Empire Falls is a depressing town in which every resident has problems, and all but one of those problems are self-inflicted. The one exception is Joanne Woodward's crippled daughter who was run over by a car when she was a toddler. It's hard to feel sorry for anyone else in the town. Ed Harris manages a restaurant but can't get his head above water because wealthy Woodward owns everything and to cross her means ruination. So don't cross her! He can't express his feelings for his soon-to-be-ex-wife Helen Hunt, so she's going to marry someone else. Just figure your feelings out, and either fight for her or let her go—it's not that difficult! Helen Hunt is upset because her fiancé is significantly older than her, but he loves her and is great in the sack-a-roo. Get your priorities straight, Helen! Robin Wright Penn is a single mom drawn to mysterious, wealthy Philip Seymour Hoffman. Just say no and focus on your kid! Hoffman is miserable in his environment—so leave! Paul Newman is the town joke/drunk/mooch, but he wants to feel the excitement of being a young man again. Clean up your act! Alright, my frustrations have been aired out, but I don't think I've successfully steered you away from Empire Falls. It's incredibly depressing, and not in a good way. It was based off of Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, so I kept waiting for the redeeming factor to enter the story. The three and a half hour HBO TV movie is split into eight chapters, and in the seventh chapter, something really bad happens. You know I never give spoilers, but the thing that happens is really upsetting and unnecessary. It's random and doesn't tie in to any part of the story, serving only to shock and upset audiences (and readers) and to gain Russo the Pulitzer Prize. It's terribly obvious that's why he wrote it, a reason that's not noble and, frankly, almost angers me.There's only one good part of the entire movie: In a flashback to a young Paul Newman, Josh Lucas was cast. I've always thought Lucas and Newman looked alike, so I was very happy that Hollywood agreed with me, even only for a few minutes of a flashback. The story constantly flashes back to Ed Harris's childhood memories, and for most of the time, it's boring and not very interesting.I can't stress enough how terrible Empire Falls is. Please, please don't watch it. It's so incredibly upsetting, and for absolutely no purpose, that when it was over, I had to watch an animal documentary to comfort my mind before going to bed, for fear of nightmares. The story isn't deep or symbolic. There's no "greater good" that will make you feel better.I never give spoilers in my review, but if you're still considering watching Empire Falls, I urge you to read a spoiler. Then, if after reading it, you're still considering watching it, get your head examined.Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some extremely upsetting content, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

Typically elaborately crafted HBO production with a first-rate cast, a rich small-town atmosphere and some nice narrative vignettes, graced by above average production values.But, and that's a huge 'but', the various subplots, peopled with some likable, mostly annoying caricatures, are paper-thin and go and and on in dull stretches for over three long hours.The often silly story veers uneasily between melodrama, without being entertaining enough, and personal drama, without being profound at all.A shame, because some scenes really shine. Two or three, that is.4 out of 10 grubby Paul Newmans

I'm relieved the later reviews have turned sour - reading all the positive feedback, I was starting to worry that my understanding of movies (and life) was completely different than everyone else's in the world. Everything in this movie rang false to me...the characters, the dialogue, the manipulative soundtrack, the corny narration, all of it. As each scene unfolded I kept thinking, "People don't act like this." It's relentlessly heavy-handed and maudlin. In a way I think the movie bullies you into liking it, or pretending to like it, because it's Serious and about Real People and confronts Issues. But man, it really did not work for me.

I witnessed the filming of a movie in Maine back in 1986 so was curious to see how they'd do in another town. I think they did a good job. I found myself looking as much as details as following the storyline. My only complaint is that they did not have a voice coach, or if they did, s/he had a hearing problem. While Maine has many dialects, the vowels are fairly consistent per speaker. It's rare to hear someone use START and CAHD. It's STAHT and CAHD or START and CARD. It's the inconsistencies that tend to drive the locals crazy, and there were plenty in this film.But the story was poignant, and piercingly accurate in so many ways. The flashbacks were wonderful, and they segued into the present almost seamlessly. The set and wardrobe were unassuming, as they are in real life, and that which stands out is an individual perception. Just like life.