Evening

FLICK "It is the evening of the day; I sit and watch the children play…" When these lyrics are sung by The Rolling Stones or Marianne Faithfull, there is a mood created and you feel the sentiment. Though the theme is the same, it’s too bad the movie Evening doesn’t deliver as much emotion in about 117 minutes as the song does in three.
The amazing Vanessa Redgrave plays Ann who is on her deathbed, deliriously daydreaming of her youth and asking for Harris. When her daughters Nina (Toni Collette) and Constance (Redgrave’s own daughter, Natasha Richardson) ask who Harris is, she tells them he was her first mistake. With our curiosity piqued as to why he’s still lingering in her reverie, we’re now set up to return to the past and follow Ann (Claire Danes) as a young woman. It all takes place one weekend at a gorgeous seaside home for the wedding of her close friend Lila (Mamie Gummer, daughter of Meryl Streep who plays Lila as an adult). Ann shows up with Lila’s self-destructive brother, Buddy (Hugh Dancy), and consoles the doubting bride-to-be, but since Harris (Patrick Wilson) is the catch of the day, he creates conflicts for this group of friends.
The story in the past becomes the focus of the film but it isn’t sturdy enough to create the poignancy it should while connecting to the present. Young Ann’s failed singing career is meant to mirror Nina’s failed dancing career, and the confusion of love and passion for Harris may inadvertently relate to Nina’s commitment issues.
The problems don’t lie so much with the detailed direction by former cinematographer Lajos Koltai as with the screenplay by Susan Minot, adapting her own novel, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham ("The Hours"), which never reaches the heights of the brightly shining stellar cast. Dancy and Gummer give solid performances and both Streep and Glenn Close are flawless in minor roles. Wilson capably plays the leading man and easily lays on the charm while his character ends up "the mistake." And Danes is likeable though lacking an intensity and warmth that would connect her more closely to Redgrave who conveys an appropriately distanced glance that captivates as it transports you back to Harrisland. The lightweight and conflicting message –that there are no mistakes – may make you want to forget this journey and just go back into the past too – about 117 minutes. My Score 6 out of 10.