I can personally relate to the main character. He was non-aggressive, liked to write, and didn't have a clue where he could fit into society. Such guys DO exist.This one predictably flops in N.Y. and returns home to his hometown, and his quirky literal "home" in the midwest.There he meets a girl.You may ask why someone as gorgeous as Liv Tyler,(her character), would hang out with such a loser. But she tells you in her own words. "I like to help people." That's why she is a nurse too. Beyond that, her character is not too bright, and she's a single mom, so she's got her own baggage. The best thing about this movie comes in letter form. The mom in the movie is portrayed as perpetually optimistic. Most modern films poke fun at this as pathetically naive. For most of this film, you think it is doing the same thing. But the main character writes a letter to his mom, when he thinks he is leaving town, and he tells her that in fact he admires her optimism, and considers it a sign of strength, and of character. I liked that. The movie doesn't really go anywhere, but that's o.k., because many people's lives don't go anywhere. It's a slice-of-life movie.I liked it, but I would not expect most people to enjoy it. Unless you really enjoy dark, small town underdog studies.At some point this young guy has to realize that it doesn't matter if you are depressed, you still have to find a way to make a living, and get on with life.I don't think it portrayed the Midwest as depressing, or his parents as losers. His dad is a successful entrepreneur, and his mom fills up a room with light, and good cheer. Those are winner characteristics. They live in a nice house. Their town looks clean and safe.Clearly what happened is that the boys inherited their mom's gentle, non-aggressive manner. That makes them ineffectual as men. She smothers them with sweetness, which may hinder them from tapping into the alpha energy that men need to succeed in a brutal world.Why was a nurse so poor? Nurses make a boatload of money. Probably because she wasn't an RN. She was probably either a CNA or LVN.

I am sitting here writing this review and the movie's not even over yet. In fact, I just checked, and there are 45 more minutes to go. But no matter, there's no need to see it through to the end. I'll just write this review and laugh as the film plays in the background and stumbles onward to some kind of presumably horrible conclusion which I don't care to ever see or know.What accounts for my hostility to this movie? The characters are not believable. The plot is not believable. The pretentiousness of the movie is sickening. Basically, every element of the movie rings false. Buscemi obviously thought he had something to add to the dozens of movies which have already explored the well-worn themes of dysfunctional families and the apparent meaninglessness of life. However, Buscemi was badly mistaken, because this movie contains nothing new. It tries very hard to be depressing, but fortunately no one can really be depressed by it, because it's obvious that no people like this exist in the entire world.What IS depressing however is the knowledge that somehow this film was voted several undeserved awards. Disgusting!!!! Bottom line: stay away from this worthless film at all costs.

Although I agree with many of the people that this was a good movie, I do not necessarily agree that it had a moral, taught a lesson, etc. The script, as economical as it was, was terrific, not to mention hilarious! There is hardly a wasted line, scene, etc. Nobody overacts. The actors simply just do their jobs. Some of the jokes had me laughing out loud at midnight; e.g., when brother #1 says "awesome" upon learning brother #2 has bedded Liv Tyler, #2 thanks him - to which #1 says "No, I'm thinking her standards are so low I've still got a chance".The movie is chock full of tiny lines of great dialog. Most are not crafted jokes but simply hilarious circumstantially, as when the protagonist comments on the strength of the stoner's weed and - in a casual aside - the stoner says, "Yeah, I put some crack in". Also, our hero so deftly manages to unintentionally insult everyone and everything while spilling his guts; e.g., believing he's offering profound insight into life but instead degrading the existence of his listeners. These asides and conversations, like much of the dialogue, are not stand alone funny but fit in so well to the mood and of the setting. The setting and circumstances - failed dreams in the Heartland - could be milked for much melodramatic value but is well treated here in a matter-of-fact manner. This movie is true farce. I hate to use clichés but Lonesome Jim is the perfect example of "What you see (and hear) is exactly what you get.Casey Aflleck could easily have played his role as manic or overly deadpan but finds a great balance. Overlooked is his dad's character, who pulls pathos out of middle America. Liv Tyler displays more skill here than in all her minutes in Lord of the Rings combined. And the stoner uncle, without exaggeration could be a candidate for Best supporting actor. But Mary Kay Place steals the show outright. She is the Everymom of all time. I lost my mom last year and my siblings and I can see now that what we interpreted as mom's naive cheerfulness was actually a profound strength. No small feat to create this observation in a movie which, at times, seems almost completely played for laughs. In fact, the uplifting effect of the movie truly appears as almost an afterthought. Creating something out of nothing is the mark of good art.

I enjoy many types of movies, from the big blockbusters to the small independents, and when I saw Steve Buscemi had directed this one, I rented it with some enthusiasm. This movie drained the enthusiasm right out of me. Perhaps something was resolved in the end (though the other comments here seem to indicate it isn't), but I couldn't make it. After watching Jim plod through life while pretty much nothing else happened for an hour had me craving sleep. And, as someone else mentioned previously, how does a complete loser like this end up with a girl like Liv Tyler. Where are all those beautiful, desperate women around here?!? Anyway, no complaints about the performances, but I found this to be a very slow, boring film, and the main character seems to have absolutely no redeeming qualities at all. However, second viewings of movies I've disliked in the past have often changed my opinion, so if I ever catch this on cable, perhaps I'll give it another shot. But then again...