Goats

source: Goats

A seemingly effortless adaptation of the Novel by Mark Poirier, comes off without a hitch. Maybe that's because Mr. Poirier also wrote the screenplay? When adapting a novel of this depth and profundity to film one often looses the emotional continuity and thus overall impact of the book. Not this time. The film is a triumph for first time director Christopher Neil and his unforgettable cast comprised of Vera Farmiga, David Duchovny, Ty Burrell and more. Graham Phillips makes his debut as our protagonist, and does a superb job. His emotional depth on screen accompanied by his impeccable timing is a joy to see from an actor of only 18 years of age. The conventional media press has categorized, and in my opinion marginalized the film "Goats" as another coming-of-age film about a boy. It is clearly a coming-of-age film about the boy's parents. His parents make the changes in the end. They have the epiphanies. Even the boy's flawed mentor "Goat Man" (David Duchovny) cuts his hair and changes his ways. Our protagonist remains his frustrated self throughout. In a sense the story is what we all hoped and dreamed of growing up but never got, and is almost certainly a deep yearning shared by countless adult children of unhappy parents. So it's not so much a coming-of-age film as it is a writer's childhood fantasy of fixing his parents. Or of his parents fixing themselves. This in itself is an original idea for a film, and demands our attention. By the time the credits rolled, the film had drawn a smile on my face that lasted the rest of the evening. I loved it and cannot wait to see it again. And again…Hats off!

Goats is one of the best films I've seen in a long time. It's smart, funny, engaging and brilliantly acted. Never once did I find my mind wondering or thinking this would be better if.... It had me captured from the beginning straight through to the end. The character of Ellis was sweet yet not too sweet and I found myself rooting for him the whole time. It was refreshing to see characters that were deeply flawed, but truly loved each other with all they had. The transformations were subtle, but real. The audience seemed to really connect with the characters and story. It was a coming of age story, but so much deeper and richer than the typical, run-of-the-mill coming of age flick. I feel luck to have seen this film and hope that others get the chance as well.

Having read a review prior to attending the screening, I had mixed expectations about Goats. But in the time since, this complex and poignant film has stuck with me more than most any film I have seen lately. As billed, Goats is a coming of age story, but it is much deeper than the typical angst ridden drama with a teen central character. In fact, all the people in 15-year-old Ellis's life, no matter what their age, face the turmoil of growing up. A smart, but weed-toking slacker, Ellis is probably the most grounded of this oddball mix of humanity. Graham Phillips does a marvelous job of showing us his emotional journey rather than short cutting with some cheesy exposition. He doesn't have any real drive other then a conflicted sense he needs to move beyond the life he grew up with. This portrayal is very true to life. Director Christopher Neil gets a lot of depth out of his actors without over doing it. The performances of Vera Farmiga and David Duchovny are wonderful as the over-the-top, self absorbed seeker of spirituality Wendy, and the so laid back his is almost in reverse Goat Man. Justin Kirk is fun to watch as Wendy's arrogant, two timing sleaze bag boyfriend. An all to brief cameo of Minnie Driver as a spiritual coach is a hoot. There is stark visual contrast between Ellis's new world of east coast boarding school and his old life in Tucson. This mirrors the emotional jarring Ellis is going through. As the film treks forward on two parallel trails, we are also reminded that, despite our protests, life continues without those we love. When these trails intersect, we see how Ellis is pulled between his two worlds. The scenes shot in and around Tucson, Arizona give Goats a unique look. Thankfully, the film avoids the clichés of Tucson. Sure we see saguaros, the mountains and vast alluring desert landscapes. But they are part of the environment the characters naturally inhabit rather than used as pretty postcard filler shots. It also, for the most part, avoids the clichés of boarding school. There is a nice twist when the track coach takes Ellis's joint, and simultaneously blackmails him in to running cross-country, while savoring a smoke. Throughout the film, a lot is said indirectly through action, or through dialog containing multiple meanings. When Goat Man says, "I hate my goats," it reveals a moment of clarity: an inner disappointment with his life and the feeling he is trapped in it. The packed crowd at the screening I attended laughed, cheered, and in the end, erupted into applause. Where so many films of this genre plod to a tedious end, Goats treks lightly to its conclusion. It is not tied up neatly with a bow. The characters all have a long journey ahead, and most likely, they won't get where they think they want to go. Kind of like, well, goats. In the end, I found I wanted to see more of the story. It is an entertaining film that leaves you with something to talk about.

So, I'm just home from Sundance and I saw a bunch of good films, "Goats" being the cream of the crop. Also loved "Queen of Versailles" and "The Surrogate." I looked at a few reviews for "Goats" on-line and was shocked to see it wasn't well received by the critics. Did they actually SEE the film? One guy even says the audience wasn't moved or didn't connect to the film. A blatant lie. The audience at the screening I went to (9 AM in Eccles on Wednesday) LOVED it. Here's why I loved it: It's funny, original, and yes, sweet. I normally hate sweet, but in this case, the sweetness is earned. The acting is wonderful. Duchovny is genius as Goat Man. Farmiga is scary-good as Wendy. The kid, Graham Phillips--where'd he come from? He's amazing. Pot-smoking, pot-growing, goat-trekking, Mexican-American-wannabe Goat Man is an unforgettable character, as is Justin Kirk's Bennet, Wendy's a$$hole boyfriend. The cinematography is amazing, too. There are a few problems with this film--a few times the music drowned out the dialog, some of the prep school stuff was choppy (though, the scene when the coach catches Ellis smoking pot in the woods and blackmails him into being on the cross country team is HILARIOUS). Highly recommended.

This is a charming film in which a teenage boy faces his world and reevaluates the eclectic characters that formed it. Ellis starts to wonder if the people in his life are real or full of bullshit. Ellis' mom is a spoiled, trust fund, trippy hippy lady that I'd probably have a crush on if i were 13. She's overly dramatic and needs Ellis to take care of her. His dad lives across the country with his newer wife and kid, so Ellis is left with the responsibility of running the show at home. The pool guy/grounds-keeper at his house, "Goatman," is someone Ellis has idolized for his free way of life, but comes to realize that his words of wisdom are all BS. This is a great, funny film that needs to be checked out. This was my first chance to see a film at Sundance. The crowd loved it and stayed for an hour past the credits to hear questions answered. The enthusiasm was remarkable. The directing was great and I have a feeling this movie will launch a handful of new careers.

My dad and I saw Goats at the SunDance Premiere. We liked it so much we drove down to see it in Tuscon 2 days later. This film has character, literally. Goat Man is irresistible. He is the flawed mentor every young man wished he had in his back yard. One that would smoke you up and love you to death. Wendy is played flawlessly by Vera Farmiga. I remember one of my friend's moms being exactly like this; she was so focused on her own self-help, she neglected the needs of the rest of the people in her world. Ellis' character and the subtlety of his facial expressions are the key to the film. He says so much without saying a thing. Of course, then there is Bennet. The a**hole Speedo wearing boyfriend you love to hate. Kudos to the cinematography as well. The scenes in the southwest are breathtaking. And because I saw the film in Tuscon, I know that Neil captured the feeling of the area. Awesome film. I can't wait to bring my friends in Minneapolis to see it.

My wife and I saw this film at the Loft Cinema in Tucson, as part of the Sundance Film Festival. It was very engaging and fascinating as an interesting twist on the coming of age phenomenon with young men. We now HAVE to buy the book and read up on it! I encourage anyone interested in this developmental challenge to see it. We were privileged to have the Director, author of the novel and the screenplay, and two of the producers in Tucson for the screening, and participated in the Q and A after the film, moderated by our own Jeff, the Loft Programmer. Very interesting process. The use of goats as foils in the film was an ingenious decision. Of course, they were pivotal in the novel, and spoke to the director who was raised on a goat farm. Way outside my personal experiential space, but one I value for what I learned. Get it distributed nationally, folks!

I saw this movie at Sundance earlier this week and liked it a lot. With a title like "Goats" you don't know what to expect and prepare for the worst. Excellent surprise! Real good movie and what a cast!!! I am a David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga fan, and they were great, but the 16 year old who was the star (don't know his name) really outperformed everybody. Great job! The movie was funny, it definitely was a comedy, but had its moments of sadness and reflection too. I do have to come back to great and varied cast though, not just the big names, but also the room mate at the school, the girl at the school, the boyfriend (only know him as "Andy" from "Weeds"), the Dad (Modern Family guy), the girlfriend, really liked them all. I was with 3 other people, all liked the movie too and only heard good comments on the way out.

I saw this movie when it showed at the Loft Theater in Tucson. It was very funny with lots of great moments. The audience clearly enjoyed it and there was a lot of laughter. But I found the warmth of the movie even more interesting. The way the characters grew and redeemed themselves was really touching and heartwarming. The cast is amazing. It's hard to single any single role out because they were all exceptional. David Duchovny seems to be getting the most press and he deserves it but Graham Phillips, who plays the lead role of Ellis is remarkable. I just loved it. Am still thinking about it two days later. The Q&A after the film gave some really interesting insights into how the movie got made and great stories about the filming process. I'm dying to take friends to see it in the theater. Hope it is out soon.