Julia Roberts actually shot Dennis Lee’s Fireflies in the Garden back in 2007, around the same time as Charlie Wilson’s War, but after playing a few film festivals and opening in various territories overseas in 2008, it sat on the shelf until earlier this week, when an unnamed distributor decided to give it a US release in October. It’s one of Julia Roberts’ more complicated schemes to appear more youthful.

To an outsider, the Taylors are the very picture of the successful American family: Charles (Willem Dafoe) is a tenured professor on track to become university president, son Michael (Ryan Reynolds) is a prolific and well-known romance novelist, daughter Ryne (Shannon Lucio) is poised to enter a prestigious law school, and on the day we are introduced to them, matriarch Lisa (Julia Roberts) will graduate from college-decades after leaving to raise her children. But when a serious accident interrupts the celebration, the far more nuanced reality of this Midwestern family’s history and relationships come to light.
The film also stars Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hayden Panettiere and Shannon Lucio. |via LiveforFilms|

Julia Roberts smiles, Ryan Reynolds gets beardy, and Emily Watson still looks like a sad bird. Luckily, I could watch Willem Dafoe yell at little kids all day. Hey, it’s too bad the distributor never ‘lost’ Eat Pray Love, am I right? And is it just me, or does Fireflies in the Garden sound like a euphemism for venereal disease? If I wanted Fireflies in the Garden, I’d take a dip in Bob Evans’ jacuzzi. And how come they never name hurricanes after sistas? Thanks, folks, tip your servers. Hey, what’s up with airline food? (*bass run, farts ‘Yankee Doodle’*)