Search - Desert Bloom on DVD

Mary-Jo W. (mjowest) from SHELBYVILLE, MI
Reviewed on 10/10/2009...

This movie is GOOD! I was really sucked into the story, and believed that these characters were real. Told from the memories of Rose, played by the ALWAYS good Annabeth Gish, a 13 year old girl, living in 1950s with a not very normal family. Mom wants to and always sees the good in every situation, even if it means ignoring the bad. The scene with the broken dishes broke my heart. Dad is a WWII vet, and has flashbacks. He's obsessed with the military and their secrets in the desert, near LasVegas. He's also a drinker, who gets violent when drunk. The two sisters add a darling element- especially when they sing.
The Aunt Starr adds a splash of excitement to Rose's life, a little more than she expects.
Great chick flick- but teens may also enjoy relating to Rose's life. I didn't find the PG13 rating offensive- drinking, two mild violence family fighting scenes, some language.
This is a movie to see.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

The Walking Wounded

Douglas Doepke | Claremont, CA United States | 04/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sensitively told coming-of-age film set against Las Vegas and the early years of atomic testing. Rose (Annabeth Gish) is thirteen and very much wants to connect with stepdad Jack (Jon Voight), an alcoholic WWII veteran still possessed by the demons of combat. Trouble is, she's operating on one track, while he's operating on two, such that just when they seem at last to converge, he goes off on a delusionary binge. Movie is notable for the exceptionally fine performances of these two actors. Gish, tottering atop two gawky legs and peering out from the cosmetic curse of horned-rim glasses, is the very real, aching embodiment of adolescent angst. Hers has to be one of the finest, least mannered renderings of teen-age yearning and self-doubt in many, many years, and made even me, a hardened old curmudgeon, feel kindly toward the hopelessly pubescent. Voight's character is less sympathetic and more complex. Victimized by the evils of war and beset by alcohol and impotence, he's having trouble with his masculinity in a house full of women. He wants to fulflill a positive role for his wife and stepdaughters, but the inner turmoil keeps erupting unpredictably.You want Jack and Rose to connect, to heal one another's emotional wounds, but circumstance is against them. Movie leaves off on suitably ambiguous note as atomic test parallels emotional family blowup. We know time will take care of Rose's problems, but what of Jack. Film is not so much about dysfunction as it is about adolescence and the walking wounds of war, such that you'll remember the characters long after the various plot complications have subsided. What a fine piece of non-commercial movie making this is thanks to Sundance Productions and writer-director Eugene Corr. Their work along with that of the entire cast shows once again why "the obscure little movie with something to say" continues to be one of our finest film traditions."

A good movie about growing up

veyebjc | Oklahoma | 11/03/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a very good movie about growing up in a disfunctional family. It shows that things can happen and that hope was not given up. Annabeth gish shows early on in her career that she will become a great actress. Also stars Ellen Barkin as her drunken down-on-luck aunt. Also see Radio Flyer. Coming of age film."

A story of a troubled family

Tina Kobayashi | San Diego,CA | 07/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think this movie was extremely good. Great acting by Annabeth Gish and Jon Voight. Having this movie be Annabeth's first big screen. About a troubled father who got hurt in the war and abuses his oldest step-daughter. A compeling story of protecting yourself, and love, and betraying the people you love."