If Mystic River hadn't been sold out last night, I just might have passed up on this superb Civil War drama, or even blown it off for good. Nicole Kidman plays Ida, a preacher's daughter, who lives in the town of Cold Mountain and runs a farm. Jude Law is Inman, a Confederate soldier who deserts, and tries to make his way back home to Ida on foot. Renee Zellwegger steals the movie, and got an Oscar nod to boot, as the loud and boisterous Ruby. All three of them encounter extreme hardship along the way. Written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, who's come a long way since the unwatchable The English Patient. Superb photography by John Seale, haunting music by Gabriel Yared. Don't miss this one.

Nit
Ruby sure cusses like a 20th century woman, don't she now. Did anyone cuss like that back in 1864?

Adam: Nicole Kidman is Ada, not Ida.


Otherwise, I agree. Incredible movie.


If Renee Zellweger doesn't win Best Supporting Actress Oscar, I'll scream. Then again, the Golden Globes usually foretell the Oscars.

To each his own... I thought Renee had the worst accent of the bunch (and she was one of the few Americans in the picture). Not that I'm dumping on Renee... I think she's a fine actress, and this role is the type of quirky character the Academy loves to award in the Supporting categories. However, I think she was far more deserving of recognition for her work in Jerry Maguire and Bridgett Jones's Diary than this movie.

I'm crossing my fingers for Shohreh Aghdashloo in House of Sand and Fog...