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He's simply a man named "Quoyle" (Kevin Spacey) and one pretty sad sack. Stuck in a dead-end job, he's married to alcoholic floozy Petal (Cate Blanchett) who has just kidnapped their daughter Bunny to sell her to a black-market adoption ring. But his day gets even worst when his parents leave him a phone message to tell him that they've just killed themselves, then Petal is also killed in a car crash. But fate finally throws him a curve ball when Bunny is returned and his long-lost aunt Agnis Hamm (Judi Dench) shows up to steal his father's ashes. With nothing left to lose, she convinces him to return to their homeland in Newfoundland, and Quoyle is about to embark on the adventure of his life. Perhaps this man who always thought he had nothing to live for actually has far more than he ever thought possible?

Admittedly, I was turned off by the first 20 minutes or so of The Shipping News. Directed in his typical workmanlike style, director Lasse (Chocolat, Cider House Rules) Hallstrom initially seems like he is intentionally trying to bore the audience. Kevin Spacey also seems off - his dry, almost robotic performance and weird vocal tics feel too mannered, and one wonders how anyone would want to base a two-hour movie around such an uninvolving, unappealing character. Only Dench and the cute Bunny (very well-played by triplets Alyssa, Kaitlyn and Lauren Gainer) enliven the proceedings, but then something funny happens. The film moves to the beautiful, eerie shores of Newfoundland, and suddenly it achieves a subtle, mounting power that engrossed me.

This film is filled with simple pleasures, the kind that sneak up on you but are hard to forget - it's not the stuff of blockbusters. Initially off- putting, these are people who don't feel deserving of even the basic needs and wants we all take for granted, but they are no losers. Through his budding romantic relationship with Wavey Prowse (Julianne Moore), Quoyle learns to accept and give love, and through his job as an "accident reporter" at the local newspaper, gains courage and self-respect. It's a simple, direct, immediate story, ultimately well-told through Hallstrom's sure hand and Spacey's minimal but evocative facial expressions.

So, why didn't the film hit? Maybe The Shipping News is just one of those films that plays better on the small screen. The visuals do lose a bit of impact in the transition to video, but cinematography by Oliver Stapleton is often gorgeous, you won't find a single bad performance here, and the story is low-key but moving. Yes, no one seemed to like it much when it was released last year, but I think they may have missed the boat. If you're looking for a thoughtful adult drama about people rather than special effects, look no further than The Shipping News.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, this transfer is often as sublime as the film. Hallstrom's visuals make expert use of the full 2.35:1 Panavision frame, and used the "Bleach Bypass" process, where the film is drained of color but it still keeps up the contrast and pure blacks. Newfoundland serves as a character upon itself, so the subdued color palette works very well and comes through nice and clean. Hues are solid with no bleed or smearing, and fleshtones veer towards the blues but this seems intended. Despite the bleach bypass process, detail is strong even in the darker scenes and blacks are nice and deep. On the downside, surprisingly for such a recent film the print is not pristine. I noticed frequent specks of dirt and blemishes, and while not incredibly distracting, it can annoy. Edge enhancement is present but not severe, and I noticed little in the way of compression artifacts. A tough movie, but this transfer does a nice job.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Like the film itself, this is a quiet mix but has a subtle power that's ultimately effective. Presented in English 5.1 Dolby surround, it's hardly aggressive but works when it needs to. Primarily dialogue-driven, this was actually a very big-budget production and is impeccably recorded. Despite being shot mostly outdoors, dialogue is always very clear and easily discernible. Christopher Young's effective score is very well rendered throughout the entire soundstage, and perfectly balanced with the dialogue and effects. Low end is supple but not overpowering, and surround use is sparse but nicely done. I noticed a few discrete effects, so for the most part the use of the rears is confined to subtle ambiance. A nice presentation.

Also included is a French 5.1 surround dub, Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Given the film's poor box office showing, I suppose it is no surprise that Buena Vista hasn't sprung for a full-fledged collector's edition. But, we do get a few nice supplements that are worth checking out for fans of the film.

Up first we have a pretty standard but well-done 24- minute featurette, Dive Beneath the Surface of The Shipping News. It's comprised largely of EPK material including the usual behind-the-scenes snippets plus interviews with director Lasse Hallstrom, producers Linda Goldstein Knowlton and Leslie Holleran, screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, and most of the cast including Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore and Judi Dench. It's nice, slick, and certainly a fawning love letter both to the filmmakers and Newfoundland. But it's not a bad way to spend a half of an hour, so give it a look.

Up next is a new screen-specific audio commentary with Hallstrom, Knowlton, Holleran and Nelson Jacobs. Only Knowlton and Nelson Jacobs, however, seem to have been recorded together, and Hallstrom barely even offers more than a few comments throughout in his charming broken English. Still, the duo is informative and well-spoken, and seem completely unaware that no one saw their movie. Again, the challenging location of Newfoundland proves the focus, as well as some worthwhile insight on the changes made from novel to screen. A bit dull for the casual fan, but still worth a listen for those really interested.

Rounding out the extras is a nice still gallery with about 50-odd stills, including publicity shots, some behind-the-scenes material, and location portraits. It's a bit hard to use due to an odd interface, but at least the stills themselves are pretty as a picture. Oddly, no trailers are included at all.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts