User Reviews

A remote fishing village located off the coast of Canada is the setting for this tale of a close-knit community of people who make their living from the sea, while abiding the customs and superstitions that have been handed down from one generation to the next for hundreds of years. `Deeply,' written and directed by Sheri Elwood, is a story of love and survival, and of what it sometimes takes just to get on with life; but more than that, it's about a dark secret that has been a part of this village since before remembrance, and the effects of a collective belief in something few care to contemplate and even fewer dare to speak of openly, even in a contemporary, modern world in which such things no longer exist-- and yet still do.

When her teenage daughter, Claire (Julia Brendler), cannot escape the memories of a tragic accident, Fiona McKay (Alberta Watson) takes her to the island and the village that was her own home as a child. Fiona hopes the change will enable Claire to put all that has happened behind her. Claire's depression continues, however, and she becomes increasingly withdrawn and uncommunicative, even with her mother, who is desperately trying to reach out and help her.

Things begin to change, however, when Claire finds a manuscript on the beach that's been rejected and returned by the publisher, and she delivers it to the owner, a reclusive writer named Celia (Lynn Redgrave), a long time resident of the island who lives alone in a small house at the edge of the sea. Initially their relationship is tentative, but gradually Claire finds herself drawn to Celia, who agrees to tell Claire the story contained in the manuscript; and it's a story in which Claire finds a parallel to her own life-- and it just may prove to be the catharsis that will enable Claire to move on with her life.

Writer/director Elwood uses the story-within-a-story technique nicely to present her tale, which contains elements that make it something of a cross between `The Secret of Roan Inish' and `The Wicker Man.' It's beautifully filmed (cinematography by Sebastian Edschmid), and the transitions between the present and the depiction of Celia's story are executed quite well. The story itself, though, while engaging to a point, is wrapped in a fairly obvious mystery, which in retrospect may have been Elwood's intent, as she creates the dots but leaves it up to the viewer to connect them. It's effective in that it invites involvement on any number of levels, while leaving it up to the individual to decide upon one and to what extent they want to take it. Celia's story, which involves a young girl named Silly (Kirsten Dunst) is interesting, but the real appeal of the film is rooted in Claire's gradual awareness of her deep connection to Silly, and how the story subsequently affects her. And it's in the telling of Claire's story that Elwood's work shines the brightest, as that is where she manages somewhat to connect emotionally with her audience.

One of the best young actors in the business, Kirsten Dunst is to be commended for taking on a role that is quite a departure for her (with the exception of her portrayal of Marion Davies in the more recent `The Cat's Meow,' in which she was terrific). Dunst has a charismatic screen presence and talent to match, which has served her so well in films like `The Virgin Suicides' and the aforementioned `The Cat's Meow,' and it's obvious that she put a great deal of effort into her portrayal of Silly in this film; and though it's a decent job, she somehow never manages to fully realize the character, and though she has her moments, Silly is never entirely convincing. Part of the blame has to fall on Elwood, of course, who should have taken measures to correct the most obvious flaw in Dunst's performance, which is the inconsistency of the accent she affects. Part of the time her manner of speech most resembles Lux Lisbon, while at other times she sounds more like Ma Kettle's daughter. It is, perhaps, a minor flaw in an otherwise solid performance, but it's enough to prevent Dunst from `finding' the character, and it is so distracting that it diminishes the effectiveness of her portrayal, and in turn the credibility of the film. And there are a couple of scenes in which Silly smokes a pipe that simply do not work at all. Still, you have to admire Dunst for wanting to expand her repertoire and explore new territory; many actors who have achieved a similar level of success lack the courage to challenge themselves artistically as Dunst has done here, and it's an attribute that will continue to set her apart from the dime-a-dozen actors who flow through the business without making so much as a dent.

As Claire, Julia Brendler gives a performance that is honest and affecting, and as much as the story itself, it's what establishes her as the focus of the film. She conveys emotions that transcend the typical teen angst, and it makes her situation real and believable. Her portrayal of Claire is sensitive and (with Elwood's help, of course) is developed with great care, which is what makes it so effective. The film, in fact, would have benefited had Claire's part been expanded, perhaps with more interaction between her and Celia. As presented, however, it is definitely the strength of the film.

Lynn Redgrave does a good job as Celia, though she isn't afforded enough screen time to fully develop her character with any nuance; but it is a convincing performance. Interestingly enough, this was filmed the same year her sister, Vanessa, played a similar role, that of a reclusive old woman living by the sea, in `A Rumor of Angels.' A good film, but nothing special, `Deeply' is worth a look; just don't expect to be too emotionally engaged by it. 6/10.

Fiona (Alberta Watson) returns home to isolated Ironbound Island after her mother left her the family home. She brought her depressed daughter Claire (Julia Brendler) who suffered a devastating loss. They are greeted by Fiona's uncle Peat. Claire is pushed to deliver a package to bitter writer Celia (Lynn Redgrave). Celia tells Claire a story about the island's past when fish was plenty. Silly (Kirsten Dunst) was born on the fish cutting table. Her mother Rose was a mainlander and everybody is keeping the island lore from her. They suspect Silly to be the special one. On her death bed, Rose makes Silly promise her not to go into the water. Then one day, the fish disappears.

It's a story within a story. The modern story has Lynn Redgrave anchoring it. She brings her professionalism and powerful acting. The story within the story has Kirsten Dunst doing some good work. The story has a poetic sadness. The production is a little too indie. It doesn't have the magic that the story requires. Writer/director Sheri Elwood doesn't have the compelling visual style and the movie does struggle with pacing. It's a fair movie about sadness and loss.

A young girl comes with her mother to her ancestral home on an island off the coast of Nova Scotia to escape the sudden death of her first love. She withdraws from the world around her until she crosses paths with an old hermit-like lady who tells her a tale of a great fishing village, an age-old viking curse and a lovelorn couple that faces Shakespearian tragedies. Parallels between her life and the tale open up her heart so she can mourn her love.Beautifully filmed this bittersweet lovestory is a bit of a tearjerker and ends a bit sourly. Good direction and heartfelt acting are abundant but the story is a bit of a downer. 8/10

Decent enough film, but the accents distracted me too, Kirsten Dunst's most of all (yeah, it did sound kind of southern), though she did well in her physical mannerisms, which made up for it to some degree. Funny, not one of the Nova Scotian accents sounded right to me. I'm originally from there, though a mainlander. Made me wonder if I forgot how a Cape Breton accident sounds, or if they were tuning into some very local dialect I've never heard before (Pugwash maybe?). Half these people sounded Irish and the others I don't know what. Then I doubted myself noticing in the credits the job of Nova Scotia casting. But now that I look in the listing here it seems Nova Scotia casting involves hiring a bunch of people from Ontario. Hrmmph.

When Julia Brendler lives through a crisis, her mother Alberta Watson doesn't know how else to handle her except to travel with her to a remote Irish island. They won't be surrounded by anyone they know, or by any reminders. Julia has enormous attitude and acts like she can't stand her mother. She runs around the island aimlessly until she wanders into Lynn Redgrave's cabin. Lynn is a crusty recluse writing a book, and Julia is hooked on the few pages she comes across. Cue the story-within-the-story: Lynn tells Julia of the story's folklore legend, and the film transitions to Kirsten Dunst and her tale.

It sounds like a great movie, especially for girls who are nursing a broken heart and need to feel like they're not alone (except when their mothers try to comfort them, that is). However, it felt like more of a television release than a big screen picture. Teenagers might like it, but adult audiences will probably find it lacking. First, there's the elephant in the room: the obviousness of the plot. There are supposed to be two big surprise twists near the end, but both are guessable in the first fifteen minutes of the movie. The second elephant. . . My beloved Kirsten Dunst. Although Lynn Redgrave clearly has an Irish accent, Kirsten, the object of her folklore story, speaks half the time in her normal voice and half in the strangest Southern accent I've ever heard. Why wasn't another actress cast who could put on (or authentically speak in) an Irish accent? Or, why wasn't Kirsten instructed to just speak in a British accent? She's done that capably in other movies. It was distracting and, frankly, lousy. If you're grieving a broken heart and need some movie comforts, you could do worse, but if you're in a good space, you might want to just stick with Bring It On.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. Most of the footage in Julia Brendler's flashbacks are filmed with a handheld camera, and in the flashback 10 minutes before the end of the movie, the camera rotates upside down, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

If you're looking for originality, this is not the film to see. The script is so predictable that my friend and I were literally able to guess the next lines in some scenes, and sometimes the dialogue is very movie-of-the-week. However, there are some standout performances among the cast.

Lynn Redgrave plays Celia, an eccentric old writer hashing out a manuscript on a manual typewriter in her home on a barren island. (Think "Old Rose" in Titanic) She meets Clare (Julia Brendler), a teenage girl who has recently lost her boyfriend in an accident and has been brought to the island by her mother Fiona (Alberta Watson), who just inherited a house there. Clare is very angry at life and her mother is at her wit's end about how to help her. She meets Celia and, out of boredom and a desire to stay far away from her mother's attempts to get her to talk, starts going to her house to listen to her tell the story she is writing up - a tale of a young girl who also lost her love in an accident many years earlier. As she narrates, we have flashback sequences of Celia's story with Kirsten Dunst and Trent Ford playing the lovers in that tale. The end result is that Clare is able to put aside her anger and deal with her grief.

Brendler, an unknown in North America, gives a solid performance as the furious-at-fate daughter, and she works well with always-stellar actresses Redgrave and Watson. Dunst is cute but her character isn't believable, making too many abrupt transitions from tomboyish prankster to fishing industry advocate to romantic heroine without any real explanation of just what motivates her (for instance, why does she care if it's fishing that supports the islanders, or some other business? Because she was born on a fish gutting table? This is never explained well.) Trent Ford is nice eye candy but needed more experience to pull off his role.

Our biggest gripe was the editing. This movie flashes back and forth from past to present more times than you can count, often so quickly it's like a bad MTV music video. Please, stop this person before they edit again.

Overall, a decent movie but nothing you haven't seen before. Worth watching for the performances of Brendler, Redgrave and Watson. We both think Brendler is going places and are interested to see what she chooses next.

Kirsten Dunst is a beautiful, talented actress. But even SHE could not save this dumb, plodding movie. Once again, Canadians prove conclusively that they can

NOT make good films. But Kirsten? My GOD, she looks sexy, even when she is

sweeping a porch!!! But, if you want to see her really do her thing, watch the movie Spiderman. The kissing scene in that movie is incredibly erotic.

Hey, I really like romantic movies. See "Ten Things I Hate About You" or "French Kiss" for romance. This movie? "Deeply" should have been buried, deeply, very deeply. It is pure dreck, except, of course, for the total Dunst fan, who will enjoy watching her beautiful features and amazing grace.

A true story tale, woven as the tales of two curses are gradually untwined. In one story a modern girl lands on a Nova Scotia fishing island, bitter and grieving. Lynn Redgrave gives a lovely performance playing a crusty older lady telling this girl the other tale, about a girl her same age 50 years earlier on the same island. Two unknown actresses give deeply felt though not perfect performances as the two teenage girls.

The film is sometimes slow, sometimes awkward, and sometimes cliched, but the telling of the tales overrides the imperfections, and my husband and I were drawn into the telling, the gorgeous scenes of the island, and the mystery of the tales. We saw this on Dutch TV, which we get by satellite, and which shows many wonderful independent films that don't make the mainstream, but are so much better than the ordinary fare.

I did not find anything noteworthy about this movie. The plot is very predictable. The acting, particularly on the part of Kirsten Dunst, is uninspired, although both Lynn Redgrave (should we expect less) and Julia Brendler give credible performances. Perhaps Miss Dunst should stick to teen dramas. Her most popular, recent movies as evidenced by the number and level of user ratings on this site were of that genre (Virgin Suicides, Bring It On, Get Over It, and Crazy/Beautiful). The latter could have been an even bigger hit were it not for the censorship imposed on it presumably by Disney.

One thing I really liked about this film was the old-fashioned story-telling feel it had. So many movies now-a-days are all about fast-paced roller coaster rides full of explosions and digital effects. This movie was the opposite of that.

This movie did not change my life. It wasn't a must-rent. Although I appreciated the non-Hollywoodness of this, the story and characters were not nearly as in-depth and thoughtful as they could have been. The kind of film that relies on story and character instead of bang and zoom demands a level of depth and insight that was not fully realized here.

This is all beside the point, but Kirsten Dunst's accent was terrible, and I laughed out loud when she smoked a pipe because it was obvious she had no idea how to even hold it properly.

I just saw this movie as part of the Atlantic Film Festival and it truely blew me away. The wonderful story cast a spell on me that I could not evade even after the movie. This beautifully filmed movie makes me wish that Hollywood would really go on strike next year. Maybe then movies like this would find their way to more screens.

Fairly good drama dealing with 2 girls and how they handle their first big trauma in life. I liked the way the 2 stories ran side by side complimenting each other through a series of flashbacks even though one got more play then the other. Worth seeing.

This was a beautiful story-would make a great bedtime story for a six year old girl- but the plot unfolded much to slow. Kirsten seemed awkward in the role.She's a lovely actress and has proved herself talented, but she plays a gruff, dirty black sheep in the film and I don't think it suited her. The movie poster/DVD cover are misleading. This movie flips back and forth from present day to the 40's, with another actress as the heroin in the present. It was confusing to see Kirsten on the DVD and put in the movie and not see her for half an hour. If this movie were remade with a bigger budget I think it could have been a hit.

Like all good faerie-tales, Deeply's story is naturally predictable-- to avoid disappointment, focus on the quality of the telling, not the originality of the tale. The plot and literary devices are carbon copies of James Cameron's Titanic, while the cinematography is a slightly less artistic version of The Shipping News. Other commenters provide a more detailed synopsis, so I will cut straight to my somewhat unique perspective.

I come from an island called "the rock" off the coast of Nova Scotia that once boasted the world's best fishing-- until the fishery dried up a few decades ago. So, this tale hit home from the outset. As it so happens, my Newfoundland is the same island that inspired The Shipping News, the same island that received the real Titanic's distress calls, and the same island that inspired another recent shipwreck movie, The Perfect Storm. It is also the only island in North America proven to have been visited by Vikings. Although Deeply's island is not specifically named, it is large enough to host several outports and to entice a military base or two, and was once visited by Vikings who cast a myserious curse on the island. The island's leader is strikingly reminiscent of Joey Smallwood, but I digress.

Anyone who has lost someone close to them at a young age will love this movie no matter what, as will many who fear losing someone they love. Although manly men like me don't admit to crying, I will confirm that my room became extremely humid and caused steady streams of condensation to roll down me cheeks ;-). The storytelling was so compelling that I am willing to forgive the movie's technical gaffs, but as one close to the culture, I would be wrong not to point out the obvious problems.

Before mentioning the negatives, I must say Lynn Redgrave gives a stellar performance, every bit as good as Dame Judy Dench in The Shipping News. While the other main actors emote well, they don't believably deliver the accents or mannerisms of their characters. The minor cast does excellent in contrast, leading me to wonder if Kirsten Dunst would have fared better using her normal voice instead of butchering the marittime lilt into a goofy patchwork of Ozarkian hickese and fake Texan drawl. Her character's mother was supposedly a mainlander, so another director might have considered reducing the distraction of a bad accent by allowing Dunst to speak naturally while directing Redgrave to mimic Dunst's accent, blaming the difference on the mother's influence. Of course, that is merely a lesson for future directors, as the damage is already done.

Yet, in spite of Dunst's difficulty melding with the culture, she gives a wonderful overall performance because the culture was not by any means the most important aspect of her character. Dunst's character, Silly, is a strong-spirited girl turned troubled teen, a lifelong outsider resulting not only from the paranoia of adolescence but also from a small-town superstition concerning the island's Viking curse. The older Cecilia is one so haunted by her forbidden lover's tragic death that she withdraws and cannot bring herself to love again. As Redgrave's Cecilia, she writes her own story in an apparent effort to help other young girls achieve catharsis, but when her manuscript is rejected, fate brings her the perfect audience, through whom she finally elicits the solace that eluded her long years of solitude.

Deeply's celtic music is modern marittime fare, not specific to any culture, but highly influenced by the scores of the aforementioned Titanic and The Shipping News. The scenes with folk music resort to some of my favorite old Irish standbies rather than exploring the more colorful folk music specific to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland-- however, I naturally view this as a missed opportunity to showcase the more distinctive elements of Canadian culture-- there were many historical scenes that would have been vastly enriched by a few verses of "I'se the B'y", "Feller from Fortune, Revised", "As I Roved Out" or at least a few jigs and reels instead of the more modernized Enya-esque instrumentals that, although beautiful, would have been more effective if used to distinguish the modern elements of the film from the historical.

In sum, a few technical gaffes and cultural flaws sadly distract from an otherwise beautiful retelling of a classic tragic love story foreshadowed in the ambiguously ironic name of the film's ill-fated sailboat, Fate's Fortune. I personally prefer Deeply's plot and storyline to the movies it copies, Titanic and The Shipping News, because it is refreshingly innocent without losing the weight of its dark edge. I find most of the characters in Deeply more compelling than their counterparts in Titanic and The Shipping News, but I wish some of the acting and technical delivery had a depth more worthy of the movie's title. Perhaps my negativity is no more than hypersensitivity-- I felt so in tune with the movie that I wanted it to be perfect-- obviously an unreasonable expectation.

If you hate chick flicks and demand comedic action-adventures, don't torture yourself with this one. However, if you've ever loved and lost, especially at a young age, you will fall Deeply in love with this movie. Even without a predisposition to catharsis, you will probably find it Deeply compelling, in spite of its minor flaws. If this movie inspires you CFAs to visit to Nova Scotia, a tip: come in the summer, get your ferry tickets well in advance and also plan to spend several days exploring Newfoundland. If you're an Anne of Green Gables fan, you'll want to see Prince Edward Island, too.

I'm giving this movie a 10. I totally love this movie and got to get it on DVD. The movie told the story of a young girl told to be cursed by the sea. She finds love and well if you haven't seen the film, I won't give away anything. Kirsten Dunst was very good. I liked all of the characters in the whole movie. The scenery was just beautiful too. I try to catch it if it's ever on TV, but if it's not I put in the DVD and watch it. A lot of people didn't like the movie, well that's you, but I liked the movie a lot. So if you watch it and don't like it, maybe it's just not your kind of movie. Some people like certain movies, I'm one of those who likes all kinds of movies, even scary ones. This movie was worth getting and I totally hope people will watch it and pay attention to the story.

I was touched by this moving film. Kirsten Dunst gives one of her best performances as a girl struggling to understand the world around her and the hidden secrets of her town. Relative newcomer Trent Ford shows promise in his pivotal role. A must see.

This film is undoubtedly the best I have seen in quite some time. Those that are skeptic about it, you must take into account the fact that everything it hoped to accomplish, it did. This story was the perfect fairy tale, with moving music and acting. Someone commented that it was in a way a Titanic rip-off. Well, that simply can't be, because Titanic was a 3/10 and this movie definitely deserves a 10/10. However, I fear it will remain underappreciated.

This one's definitely a sleeper hit. Don't miss it.

I really love this movie. I've seen it on WE (Women's Entertainment). It's brilliantly directed, and the actresses and actors are great. It's different from any other kind of movie that I have seen, which is a plus. I love how the movie runs parallel to Celia's traumatic experiences. I think Kirsetn Dunst does a pretty awesome job in this film. The only thing that really bothered me was her accent. Trent Ford is adorable and is spectacular. I really would recommend this movie to anyone. I don't think it is just a chick flick. I mean, some guys would probably gag at it at times, but if they admire film making and are a serious movie watcher, they would enjoy it.

This movie was awesome.i think Kirsten played a great part in the movie. i have watched this movie like 10 times in 3 days. it really makes you think. all the characters were just right for the parts. and James(Trent Ford) you are hott!

I didn't think Deeply was all predictable. On some parts yes, but the part about the cursed island made it. A story about young lovers that can't be together so they run away, I love those kind of stories they always have a tear jerky ending though. The guy that played James and Kirsten Dunst really made the movie amazing!

I just watched this movie this morning, and while it wasn't a complete waste of my time, I do feel like I have lost a few braincells. I cannot figure out for the life of me, what kind of accent Kirsten Dunst is trying to use. Irish? Scottish? To me it came off as a southern bell with a cold...which did not fit in with any part of the film. Another problem with the movie...some of the characters have no basis for being in the film anyway...Pete for example...what exactly is his motive for helping James...is he in love with Silly too? All I know is, Dunst can do better, and Lynn Redgrave being such a good actress, should not stoop to such a low level with this film.

After a tragedy, teenager Claire is brought to an coastal fishing village, which based on the closing credits must have been in Nova Scotia. Her mother Fiona has split up with Claire's father Max (who is not seen, though there is a phone conversation when the phone actually works). They are staying with Uncle Pete, and Claire hates being cut off from the world. In flashbacks, she is shown playing the violin with an orchestra of some sort, and she seems to like one of the boys in the orchestra. She brings the violin with her and does play once. A reference is made to the family living in Berlin, and the closing credits do refer to Berlin, Germany, but no one in this movie has an accent that would suggest they are German. I thought maybe these people were Scottish or Irish.

One day while swimming in the ocean, Claire sees a package. It turns out to be a manuscript of a story by Celia, a cranky old woman. At first, Celia seems to want nothing to do with anyone else, but when Claire expresses an interest in the story, and this makes Celia happy. As Celia tells the story, we see it happen. Claire seems to cheer up whenever she visits Celia, but otherwise she remains quite bitter.

A baby is born to Rose, the first baby of the fishing season, in a village that is one of the best places anywhere for fishermen. The people wonder if this baby will be "the one," as if she is something evil. The baby is baptized, and yet still people behave as if she is evil.

Silly, the little girl, helps the fishermen out. She appears to be a hard worker. And shortly before she turns 16, she is pretty but quite a tomboy and certainly rough-natured. This must have been a family movie because surely such a girl in real life would have used language nice girls shouldn't hear, but Silly is almost G-rated. Almost.

And then it happens. Every 50 years since the Vikings arrived nearly a thousand years earlier (probably not counting the years after the Vikings gave up on this place), there has been some sort of tragic death, and the fish have disappeared. It is called "the curse". The people are ready to give up, but Silly believes the fish will come back.

After she steals the doctor's boat and wrecks it, Silly must go to work for the doctor, who also rents out rooms, to pay him back. He is a stern and demanding taskmaster, yet Silly continues with her attitude. Then comes the day a large ship docks in the community. Admiral Griggs wants to build a military base which would require changes that would put an end to fishing, even if the fish would have come back. Based on the date on a tombstone, all of this is taking place shortly after World War II. The admiral, his spoiled wife, and their handsome son James stay with the doctor, and Silly must tend to their every need. Actually, James stays in a tent on the beach, but Silly doesn't mind taking care of him, if you know what I mean.

There are parallels to the present day. On the radio, it is announced that once again fishing has ended in this town and developers want to take over and make the community prosperous again.

And Claire and Silly are both teens who are rebellious and misunderstood, who have had difficulties in their love life.

Kirsten Dunst is the real reason to watch this movie. She does such a wonderful job, and of course her looks add something, even if her appearance isn't consistent with her character's background. I wouldn't have even known Lynn Regrave, but I guess she is getting up in years. She too gives a very good performance. And Brent Carver is quite good as Silly's frustrated father. I will say everyone with a leading role does a good job.

I liked the traditional music at a dance.

Overall, I found this movie depressing. I was glad there were some pleasant scenes and even some humor, but this movie is probably intended for women or girls who "enjoy a good cry." That isn't me. I was particularly distressed with the progress of Claire's character. But if you are someone who keeps a supply of Kleenex for your favorite movies, and you enjoy stories about life on the coast where civilization hasn't quite caught up, this is a good choice.