The Painting (2001)

Good movie but grossly overrated

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Warning,it will be hard to find this film so understand what you are looking for.This film was released in 2001 and runs but 90 minutes and was re-released in 2006 under the new title of "Solders of change"Both titles are somewhat misleading as the story is more then family love of art (the painting) or the Vietnam war(Soldiers of change).That looked over or otherwise missed gem of a unknown film. Perhaps it was my interest in Albert Coombs Barnes's art collection in Philly that led me to this film,again not really similar BUT there are connections in a layered way.Ah,Layers !!!!!This film has many and thats the thing and also maybe a turn off to the great masses.So now that we have 3 layers to draw on,let us begin. Told in flashback by a soldier in Vietnam we learn of a rich southern white family of the 50's era whose father collects artwork as a passion as he made a good life for himself in Newspapers and hiring blacks workers right as the civil rights movement is beginning.( Barnes in a round about way).He had only one son and his wife dies during a storm, in a car accident while the boy,NOW the soldier,was but a young boy. The "butler".a black man,is almost more of a father to the boy than his real father who is absorbed in work maybe because he has to be,or because he's alone after the wife's death. At any rate,the young lad meets the butlers young niece at a black church mass and well,a friendship grows through the next 10 or so years to a love affair.Through that period we see the civil rights violence with no holes bared truth,as the film had a very tame almost whimsy feel to that point.Then it gets a bit more dark as the boy is sent to West Point but is kicked out and then marries his brown sugar and then is drafted as his now wife is pregnant.Here we a few draft era errors like marriage,but they are so small and not labored that you can forgive them.Bottom line is the father has lost him through his own misguided fears and the boy is more principled than any rich kids YOU ever met.Still they do miss each other and wish they had a way to swallow their silly stupid pride and re-connect.Here's were a film error is also made.Film makers should NOT let a character tell a story in flashback unless they say its from the grave or you can tell it yourself early on.The boy you see never comes home or sees his young daughter other than through pictures. Still a forgivable point as his death does set in motion a interesting reconciliation from the grave.Yes I cried at the end. The story,for only the rich can make change without a full revolution and that is the legacy of our 1960's.The white middle class in the guise of the children, forced the change as the fires in the streets were beginning to be lit.Interracial love,a taboo,but a powerful tool like none seen before is the true catalyst of that period and this film may be somewhat awkward in trying to show this along with all the other layers on its plate ,but try it does. So finally why see this film?? Again my 3 layers.One,in this film,blacks will get the art collection finally and unlike in the Barnes true historic story where they messed it up and Philly controls it today.Two,the 60's war in Vietnam was EVERYBODYS war because of a draft,not just the very few who volunteer as in todays wars and finally a love story that ends tragically BUT in the noblest of way.Romance only a few ever attain. Must see,with tissues and wait,if you let the whimsy pass,you will cry.The cast,lesser knowns for the most part,but they do honor to the heavy ideals of this deep film.

Also a.k.a SOLDIERS of CHANGE. Black is black and white is white. Randy Barrignton(Heath Freeman) is a young man that finds himself in the midst of the 1960's riots and revolution. Being part of the front lines of the struggle for civil rights; he is summoned into the Viet Nam War. Randy's most heroic struggle though is with his wealthy father(Charles Shaughnessy), when he falls in love with Hallie(Stacey Dash). Hallie is black and her family too is divided over her choice of endearment. It is after all the 60's and the world is hardly easing into change of attitude toward war, personal rights, personal freedoms and the mixing of the races. Other notable cast members include: Clifton Davis, Ben Vereen and William R. Moses.

I *have* to see plausibility in a film. even sci-fi stuff with half-man half-beast stuff has some plausibility what with DNA tampering possible.but this cliché laden namby pamby cutesy thing is the first time I give a NEGATIVE number on the plausibility meter.rich white guys from the south don't marry their servant's black daughters no matter how good looking they sound and look. and they don't get shipped off to Vietnam and get shot rescuing an orphan. if they're in Vietnam, THEY'RE the one barking the orders having graduated from ROTC.and rich southern gentry don't will their vast art collection to former black employees either.I just couldn't get past all this ridiculousness to see any poignancy in the film. way too much hooey to see any 'message'.

I had the pleasure to watch the movie with my family in a private cinema. While the acting is not the best, the movie does make up for it because it is a really good wholesome family movie.The era that the movie was set in must have been very turbulent yet the movie avoided the blood, gore and hatred but instead show the courage of the human spirit and the goodness in man kind. The human spirit is a wonderful thing and the sacrifice made by individuals are usually swept under the carpet for the sake of sensationalism. This movie reminds us of the sacrifice made by the different characters like the Jewish boy who died in the bomb, the main actor for the girl and others. There were also many caring characters which are real in my world.It will be good if families go out together to watch this movie so that apart from their bonding, they can stir up each other's spirit and be encouraged by values that is good.Love it. Oliver