Jack Goes Boating – An Alliance Films’ Release

http://www.jackgoesboatingmovie.com/

DVD Release Date: January 18th, 2010

Rated 14A for sexual content, coarse language and substance abuse

Running time: 91 minutes

 

Phillip Seymour Hoffman (dir.)

 

Robert Glaudini (writer)

 

Grizzly Bear (music)

 

Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Jack

Amy Ryan as Connie

John Ortiz as Clyde

Daphne Rubin-Vega as Lucy

 

Our reviews below:

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Jack Goes Boating DVD Review By John C.

*** (out of 4)

In Jack Goes Boating, the middle-aged and socially awkward Jack (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) finds himself developing genuine feelings for the equally introverted Connie (Amy Ryan).  Connie takes console in the dream that one day the two will go boating together, but first Jack must learn to swim.  Meanwhile, Jack’s friend Clyde and his wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) aren’t fairing so well in their own relationship, as they find themselves being separated by previous affairs.

 

The assured montages used to keep the scenes of Jack’s swimming lessons as purely metaphorical are beautifully done, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman perfectly captures the awkward nature of his always fascinating central character.  But Jack is the main reason why this small drama – which is Hoffmans’s first outing as a director, is worth a look, as the film’s problems lie in the fact that a little too much time is spent with the predictable side characters.

 

The DVD includes deleted scenes and two featurettes.

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Jack Goes Boating DVD Review By Erin V.

*** (out of 4)

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays Jack, a limo driver with very few friends other than his co-worker Clyde (John Ortiz) and Clyde’s wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega).  When they set Jack up on a blind date with Connie (Amy Ryan), Jack tries desperately to make everything work out perfectly, learning to cook, and when she mentions she’d love to go boating, to swim.

 

What ensues is an interesting low-key drama about relationships and human connections.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman is predictably good here, and the acting is what holds this film together.  Although the film is a little slow to move along at times, and the dialogue sometimes lost me a little with it’s pacing, ultimately Jack Goes Boating is a good film that is worth checking out on DVD.

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Jack Goes Boating DVD Review By Nicole

*** (out of 4)

Based on a play by Bob Glaudini, Jack Goes Boating tells the story of a socially awkward man who finds love.  Jack (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is a shy man.  His only friend is Clyde (John Ortiz), a driver who works at the same limo service.  When Clyde’s wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega), introduces Jack to her friend Connie (Amy Ryan), they both take interest in each other.  When Connie suggests that she and Jack go boating together, he agrees, but must first learn how to swim.  Clyde starts to teach Jack how to swim, which leads to a boost in his self confidence.

 

But Clyde and Lucy have problems of their own, and a traumatic event affects Connie, adding to her preexisting anxiety.  How will these events affect Jack?

 

While some of the dialogue seems disjointed at times, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is excellent both behind the camera as the director, and in portraying the socially awkward Jack.  He turns what could have been a boring melodrama into a good film.  I also like the cinematography and editing, particularly the scenes of Jack learning how to swim and cook.  Jack Goes Boating is an interesting film that is worth checking out.

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Jack Goes Boating DVD Review By Maureen

**3/4 (out of 4)

Phillip Seymour Hoffman both directs and stars as the title character in Jack Goes Boating, and he excels at both.  Jack is a socially awkward and lonely limo driver in New York City.  His one friend, fellow limo driver Clyde (John Ortiz) and his wife Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega) decides Jack could use a woman in his life.  They introduce him to the equally lonely Connie (Amy Ryan), who’s Lucy’s anxiety-ridden co-worker.  When the pair meet, Connie mentions to Jack that she would like to go boating one day.  Jack realizes he likes Connie and if he ever wants to take her boating he’ll have to conquer his fear of water.

 

It’s at this point that the movie takes on a charming side.  The scenes and montages of Clyde teaching Jack to swim are nicely done.  With each swimstroke we see Jack’s confidence growing.  He realizes if he can tackle learning to swim, he can also learn to be a good cook.  The more confidant Jack becomes, the more able he is to develop a relationship with Connie.  But at the same time that Jack and Connie are getting closer, Clyde and Lucy are drifting apart.

 

Jack Goes Boating is based on a stage play, but sometimes what works on stage just doesn’t translate well to screen.  This story really is about Jack.  Hoffman is brilliant in his portrayal of the socially awkward and sweet man.  The entire movie could have also been brilliant had it focused more on Jack rather than the drama Clyde and Lucy bring to the story.

 

Jack Goes Boating is worth seeing for one reason only – Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  His performance is perfect.

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Jack Goes Boating DVD Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Jack Goes Boating is about two couples, one starting out and the other that brought them together on the ropes. Jack (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Clyde (John Ortiz) are New York limo drivers. Connie (Amy Ryan) and Clyde’s spouse Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega). are telemarketers for an undertaker.  Both awkward and vulnerable, Jack and Connie develop a sweet relationship. Jack promises to cook for Connie and take her out on a boat the following summer, so Clyde teaches him how to swim and gets a chef to show him how to prepare a nice meal. Meanwhile, the marriage between Clyde and Lucy is threatened by infidelity (with, among others, the chef) and not helped by recreational drugs.

 

The first film directed by Hoffman, Jack Goes Boating, based on a play, is very well written with a fine ensemble cast. It moves at a leisurely pace but is never dull as it is beautifully shot and brief at just under an hour and a half.

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Consensus: Jack Goes Boating, Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s first outing as a director, is a small character study that is anchored by his excellent performance in the title role. *** (Out of 4)