Amazingly enough, I knew segments of this film were being shot right down the street from my house here in North Little Rock in 2003, yet never got to see the film when it was released. I finally watched it here at the house this past June weekend.Although Joey Lauren Adams originally wrote the role of Lucy to play herself, she soon found it harder than she had imagined and got Ashley Judd to play the lead role instead. That was probably a wonderful idea although Ms. Adams is quite a talented actor.It took me a while to figure out the underlying message in this film, because it is presented in an almost silent and subtle way. One wanting happiness, but never really finding it. "One wanting something good in life, but nothing is worth having" type of message. We find out quite quickly that Lucy (Judd) has a taste for beer and pool halls. She shows us how miserable she really is in life, although she is trying extremely hard to come to grips with her family's skeletons.We never really get a feel for what the matter was between her and her Papa played by Pat Corley. All that we are able to gather, Lucy's father has moved back from somewhere and we know that Nana (Diane Ladd) has had previous conversations with him without prior knowledge. Diane Ladd is a wonderful actor who has been around in television and film for 52 years and I hope she gets to act as long as she can. We are made to feel a sense of almost desperation in Lucy as she tries to remain impervious to love. When she meets Cal Percell (Jeffrey Donovan) for the first time, we see the sparks fly in both directions, but we somehow know that Lucy can't decide to make anything good stick long enough to her ribs to make a difference.****************************** SPOILERS ******************************* Lucy struggles to find answers to her tremendous incessant remorse with her punishing habits of getting drunk and tying one on with any man that happens to catch her eye. Cal makes a comment that typically says it all. Cal asks Lucy "When was the last time that you kissed someone sober?" Lucy attends a local church with her father and soon has a meltdown while seeking answers to one of life's most difficult decisions one has to eventually make.Proper counsel with the very colorful pastor of the Holy Roller Church as it is referred to in the film does Lucy much good. She realizes that she has to forgive, not only others, but herself. The film takes a few disappointing turns toward the end, but still delivers to wrap up the story by easily making us aware that Lucy was about to leave her old ways behind and finally break free from her past so that she can really know what love is. The old adage is so true; before you fall in love, you need to love yourself.Director Joey Lauren Adams won the Women in Film Crystal Awards Dorothy Arzner Directors Award in 2006 for this film. Additional notice should be mentioned for the role of Uncle Tim (Tim Blake Nelson) and the roommate Kim (Laura Prepon) who both played memorable roles. Laura Prepon grew up in the north, so it was a pleasure to see her play such a wonderfully simple southern beauty.Thanks to the church and band members, the pastor, and Lyle's Starstudded Honky-Tonk Band. Don't let me forget two biggest guys Lucy loved dearly, Owen Allen (Stacy Keach), and Bob (Ritchie Montgomery).Joey, I hope you make more films in Arkansas because it's such a wonderful state to be from. Let's not for Grandmother "Doll" (Candyce Hinkle) who had a very small role but did great. Great Job!

Talented Joey Lauren Adams wrote and directed this marvelous slice-of-life about a hard, stubborn, unapologetic young woman's journey to finding some self-worth in her quietly turbulent existence; she attempts to get her head in a good place and make peace with the past, but learns it doesn't all come into play overnight. Ashley Judd is just wonderful in this role: gritty, tremulous, tough but never dumbed-down. She evokes just the right touch of devil-may-care recklessness with a kind of horse-sense which should resonate with a lot of viewers. If you ever come across this theatrical film playing on the Lifetime TV network, don't be fooled into thinking it's a cable-quickie. Adams puts a lot of thought into her prose (sometimes too much, as the conversations have a tendency to have an already-worked-out give and take). The film is flawed, certainly, yet its scattershot hopefulness permeates through, and the performances are rich and memorable. A rewarding character-study, and a small triumph for both creator Adams and star Judd, marking a welcome return to serious acting. *** from ****

Ashley Judd is Lucy Fowler, bright and strong-willed, but with no direction and no boundaries. She has gotten to the point where she drinks too much, then takes home any half-decent guy who shows an interest in her. The next morning, sober, she seems to regret what she has done, but not much.Ashley Judd is super in her role. She is pretty but not glamorous, and she really makes us believe she is what she is playing.The story is a journey to see if Lucy can redeem herself. She can never truly love and respect someone else if she can't do that for herself first. She meets what appears to be a really nice guy, but she pushes him away, physically and emotionally.SPOILERS. It would't be much of a story to tell if Lucy didn't change, and if she spiraled down into an even worse state. We see her changing, and the prospects look good, but for me the transition seemed too abrupt. Still, a decent movie.

Actress Joey Lauren Adams high-pitched voice turned many viewers away from an otherwise impressive performance in Kevin Smith's modern classic "Chasing Amy". Ten years later she's gathered up a surge of creative energy, passion, and youthful exuberance for the place of her birth with her directorial debut, "Come Early Morning". The film stars Ashley Judd, in a familiar Southern role as seen in strong turns in "Ruby in Paradise" and "Where the Heart is", as a thirty-something woman living in small town Arkansas disconnected from her father and yearning for more than just another one-night stand. It's a quiet independent film about people with real jobs who live in real houses where the refrigerator won't close properly without that extra shove. The film hardly paves any new ground, but it's backed by such genuine emotion that it holds its own quite well.