Along with the brilliant Panic, this new ensemble drama is probably the best film you've never heard of. It made it's debut at Sundance the same year as Panic, and like that picture, it never got distribution, and instead made it's premiere on Showtime. What a shame. If this movie had been released in 2000 it would have made my top ten list. So many eyes were on You Can Count on Me, that this picture went unnoticed.
"Things You Can Tell" actually takes it's cue from Robert Altman, as the lives of several unique woman intertwine. Kathy Baker is a single mom who becomes interested in a little person (Danny Woodburn) who's just moved next door. Holly Hunter plays a bank employee involved with a married man (Gregory Hines) and finds herself having to make some tough choices. Calista Flockhart plays a tarot card reader who gives lonely lady Glenn Close some words of wisdom. Finally, Amy Brenneman plays a police detective, and Cameron Diaz is her blind sister.
sI could probably go on for hours giving you insight in to the storyline, but to do so, would ruin all the wonderfully quiet secrets of this incredibly observant picture. Rodrigo Garcia has fashioned a brilliant screenplay (one that easily could have been nominated for an Oscar) and shows a sheer talent for working with actors.
It is virtually impossible to pick one performance or one storyline in this movie as your favorite because every moment works. It's unpredictable, it's sweet, it's honest, and most of all, it's full of heart. This movie does more than celebrate women. It's a picture perfect display of the human condition and how we all react in certain circumstances.