The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Going into this drama I wasn't quite so sure what to expect from the simple plot explanation. Once the film's narrative kicked into high gear I was sucked in and invested in what really amounts to a character study of its leading players and its various subjects ranging from abuse, grief and family. Boasting a talented A-list cast, the drama tells the story of the Taylor family gathering for what was to be a joyful celebration of the family matriarch graduating from college when a terrible accident forces the family to confront traumatic events of their past; in particular son Michael and his rocky relationship with his controlling father.The performances in the film are dynamic especially from Ryan Reynolds as Michael Taylor, the son who has many demons inside him due to his troubled relationship with his English professor father, and Willem Dafoe playing Reynolds's father Charles Taylor, a controlling perfectionist who wants nothing less from his reserved, soft-spoken son. The actors display a tenuous chemistry as their characters butt heads throughout the story in confronting their painful past and handling the grief of losing a beloved family member. The supporting cast is equally gripping from Emily Watson as Jane, aunt to Michael and the female character meant to keep peace following the film's tragedy, to the child actors who are put in the middle of the long-simmering tensions between Ryan Reynolds' Michael and Willem Dafoe's Charlie, and in a subdued performance is Julia Roberts as the family matriarch (seen mostly in flashbacks), the put-upon wife of Charlie who finds herself unhappy in her life but willing to stay cordial for her children's sake. The film benefits well from its use of flashback sequences as it fills the gaps on the Taylor family dynamic and how they ended up in such precarious positions. The movie opens on a memory of young Michael as he was left on the roadside by his upset father and we are already privy to how an adult Michael still has lingering problems with resolving his past. The present- day scenes in which the majority of the film takes place deals with the aftermath of an accident and its effects on the Taylor family makes for even more compelling drama as all the film's players are forced to confront life without the family leader and to come to terms with their inner turmoils. However closure is still kept at bay for some characters by the film's final scene as we are left to wonder what would have happened had some of the others known what was kept hidden from them but known to the viewer.

Another film in the genre that has become so popular of late.When did it become so fashionable to depict strong, masculine, authoritative fathers as such villains?Here you have a loving family headed by the father. From all views, they seem well-provided for, etc. But there is a problem: the father is played as a tyrant just because he has the (apparently misguided) idea that boys need a strong father figure. We don't know if the son is overly "sensitive" or not but it would not be a surprise seeing as how dad's every move is questioned by any clucking hen within screaming distance.The son grows up and we think is married but that the marriage is on the rocks or may even be over. Who knows? I kept waiting for him to come out of the closet or something.Anyway, in the end we realize, as adults should (but few do) that we may not always rely on our perceptions as children. In hindsight and with a bit of help (such as home movies) we can see that it was not all bad, that my dad DID love me.And that at some point, mom should butt out with the criticizing dad in front of the kids.

Great story, keeps your interest and a wonderful cast! A bit of a dark and sad movie but a good plot. It did not deserve the reviews it received from professional critics. I always wondering if giving a movie review was political or even money motivated. Now reading what happened to the unfortunate distribution of the this movie I guess there was no one left to please to grease a palm. The "critics" made themselves look silly and obviously crooked. Have you ever wondered why good movies get bad reviews and horrible movies get good reviews? Well here's a lesson and a prefect example of a good movie getting verbally trashed. Read what happened to the distribution of this movie and you will never read another 'critic' review again. Thanks for reading!!

Fireflies in The Garden was panned by basically everyone. The dysfunctional family story took three years to be released on DVD which is astounding considering the enormous strength of this cast. Many reviewers all say the same thing that movies like this are a dime a dozen and that might be true. That doesn't this cast and this film any less captivating. Perhaps part of the issue that many see in this movie is that it is in no way packaged in a neat little box with sunshine and rainbows. This is a very dark drama about a very messed up family and there isn't a happily ever after for them. If you can handle a dark drama then you will be rewarded with some terrific performances. Ryan Reynolds shines in his role as the grown up son who has many emotional problems because of a verbally abusive father. That father is played with excellent force by Willem Dafoe. Obviously playing a villain type character is not new for Dafoe but his character is so pathetic, with so much depth, you will just despise him and beg for his redemption much like his family does. Emily Watson is sort of ho-hum compared to the rest of the cast. Once you've accepted that Hayden Panettiere somehow grew up to look like Emily Watson...she also loses all her passion for the role. Panettiere is much better as the younger Jane in the movie. Julia Roberts is good in her role though she isn't used all that much and sort of takes a more ceremonious role in the movie. People are always clamouring for Hollywood to do something unique and I give a lot of credit to first time writer and director Dennis Lee for not making everything neat and tidy. Sometimes you can be in the mood for a dark drama and some solid performances makes this one captivating. Ignore the harsh reviews and give it a chance! 8/10