John Sayles is probably one of the top three best screenwriters of the last
twenty years. While Sayles does dabble in the land of Hollywood every now
and then, it is his work in the independent world that really soars. And if being an incredible writer weren't great enough, Sayles has emerged as one
terrific director as well. From Brother From Another Planet to Limbo, Sayles
has a resume as diverse as they come.

With the new ensemble Sunshine State, Sayles has captured the sites and
sounds of Northern Florida, as several characters' lives intertwine in very
dramatic and unexpected ways.

Sunshine State is a slow moving character study, but Sayles proves that a
film doesn't have to move like a bullet train to be effective. In fact, my one major gripe with this picture is that I wanted to spend more time with these characters.

Each performance here is stellar. Angela Bassett, Edie Falco, Timothy Hutton, Alan King, Bill Cobbs, James McDaniel, Gordon Clapp, and Miguel Ferrer are all superb and all bring something unique to the table. And the whole cast shines thanks to Sayles who takes a Robert Altman approach to his material.

What's most fascinating about Sunshine State is that I thought I had it's
characters figured out, but I didn't. As the film progressed, a little more of each character was revealed, and for me, that was the pleasure of this film.

Sayles proves that a film maker can always do things his way if he really
makes an effort. Sunshine State is another winner for this legendary
screenwriter/director.