A Midnight Clear

Starring:Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Arye Gross, Ethan Hawke, Gary Sinise, Frank Whaley, John C. McGinley, Larry Joshua, David Jensen, Curt Lowens, Rachel Griffin, Timothy S. Shoemaker, Kelly Gately, Bill Osborn, Andre Lamal, Jim Beatty, Michael Van Wagenen, John English, Robert Chynoweth, Matt Bohling
Director: Keith Gordon
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Description

On Christmas Eve in the Arizona desert, a middle-aged man (Stephen Baldwin) and an old woman (K Callan) contemplate suicide. But through chance run-ins with strangers and perhaps some divine intervention, they cross paths and change each other's life forever.
Based on a story from best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins, this short film is a parable for today about how random acts of kindness can, unbeknownst to us all, have a life-altering impact on others.

Customer Reviews:

This Little Film Left Me Dumbfounded..........2006-10-18

Only 20 minutes long, this aptly titled film left me simultaneously dumbfounded and in awe. Alone, sitting in his rundown car parked in the desert on Christmas Eve, Stephen Baldwin's character, sweating, swigs from a bottle, puts a gun to his chin, yet he stops short. Nearby, and also alone, an elderly woman prepares a suicidal brew in her kitchen. That's all I'll reveal about the storyline, though, as part of the beauty of this movie is seeing how its pieces come together. Midnight Clear is about huge things (existence, relationship) and the small (a smile, a song)--at the same time, even the hugeness of the small. It's heavy, yet full of hope. The movie's brevity and thought-provoking aspects make it an ideal discussion-starter for a small group or get together, although before the talking starts prepare to be found speechless for a ponderous wow moment. Baldwin's performance, by the way, is mesmerizing.

From the director..........2006-01-02

Please bear in mind that this is a short film. It's not intended to be a complete film.

Interestingly enough, we're actually developing a full-length feature based on this short, so we'll see what happens. Hope you enjoy this!

Thanks

Dallas Jenkins
www.jenkins-entertainment.com
dallas@jenkins-entertainment.com

Average customer rating:

Not Your Typical Band of Ragtag Army Misfits Movie
Deeply disappointing.
Real enough
Good Story, B Movie.
Great movie!

A Midnight Clear
Starring: Peter Berg , Kevin Dillon , Arye Gross , Ethan Hawke , and Gary Sinise
Director: Keith Gordon
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Anti-War Films | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000648X7
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Amazon.com

William Wharton's autobiographical novel of World War II becomes a moving portrait of war's madness in the microcosm of a small intelligence patrol on the German front in 1944. The unit, composed of high IQ soldiers, is sent to scout ahead. They discover a small platoon of Germans hiding in the forest, but these soldiers would rather fight with snowballs than guns and exchange Christmas presents instead of mortar fire. The young, rather unsoldierly Americans are offered the opportunity to "capture" the Germans without a fight--until a fatal misunderstanding plunges their efforts into tragedy. Director Keith Gordon, who also penned the screenplay, creates an unusually eloquent, offbeat platoon drama shot amidst the tranquil beauty of a snow-covered forest. His excellent cast includes future stars Ethan Hawke and Gary Sinise, with Frank Whaley, Kevin Dillon, Arye Gross, and Peter Berg rounding out the platoon. Though little seen upon its 1992 release, this moving drama received high praise for its vivid characters and delicately wrought imagery and remains one of the most powerful pacifist dramas of the post-war era. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Not Your Typical Band of Ragtag Army Misfits Movie.......2007-01-07

As an Army vet, I can say that the characters in this movie are just as crazy and varied as you're likely to find in any military unit. Falling somewhere between the Dirty Dozen and Jacobs Ladder, this sleeper is not for everyone. It's pace is slow. It's full of surreal moments. But such is life in a combat zone -- I saw some very surreal things in Desert Storm. I'll admit the writers took it a little too far a couple times, but most of their risks worked, and these accomplished actors pull it off somehow. Overall the movie stands out as one of the great commentaries on war. If you're not too much of a literalist, I'd highly recommend this movie.

Deeply disappointing........2006-12-21

A Midnight Clear (Keith Gordon, 2002)

Keith Gordon will probably be best remembered for playing Arnie Cunningham in John Carpenter's so-so film version of Stephen King's so-so novel Christine. Gordon, however, hung up the acting togs in the late eighties and went behind the camera, and it is here he has truly shined, turning out such brilliant movies as Waking the Dead and television genius on such series as House, Dexter, and Homicide: Life on the Street. The man has an amazing track record. So it's with some confusion that I regard those works where Gordon comes off as being somewhat less accomplished. A Midnight Clear is one of them.

Based on a novel by William Wharton, A Midnight Clear is the story of a World War II platoon (full of misfits, natch) who are ordered to scout out a mansion inside enemy territory. They encounter the enemy-- but not an enemy they expect. The survivors of a German platoon are in a house down the hill looking to surrender. The two groups spend a companionable Christmas together before they turn to the task of deciding how to get each other out of the situation they've found themselves in-- enemies in wartime becoming friends.

This is not your typical war film; characterization is much more important than action here, and as in many other substandard war films of this stripe (Hart's War and Tigerland immediately come to mind), it almost seems as if the director wanted to still play it as an action film. There's not enough real character development here to float the entire movie; we get to know our main character well enough, and the character upon whom the entire plot will turn later. We get a little less on the guy who's here for the purpose of building sympathy. On the rest of the platoon, very little, and on the enemy, nothing. We know more about the back-line lieutenant-- a minor character at best-- than we do about the Germans.

Not up to the standards set by either Gordon or Wharton. **

Real enough.......2006-12-10

This is one of those great little movies you discover once in a while. Too bad it's in full screen.
With all do respect to reviews that say this movie is accurate as opposed to those who say it isn't, I'm on your side but...
It's a story! A movie!
For example, We Were Soldiers is as realistic as possible portrayal of soldiers and their familys, Apocolypse Now is surealism, Full Metal Jacket and Catch 22 are satire. Unless a movie is totally stupid, judging it by how 'accurate' it is has been getting really irritating. It's a trend that's been going on since saving private ryan and it really misses the point of the stories and ideas being expressed.
It's like saying 'I didn't like Blade Runner because there are no such things as Robots' 'I hated Finding Nemo because fish don't talk."
I get irritated by bad continuity or crazy stretching of the truth but can we drop the 'accuracy' thing whenever we don't neccessary like the ideas being expressed.

Good Story, B Movie........2006-07-14

The story is set in late 1943 but is unbelievable due to bad costumes and worse acting. A decent plot exploring the relationship between man and his enemy may be enough to keep the watcher awake, but maybe not.

Great movie!.......2006-03-18

The movie isn't your typical American hero type war movie. Like the characters that develop through the movie.

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