Gardener of Eden (I) (2007)

It's all John Steinbeck's fault. He's to blame. Well, Steinbeck and the educational system that validates his works. News flash. Mice and Men is crap. There's nothing poetic about stupid people doing stupid things. Not 65 years ago, not ever. If you're writing a movie and the only substantiation you can find for a particular character making a particular choice is that he's a nitwit, it's time to choose another profession. Dumb characters making idiotic choices do not good cinema make.

One would think that with 5 years of reading some of the best scripts television has to offer, Kevin Connolly would be able to tell the difference between a good and a bad script.

With this film, it's quite obvious that he cannot. Take Clerks, subtract the humorous dialog, and to that add Unbreakable, but without M. Night Shyamalan's brilliant cinematography and engrossing story. To all this, add a suffocating dose of dreariness and... voilà, you've got Gardener of Eden.

On the bright side, the acting was very strong by everyone involved. They did the best that they could with what they had to work with. And although it lacked the artistry of Unbreakable, it wasn't aesthetically challenged. Connolly executed a vision. You could definitely see that both cast and crew were very earnest in their attempt. I give it an A+ for effort.

Unfortunately, though, a good script is the foundation from which everything is built. Without it, the whole structure crumbles.