Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.
Directed by Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko)
Starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella
The Box should have been great, but it wasn’t.
Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden), a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger (Frank Langella), delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.
In a nutshell, director Richard Kelly has basically taken Richard Matheson's short story, “Button, Button” (1970) that worked well in the confines of the thirty minute Twilight Zone and stretched it out for nearly two hours. The point of the story is the moral implication involving the exchange of money for a human life. The first forty minutes tells us the story of the characters and introduces the mysterious button. The remaining eighty minutes revolve around the couple trying to uncover who Arlington Steward really is and why he selected them. So much wasted film!
And speaking of wasted film…there's the foot. Kelly stresses the “significance” of Norma's foot which seems to be a key component to the plot and then it is suddenly forgotten. Instead, the story progresses into endlessly incoherent plot involving cults, government conspiracy, the afterlife and possibly aliens – honestly I’m still not sure. Either way, almost none of it has to do with the stupid red button. There seemed to be so much potential to discuss life changing decisions, fate, and greed, but it is all lost in a very confusing story.
Unfortunately the cast doesn’t help matters. Marsden tries his hardest but his character is underdeveloped and uninteresting. Langella has what should have been the most intriguing role, but he never really takes advantage of the opportunity. That being said, the worst performance belongs to Cameron Diaz – she goes from completely unbelievable to truly ridiculous. It was all pretty painful.
All the potential moral conflicts and creepy references are lost in a completely ridiculous plot which makes absolutely no sense…it’s a “Coaster.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Although I don’t think they will want to, there’s nothing too offensive for teenagers.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
