‘Jack’ Captures Your Heart

Jack isn’t your average guy and because of that, “Jack Goes Boating” isn’t your typical love story.

A limousine driver that lives in his Uncle’s basement, Jack, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman [“Doubt,” “Pirate Radio”], has modest dreams of working for the MTA and having love in his life. Terribly shy however, Jack needs some help in that department. Thankfully, his two closest friends, Lucy [Daphne Rubin-Vega] and Clyde [John Ortiz] sense his quiet desperation and set him up with the equally as lonely Connie, played by Amy Ryan.

What ensues is a love story that, albeit quirky, is heartwarming and a testament of the human condition.

We all need to love and we all do so in different ways; “Jack Goes Boating” shows us that every action we partake in when in a relationship eventually either catches up to us or helps a beautiful flower blossom, making us reap what we sew. Not many romance comedies show this type of personal accountability and because of that, the film is easily accessible, friendly and fun.

Through this, regardless of your affinity for romance comedies, it’s easy to associate with Jack and his tribe. Everyone’s been in the bad relationship that encompasses half of the film and just as many people have longed for the true happiness both Jack and Connie seem desperate for. Because of that, “Jack Goes Boating” is a flick that caters to a wide array of audiences and is sure to satisfy all of them.

Feeling like “Chasing Amy” meets “The Break Up,” “Jack Goes Boating” is as honest a love story as you can get. It doesn’t pull any punches when it shows Jack in his escapades to win Connie’s heart and as a result, makes Hoffman a character that you’ll pull for from start to finish. Learning to swim and cook in order to prepare himself for various dates with her, Hoffman is believable as Jack, an eclectic wannabe-Rastafarian who gets through his loneliness thanks to his favorite reggae tunes and a positive outlook.

The same way Hoffman captures your heart is the same way the rest of the cast is able to strike a chord as well. The helpful naiveté of Ortiz and the weariness and impulsiveness of Rubin-Vega, who both appeared in the off-Broadway version of the film a few years ago, make them a more than passable pair that are more than just a counterpoint to the fairy tale relationship that Jack and Connie have, giving the film the type of balance it needs to truly thrive. However, even the problems Lucy and Clyde have with their relationship are real ones and seeing both the best and worst things that come with giving someone your heart make “Jack Goes Boating” one of the most thought-provoking rom-coms in quite some time.

As well, Adams’ ability to be kinky, coy, loving and scared, all at the same time, add an extra flavor to the film, combine with the charisma of Hoffman and create the core of a film that is utterly irresistible.

Helping matters even more is an excellent score that brings the characters alive and cinematography that drives the already stellar plot. An excellent love story by itself, the scenery of New York City and the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple add an extra beauty to the film and make it more than memorable.

Overall, with Hoffman leading the charge on-screen and off as director, combined with an upbeat and diverse cast and a score and cinematography that become characters themselves, “Jack Goes Boating” is not only one of the best films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, it’s a great film all by itself.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14229 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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