Trailer for Ithaca, starring Sam Shepard, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.
When his older brother leaves to fight in the Second World War, fourteen-year-old Homer Macauley takes on a job as a bicycle telegraph messenger to provide for his widowed mother, his older sister and his younger brother. Homer delivers messages of love, hope, pain and death to the good people of Ithaca, but soon must grapple with a message that will change him forever. Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Saroyan’s 1943 novel The Human Comedy, Ithaca is a coming-of-age story about the exuberance of youth, the abruptness of change, the sweetness of life, the sting of death, and the sheer goodness that lives in each and every one of us.
Period drama represents the directorial debut for Meg Ryan. Considering that the actress would want to have a winning formula for her first outing, it makes sense that she'd cast Tom Hanks for a role in the film. The duo have worked together on Joe Versus the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail.
Ithaca is based on the book The Human Comedy, a novel she read to help her deal with her divorce from Dennis Quaid.
Not to sound like some celebrity rag, but it is tough not to give a double-take when you see (and hear) Meg Ryan. The actress has obviously had some work done, and holy crap does she sound different. But I digress...
When it comes to the period look, the trailer for Ithaca nails it. Everything looks fantastic, as the film definitely carries the look and feel of a different generation. Leaving us to judge the story, which sadly feels quite boring. It's not that the film won't cause some tears to be shed, but there is nothing here -- save for the terrific cast, of course -- that is enough to draw audiences to theaters. Not sure what sort of distribution Momentum was hoping for, but expect this film to make its way to VOD or a premium home network pretty quick.