Northfork

Northfork
Directed by	Michael Polish
Written by	Mark Polish Michael Polish
Produced by	Mark Polish Michael Polish
Starring	James Woods Nick Nolte Duel Farnes Mark Polish Daryl Hannah Peter Coyote Robin Sachs
Cinematography	M. David Mullen
Edited by	Leo Trombetta
Music by	Stuart Matthewman
Distributed by	Paramount Classics
Release dates	July 11, 2003 (limited)
Running time	103 min.
Language	English
Budget	$1,900,000 (estimated)

Northfork is a 2003 film directed by Michael Polish and written by Michael and Mark Polish. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2003 and later received a limited release in the United States on July 11, 2003.[1] The film stars James Woods, Nick Nolte, Darryl Hannah, and Peter Coyote. This is the brothers' third film collaboration, after Twin Falls Idaho (1999) and Jackpot (2001).

Plot

The film's narrative consists of several interwoven subplots taking place in the town of Northfork, Montana circa 1955. A new dam is being built which will flood the valley of Northfork, and the town is in the midst of an evacuation. The narratives focus on several individuals who, for one reason or another, have yet to evacuate. Walter O'Brian (Woods) and his son (Mark Polish) are on the evacuation team, helping to evacuate the last few inhabitants of Northfork. Father Harlan (Nick Nolte) is one such individual, who has stayed behind to care for Irwin (Duel Farnes), a dying orphan too weak to leave town. While the O'Brians and their coworkers encounter an array of unusual characters, Irwin discovers that he is the "unknown angel" and finds himself a family in his dreams.

Reaction

The film received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. Most people generally agreed that the film is visually beautiful and philosophically interesting, however, the lack of a strong narrative bothered critics, including many critics who gave favorable reviews.[2] Despite this, it won several awards at film festivals including:[3]

• the Best Director award at the Athens International Film Festival.
• the Golden Fleece award at the Golden Trailer Awards.
• the German Independence Award at the Oldenburg Film Festival.

External links

• Northfork at IMDb
• Northfork on Rotten Tomatoes.com