I've been watching a lot of movies lately, and I gotta say, this one was SOLID and kind of caught me by surprise for the fun and lessons about life it brought me. I had no idea what it was about (which is probably better that way), so partway through, it hit me: This movie is about a slice of life and really brings meaning to what it means to live. If you've ever been down about life, or thought to yourself that it just doesn't matter, then this might just open a window for you to look out of. I would discard terms like 'tearjearker' or 'grab-some-tissues' lest you think this is only for women, or something when you need a good cry. It's not. It's a solid drama that delivers jabs and punches as it journeys on a highway of life, fun, and tenderness.Dermot Mulroney as Griffin was solid (loved his work in this) and Amanda Peet as Ms. Phoenix was simply charming as a reluctant balance to the driven protagonist. Strong direction, fine music and a solid supporting cast turned a simple story into something watchable, meaningful and rather moving.I just want to re-watch bits and parts of the movie to recapture some of the moments that sank deep and stirred something within. Oh, yes. Worth the watch!

I just saw this movie last night and was very disappointed. 1st off what was most disturbing was Griffin's relationship with his 2 kids. I understand when you hear the news that you have cancer, you may not immediately want to tell anyone. But throughout the movie.. the lead character never even told his kids that he had cancer. Thats very selfish, especially when you know that you have only one year to live. Moreover, you'd also think he'd want to spend as much time with his kids as possible before he dies. Instead he saw them just one time on a brief fishing excursion. Also, there was no interaction between Griffin and his ex wife whatsover. Very bad movie for these reasons.

I saw this movie at the sundance film festival in 2006. What struck me throughout the film was that neither of the two lead characters ever showed any visual signs of sickness. My question is, how can two people have terminal cancer and their deaths are days away and yet at no time in the film did they look sick. There was no paleness, jaundice or anything of the sort. At no times did we see any weakness, or nausea or any kind of physical pain associated with cancer. How could this be? At many times in the film the two characters are actually shown running and showing no signs of tiredness. Even at the end of the movie when Amanda Peats character is on the verge of death, she sneaks out of the hosptal with Griffin and again is seen climbing mountainess terrain, until the last couple of steps when Griffin carrts her in his arms. Wasn't he supposed to have cancer too. Come on give me a break? Throw some realism into the movie and it may have been descent.

GRIFFIN & PHOENIX is a quiet little made for television film that touches the vulnerable heart. Originally written in 1976 as a television film by John Hill, this thirty-years-later version holds up well, and the fact that audiences will still opt for sensitive stories that treat difficult topics in a mature manner, adding warmly humorous touches to a potentially maudlin idea, speaks well for our continuing tastes.From the opening frames of the film we learn that Griffin (Dermot Mulroney) has inoperable cancer: his frank and compassionate physician (Lois Smith) aligns him with reality. Griffin is a divorced father of two boys and his first attempt to find meaning in his limited time is to spend time with them, an attempt partially thwarted by his ex-wife. Once a workaholic, Griffin attends a class on death and dying at the university and there he meets the rather strange and isolated Phoenix (Amanda Peet). Griffin's new take on life encourages him to go after the seemingly impenetrable Phoenix and through a series of wildly frivolous escapades he courts her and they gradually fall in love - something neither felt they could do. They cope with issues of intimacy and finally Phoenix shares her secret with Griffin, a secret that plunges them headlong into a fully blossomed romance. How the two cope with the inevitable is well handled, rarely bordering on sappy, and always holding our compassion.Director Ed Stone paces the film well, inserting moments of extended silence to match the emotional atmosphere, allowing breathing space. Both Peet and Mulroney create believable three-dimensional characters and are well supported by such solid actors as Lois Smith, Sarah Paulson, and Novella Nelson. The story may have sad aspects, but the cast always allows the humor inherent in any life event to come through. And that is one of the several reasons the film works well. Grady Harp