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Forget about Apollo 13. Leave all expectations of an epic science-fiction saga at the entrance of the theater, because A Walk on the Moon doesn't deal with the moon at all, at least not literally. What it deals with is the cataclysmic summer of 1969 and how the changing times reflect the unstable life of one Brooklyn family. Given that, don't come into this film looking for a hippie-filled, stereotypical treatise on '60s American pop culture. The film (thankfully) dodges that landmine of boring triteness and succeeds, instead, in telling a heartfelt story of personal discovery.

Actor Tony Goldwyn (most commonly known as the bad guy in Ghost) makes his directorial debut with this film. The story centers around Perl (Diane Lane), the film's symbol of change and uncertainty. Pearl's family spends every summer at a bungalow colony in the Catskills. Her husband, Marty (Liev Schreiber), is forced to spend most of his time away from the family at work. As always, the absence of the husband conveniently opens the door for the infidelity of the wife, a pattern that plays out to perfection when Pearl becomes involved with an enigmatic blouse-seller named Walker (Viggo Mortensen), a drifter who epitomizes the care-free existence of that generation. Pearl's regression from upright mother and wife to liberated--and thus irresponsible--woman is contrasted by the simultaneous coming of age of her daughter (Anna Paquin).

So, where does the moon fit in? The title refers to the Apollo-11 moon landing in 1969. In a shining example of metaphor, the story's writer (Pamela Gray) uses this historic event to parallel Pearl's exploration of her own new world. On the surface, A walk on the Moon seems like a typical story of mind life crisis and to some extent, that's exactly what it is. Pearl's sheltered upbringing lacked adventure and freedom; during the lonely nights without Marty, she comes to realize that the window of opportunity afforded by youth has been closed to her. The appearance of the blouse-man, with his traveling van of merchandise, gives Pearl the ever vaunted second chance to live out her youthful desires. But it comes with a price. As she seizes her second chance at frivolity, she destroys the trust on which her marriage was built, and in the process fractures the family that she holds so dear. Sound familiar? It's a plot that explores some very common themes of human emotion: love, the fleetiness of youth and regret over opportunities past. It's a story that appeals to our humanity, and that's what makes it so real.

The decade of the '60s represents, in many ways, a time of change. All of the cataclysmic events, from Vietnam to Woodstock and everything in between, have been firmly impressed onto our national consciousness. Our parents' generation grew up in these tumultuous times; for them, the film will have extra significance. For us? Well, there's certainly no lack of interest in the '60s among our generation (how many of you watched that NBC special a few months ago?) Granted, the message of the film is universal enough to transcend the limitations of time. Pearl and her family could have lived at any other time in history, and the lessons of self-discovery and carpe diem would have been just as relevant. But would it have been as powerful? Probably not. The '60s are a perfect match for the themes of instability and loss of innocence, and its role as the setting of Pearl's story makes the film infinitely more effective.

It's a story that's tangible and touching, and the performances of Lane and Schreiber are especially powerful. As the emotionally torn Pearl, Lane does an excellent job of conveying the sadness and regret that motivates her to do the unthinkable. Her credibility crumbles as she becomes more entangled in her affair with Walker, and the ease with which she betrays her husband is unfathomable. The shock is enhanced by Schreibier's convincing portrayal of Marty, the model of integrity and goodness. Pearl's journey of discovery has a happy ending, though one that is tempered by the sad reality of unrealized dreams. It's a mixed fate for Pearl, whose "walk on the moon" nearly costs her everything she holds dear.

The verdict? This is a refreshing, thoughtful film that deserves to be recognized for its candor and simplicity. What more could you ask for in a movie? Infidelity, dysfunctional family dynamics and the '60s, as well as a meaningful life lesson to boot. It's not science fiction, but every once in a while, movie audiences need to be brought back down to earth.

An Interview with Tony Goldwyn

The first thing Toney Goldwyn did was offer us coffee and cookies. Surprised? Don't be. That's just one manifestation of his friendly disposition.

Goldwyn is an accomplished actor with an impressive resume. His first role as the antagonist in Ghost gained him much notoriety, and since then he has appeared in many films, including Kiss the Girls and The Pelican Brief. He starred in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries From The Earth to the Moon, and his newest role is the voice to Tarzan in the upcoming Disney animated film, due out this summer.

These days, Goldwyn is expanding his horizons. The actor has now become a director. A walk on the moon, Goldwyn's first film behind the camera, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to a standing ovation. During a snowy afternoon in March, he sat down to discuss his movie, the perils of directing and his fascination with the 1960s...

The Harvard Crimson: What initially attracted you to the period of summer of '69? Tony Goldwyn: I thought it was a brilliant metaphor for what happens [in the story]. What attracted me to the story was the idea of someone realizing that their life is somehow limited. It's like waking up one morning and saying, is this the life I dreamt I would have? I think it's a moment everyone goes through. And that's exactly what was happening with the country at that time. America decided after World War II that this is the way life is, this is what our identity is, this is what comprises life and this is what makes life meaningful. All these icons were set up, and then in the '60s, there was a real dark side to that, and people started saying, no, maybe not.

THC: So how did you connect those themes of uncertainty to the plot of the movie? TG: There was tremendous exaltation associated with that, and beauty and self-realization, and extraordinary gifts as a result of that...and there was also terrible destruction. It was an adolescence for us as a nation, a delayed adolescence. Which is exactly what Pearl is experiencing in the movie. And so, what fascinated me was the chance to look at both the period, and at this woman, in a multi-faceted way. And it was also a challenge, because the '60s are so often done poorly, in a one dimensional, stereotypical way. So I thought it would be an interesting challenge to try and tell a story using a period that is so often cliched.

THC: Would you have liked to have gone to Woodstock yourself?

TG: Yeah, I would have [laughs].

THC: The whole thing with the walk on the moon was so well done; it really captured the way people were during that whole event.

TG: That was very much in the script, and it was one of the things that captivated me when I first read it. Right before we were in production, I was doing this miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon, and I was playing Neil Armstrong! So I got really in to the whole space thing. But what I most got from that that I didn't appreciate as a kid is how momentous that moment was for most Americans. For working people from Brooklyn; [incredulously] the fact that a man could walk on the moon!

THC: What aspect of A Walk on the Moon were you most proud of?

TG: It's heart. That's the main ingredient to me. And I also feel that it's lifelike, maybe that even more.

THC: Did you find the transition between acting and directing to be easier because of the acting experience?

TG: Much easier than I thought. I thought it would be really tough. Directing to me had always looked so hard, and I didn't really want to do it. It just seemed brutal. But as soon as I entered into the process, I felt like a duck in water; I just really enjoyed it. It was really disorienting at first. Auditioning actors freaked me out, I couldn't deal with it. They'd come in, and I felt so bad for them, because I'd been through it myself. So they'd come in, and I found myself apologizing, and saying, "Where would you like to sit? Are you comfortable in that chair?" So, it took me a while to realize, well, I'm the boss, everyone's looking to me to tell them what to do, and I have to just step up and do that.

THC: Do you have any advice for future students going into the film industry?

TG: Yes... listen to yourself. Listen to your heart about what you want to do. Don't spend a lot of energy trying to figure it out. I see so many people stray, and I've experienced it myself.

THC: You come from famous family [Tony is the grandson of renowned actor Samuel Goldwyn]. Were you always drawn to acting at an early age?

TG: I guess I was, although I really wanted nothing to do with show business, and I just thought, do something else, do something different. But when I got into high school, and auditioned for a play for the first time, it was over. I didn't get the part [laughter]. But I was hooked.

There is no doubt that a passion for storytelling is present in A walk on the Moon. Passion is one thing that he has plenty of, and we can count on the fact that Tony Goldwyn, the nice guy who offered us cookies and coffee on a wintry afternoon, will continue to make the films that move him and move us in turn.