Product Description

Five seemingl related people decide to take huge risks in their personal lives in an effort to find happiness. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/21/2007 Starring: John Heard Alan King Run time: 134 minutes Rating: R

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36828 in DVD
• Brand: Paramount
• Released on: 2005-07-12
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 134 minutes

Customer Reviews

To Life!
Filmed on a stringent budget and time schedule, "Mind the Gap" is a brilliant ensemble piece that follows 5 life stories in a heart-warming, life-affirming web of coincidence. Director Eric Shaeffer, who also plays the part of Sam, has woven this magical tale into a film I will never forget. It is a love song to life, and it is also about courage. The courage to do the things that result in a life lived without regrets.

The cast is superb. Alan King plays a cantankerous old man on a mission, and this was sadly to be his last film. Elizabeth Reaser plays Melissa, a young woman born of a rape, who has a heart full of strength and love. Reaser is luminous, a beauty that will no doubt be a superstar in the near future. Christopher Kovaleski is Rocky, Sam's gangling, bright and shining son, who is a delight to watch. Singer Jill Sobule is Jody, a petite dynamo with an extraordinary talent as a songwriter and as an actress, and the film features many of her songs. Charles Parnell is incredibly moving as John, a man despondent over his divorce. There are many other great performances too numerous to name individually, all of them memorable characters, played to perfection, and the thread around them is Julio Diaz, the Times Square salsa dancing man.

Watch this film several times, and you will see its many layered quality, revealing more with each viewing. It is a quirky, beautiful, warm, and lovable film, and deserves one's time and attention. Filmed on location in New York City and Vermont by Marc Blandori, the music is by Veigar Margeisson, with some mystical, lovely selections by Krishna Das. The DVD extra is the commentary for the film, which is chatty and informative, and total running time is 130 minutes.

Why isn't this film more well known?
This is a terrific film by Eric Schaeffer, who also stars in this ensemble piece in the tradition/spirit of the better Robert Altman films. Every scene makes sense. The performances are all excellent, including a wonderful job by the late great Alan King, one of the best American talents of the past half century. This is a movie well worth seeing. See it yourself and be surprised as I was.

One of he best movies I have ever seen
Stay with this movie. It moves slowly, as you move into the lives of the participants. In an era of one hundred million dollar movies, special effects, sex, and endless violence, it is a touchstone of humanity. It will make you smile.