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| Beautiful Ohio | 
 enlarge | Actors: William Hurt, Julianna Margulies, Matt Servitto, Rita Wilson, Thomas Mccarthy
Studio: Ifc
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $12.45
You Save: $7.50 (38%)
New (36) Used (6) Collectible (1) from $11.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 19348
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 90
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: GEPD81485D
UPC: 796019814850
EAN: 0796019814850
ASIN: B001DJ7PSM
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: November 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: 5 Star Seller!! Completely Brand New SET & Sealed- Official US Release, Region 1, Not an Import or Bootleg- Ships within 24 Hours- Excellent Customer Service, 100% Guaranteed- Buy with Confidence...
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Product Description
Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 11/25/2008 Run time: 90 minutes
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great Story and Fine Acting December 7, 2008
When I grew up, my elder brother was a genius in school, not just Math, but virtually every subject. My parents were consumed with his excellence. Like the yonger son William in the movie, I logned for my parents' and brother's acceptance. It is hard growing up in the shadow of a genius.
This movie might not be for everyone, but definitely a well done one.
 Terrible Film... Culturally Destructive December 6, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
WARNING: This film is TRASH. It encourages drug use, and tries to make the viewer "feel sorry" for homosexuality. The Father ends up smoking marijuana with his socially introverted son and friend, and then encourages his younger son to indulge. The worst cinema-graphic message possible is presented here. If you happen across this DVD, please consider that it WOULD be worth 10 seconds of your time to place the disk inside your microwave on high. Any more time spent with this "Un-Beautiful Ohio" will be wasted. Mathematically, watching this film will deduct 90 minutes from your lifespan.
 A Family Finding Itself November 30, 2008
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
Ethan Canin is one of our more important authors (`America, America', `Emperor of the Air', `The Palace Thief' which became the film `The Emperor's Club') and to discover a screenplay/story by him is a treat. BEAUTIFUL OHIO is a fascinating little film directed by Chad Lowe about an apparently close knit family that knows really very little about each other: it is Canin's purpose to unravel the stories of 'ordinary people confronting aspects of themselves they'd rather not see.' Behind each member's delusions and hopes to ultimately reach the mid-ground of recognition of just how special is each member is where this very tender story travels.
Simon Messerman (William Hurt) is an insurance salesman who happens to read voraciously and speaks in quotations of famous writers and thinkers. His wife Judith (Rita Wilson) is equally bright, quotes as often as William, but adds a flavor of correcting people's grammar and living in a world of her beloved composers (Chopin, Schumann, Mozart, etc). They have two sons - Clive (David Call) is a long-haired math genius who despite his gifts spends his time playing loud hard rock music and speaking in a language all his own, and William (Brett Davern) who is devoted to his more intelligent brother but longs for a sense of normalcy in a family that tends to fragment at odd times. Clive's best friend and the only person who understands his special language is Elliot (Hale Appleman): the two of them essentially keep to themselves and smoke pot while they are not entertaining the 'homeless' Sandra (Michelle Trachtenberg). Sandra chooses to live in the basement of the Messerman house to avoid coping with her own abusive parents. The four youngsters are a team of sorts, thought the interrelationship roles each plays is not at first apparent.
The Messermans brag about Clive's constant triumphs at math contests, entertain their neighbors the Cubanos (Matt Servitto and Julianna Marguiles), and fill their lives with attending math meets, basically ignoring the personalities of their two boys. William longs for acceptance and understanding by his parents: Clive lives in his own world. William is driven to discover the meaning of Clive's strange language and eventually finds clues that lead to the secrets he'd rather not know. A situation occurs that stuns the family, and the story jumps forward to the resolving aftermath of that discovery.
For a bare bones budget film the story is well told and is a compelling one. Ethan Canin reads better on the page than his words convey through the mouths of actors, and at times the result is pretentious dialogue. But the cast is superb and the ending is one that makes the audience stop, think, and want to see the movie again for the clues we missed. Well worth seeing. Grady Harp, November 08
 Anticipate nothing, and you won't be let down November 29, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This film languished for a couple years in the Weinstein vacuum of obscure DVD release patterns, but it finally trickled onto the slate this winter.
The story revolves around two teen brothers (one genius/obscure type and one trying to be normal) and their stereotypical 1970s working-class parents all living in Cleveland. Throw in some boring neighbors, one mysterious girlfriend and lots of soul searching dialogue and voila - a really uneventful film.
I keep reading accolades about how amazing this film is since it came out in 2006. The opening flashback sequence and the last two minutes of the film would make for an attractive story in themselves, but then there is this mud in between. William Hurt is always fun to watch, Julianna Margulies is given front billing but she has TWO lines in the whole film and 5 scenes. SPOILERS - The ending was rushed and seemed like an afterthought in relation to the film; they introduce 6 new actors in the last 2 minutes and expect the viewer to assume what has happened in the prior 20 years.
Some interesting performances but the story never really holds together and that ending smashes together everything too quickly and leaves you with disappointment. No extras on the DVD and a little harder to find with that IFC exclusive agreement.
Intriguing Drama of Sibling Conflict November 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Beautiful Ohio" stars William Hurt and Rita Wilson as Simon and Judith Messerman, progressive parents who want nothing but the best for their two boys, Clive (David Call) and William (Brett Davern). Clive, a math prodigy seemingly a shoo-in for the top prize at an upcoming mathematics competition, often disconnects from his doting parents by speaking in a made-up language that nobody but himself can understand. William, on the other hand, is just trying to get by as he struggles to work his way out from under the shadow of his elder sibling. Director Chad Lowe has elicited effective performances from the entire cast and fashioned a dramatic story that could easily have gone the way of dreary soap opera. Instead, it draws us into the family with humor, emotion, and intelligent pacing. The bare-bones DVD contains no extras.
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