Julianne Moore seems almost permanently stuck in the 1950s. However, she literally is the one reason to see this film. As per usual, her performance is wonderful. She plays Evelyn Ryan, a real life woman, who had a talent for winning jingle contests during the 1950s and 1960s. This talent literally kept her family from losing their home.
Some darker themes are explored in the movie, such as Evelyn's husband's drinking problem, free spending ways that leave the family nearly bankrupt and occasional physical abuse. After watching the movie one has to wonder why in the world she stayed with him after all the heartache he put her through. No reason is really given, except that Evelyn was apparently the most tolerant and patient woman in the world.
The only real flaw with the movie is the ending. There really is no reason to see the real Ryan children, and while it must have been a nice treat for them to be in a movie, it really adds nothing to the story.
Some darker themes are explored in the movie, such as Evelyn's husband's drinking problem, free spending ways that leave the family nearly bankrupt and occasional physical abuse. After watching the movie one has to wonder why in the world she stayed with him after all the heartache he put her through. No reason is really given, except that Evelyn was apparently the most tolerant and patient woman in the world.
The only real flaw with the movie is the ending. There really is no reason to see the real Ryan children, and while it must have been a nice treat for them to be in a movie, it really adds nothing to the story.