals trying to pick up attention. This film should be number one at the box office. Understand that this remark comes from a guy who is generally very hard on dramatic films. The emotions are usually overblown and the conclusions often ring false or forced. Not in THE HAVEN. All of the characters were well developed and completely believable. I haven't cried in a film since I was 7 or 8 years old watching ET, but let me tell you, there were several scenes in this one that nearly got me. I can't say enough about what a fabulous film this is, or even about the accessibility of those who made it. I met the writer/director, the editor, the producer and one of the stars at the festival and found them all to be really great guys. I wish them, and THE HAVEN all the luck in the world with this excellent film. And I urge any studio with any credibility at all to pick up this movie at the first opportunity. Stars or no, this is the best drama I've seen in years. Possibly ever.