Indie emeritus John Sayles crosses the continent from his Alaskan-set Limbo for a more emotionally accessible comedy-drama on a Florida seaside, well off the Miami-Disney World itinerary.
From a teenage arsonist to a failed actress and a suicidal embezzler, the characters wrestle with their problems while battles ensue between property developers around a proposed resort. The most engaging element is the tentative romance between Falco's weary ex-mermaid and landscape architect Hutton, while most poignant is venerable Bill Cobbs, championing a once prosperous black community.
In an excellent ensemble (which includes Sayles regular Tom Wright as the local has-been hero and NYPD Blue duo James McDaniel and Gordon Clapp) Steenburgen is a scream as the harassed organiser trying to drum up tourism with tacky pirate shows and a man-eating alligator. The Sopranos' Falco is also terrific.