Billed as an offbeat romantic comedy, the humorous elements in Jack Goes Boating are few and far between in this dark story of damaged people during a cold winter in New York City.
Philip Seymour Hoffman Stars and Directs
Hoffman, who also makes his directorial debut with this film, portrays Jack, a lonely reggae-loving limo driver with dirty fingernails and an irritating (at least to audience members) nervous habit of clearing his throat loudly and repeatedly. He begins a tentative relationship with Connie (Amy Ryan), a timid woman with a fear of men who works at a Brooklyn funeral home under the creepy direction of Dr. Bob (Thomas McCarthy).
Despite both of them having extreme discomfort around intimacy issues and relationships with the opposite sex, Jack and Connie have an instant bond far more important than physical attraction. With the help of their mutual friends, Clyde (John Ortiz) and Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega), the couple spends more time together in order to overcome their various hang-ups.
The Importance of Going Boating
Jack and Connie both strive to change for the other. He learns to cook so he can prepare a meal for her, and she attempts to relax more during their physical encounters. Clyde also gives Jack swimming lessons so he can take Connie on a romantic boat ride when summer comes. However, as the one couple draws closer, Clyde and Lucy drift further apart.
Jack’s commitment to learn how to swim represents more than just a token gesture. Terrified of the water, Jack forces himself to go deeper and deeper – both into the water and into the relationship. By preparing for a summer date, he also shows a willingness to plan for a possible future with someone else, which represents a new way of thinking for him. By learning to swim, taking cooking classes, applying for a new job, and trusting his heart to Connie, Jack finally opens himself life – to the possibility of happiness, as well as the possibility of rejection.
Powerful Acting in Jack Goes Boating
The four central characters become fully embodied by the actors who portray them. Jack’s awkwardness with women, Connie’s fear of men, Clyde’s loyalty to his friend, and Lucy’s bold personality come through loud and clear. Even Clyde and Lucy have fragility; likewise, Jack and Connie find inner strength. The richness of the characters makes for some interesting contrasts and comparisons between the two women, the two men, and the two couples. Hoffman’s directorial style calls for lots of uncomfortable warts-and-all close-ups and quiet scenes packed with potency.
The only off-putting element to Jack Goes Boating (besides the dirty fingernails and throat clearing) may be the grimness of the story. It’s a wonder that love can take root amid the dirty, deceitful, decaying, and dangerous environment in which these characters live and work. There doesn’t seem to be a breath of fresh air except on the imagined lake where they plan to go boating in the summer.
Jack Goes Boating
- Set in New York, this film concerns two couples struggling with romantic beginnings and endings.
- Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Tom McCarthy
- Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Writer: Bob Glaudini
- Run Time: 89 minutes
- Rating: R (for language, drug use, and some sexual content)
- 3/5 Good
- To watch a trailer for this film, visit the official website.
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Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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