Moonlight Mile DVD, 2002

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, and Susan Sarandon, Moonlight Mile is a romantic drama set in 1966. Joe (Gyllenhaal) is grieving over the death of his fiancee, Diana, and is living with her parents, Ben (Hoffman) and JoJo (Sarandon). Though Joe just wants to do what's right, he openly admits that he has no plan, no answers, and needs time to sort things out. Meanwhile, Ben and JoJo cling to him as their only hope after losing their daughter, and the rest of the world expects him to bounce back into dating without a moment's pause. Joe's awkwardness and unquenchable efforts to be helpful provide for some touching and softly comedic moments. The New England setting of the film, the '60s cars and clothes, and the excellent soundtrack (Sly & The Family Stone, T-Rex, Bob Dylan) provide enough atmosphere to move this emotional story right along. But it isn't until Joe meets another woman (Ellen Pompeo), who also lost someone she loved, that he regains hope and begins to be true to himself and to the people around him.