For the past few years, Jennifer Connelly has become very boring. Her movie choices are boring, her performances are boring — the lady’s career just hasn’t been that interesting. With writer/director Dustin Lance Black’s 2010 drama/comedy “Virginia”, the “Dark City” actress seems to be stretching her legs a bit. Which is a good thing, as I don’t think I could sit through another “Little Children”, “House of Sand and Fog”, or “The Dilemma”. She wasn’t even that interesting in “Blood Diamond”, and I happen to really enjoy that flick.
You may not immediately recognize Dustin Lance Black’s name, but he’s contributed to a number of projects you may have heard of. Not only did he write the award-winning biopic “Milk”, he also wrote the script for Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar”. Additionally, he penned several episodes of “Big Love”, an exceptional HBO show that you should watch as soon as humanly possible. It stars Bill Paxton as a polygamist. What more could you possibly ask for?
Anyway, back to “Virginia”. Check out this plot synopsis:
Written and directed by Dustin Lance Black (MILK), VIRGINIA stars Jennifer Connelly in the title role as a beautiful yet unhinged single mother who struggles to raise her son Emmett (Harrison Gilbertson) while dreaming of escaping her small Southern boardwalk town. Her long time affair with the very married, Mormon Sheriff Richard Tipton (Ed Harris) is thrown into question when he decides to run for public office. Things are further complicated when Emmett begins a romantic relationship with Tipton’s daughter (Emma Roberts). Virginia and the town—populated by Amy Madigan, Toby Jones, Yeardley Smith—are full of secrets and everyone knows Virginia can only keep things together for so long. VIRGINIA is a funny, touching drama that looks at the American Dream and what it takes to keep it together.
Look for the film to open in select theaters on May 18th.
