WORDS MAY DEFINE US, BUT IT’S LOVE THAT CONNECTS US.

Teacher Saul Naumann (Richard Gere) gets busy preparing his gifted daughter (Flora Cross) for the national spelling bee, so much so that he barely notices his family falling apart. It’s ironic how much Gere’s character focuses on words and communication when his own family is unable to talk to each other about their problems. The cast tries hard, but this earnest drama is rarely touching; addressing issues such as spirituality and mental illness, it still falls short and the ending is frustratingly unconvincing. 

2005-U.S. 104 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Scott McGehee, David Siegel. Novel: Myla Goldberg. Cast: Richard Gere (Saul Naumann), Juliette Binoche (Miriam Naumann), Flora Cross (Eliza Naumann), Max Minghella, Kate Bosworth.

IMDb