Queue Review: Louis Gossett Jr. in The Lamp
While I rarely trust the opinions of the Netflix user community, sometimes the member reviews are exactly what draw me in. It certainly worked in the case of The Lamp. “5 Stars: They had me at Louis Gossett Jr! Wonderful cast, wonderful story and something the whole family can learn from.” You had me at they had me at Louis Gossett Jr.! Mr. Gossett Jr. is a notorious deal-closer in Hollywood. They say only two men’s names can get a project green-lit regardless of the content of the cost: Steven Spielberg, and Louis Gossett Jr. “Say no more. Sold.” That is what the fat cats in Tinselwood say when someone pitches them a movie starring Louis Gossett Jr.Unfortunately for me and all the other Gossettheads out there, there’s not nearly enough of him in this movie. It is mostly Jason London looking puffy-faced, both from crying and yelling and also probably other non-movie-related things. Man, there is so much crying and yelling. Netflix places this movie squarely in the “Family Features” and “Movies for ages 11 to 12” categories, and it is mostly a painful, heart-wrenching story about how grief can haunt and poison all your living relationships. Fun! What exactly makes that for families? That it is poorly acted and occasionally features a lamp and children playing baseball? I barely felt comfortable watching this movie, and I’m a grown-up with no dependents.
oops!
