Purple Violets - From Fall 2007

Purple Violets – Fall 2007

Review originally published in SBU's The Statesman

(This review has been updated with better grammar from the originally published version. Significant changes are noted with strikethroughs and/or asterisks. Updated and additional notes are further below.)

"There is no doubt that offering a film exclusively on iTunes is a smart business and marketing plan. It is just one more push ahead into the future of distribution options and technological advances. Independent filmmakers will especially benefit because there are no extra fees to enter the festival circuits or major studios to contend with.

Purple Violets is the latest project from Edward Burns. He has received praise from his past directorial works - The Brothers McMullen, She's The One, and Sidewalks of New York - and little acknowledgement for what he only acted in. Purple Violets was supposed to be a return to his intellect but instead of originality it is crossing the line to cliche conventions and an unaffecting plot.

The good memories and unresolved issues between two college ex-couples are played out in the same manner as if they had been high school classmates (*referring to their immaturity). And just like any other love obstacle story, there are factors that prevent their immediate romantic reunions. Patti (played by Selma Blair) and Brian (played by Patrick Wilson) are writers who have not achieved their career expectations. Patti had received unanimous applause (*not sure if I meant literally or instead meant to put acclaim) but *received no sales for her book, has become a real estate agent to make money, and is married to a man completely wrong for her. Brian has written a successful detective series but fails his first attempt at true Literature, and is dating an immature drama-queen. Kate (played by Debra Messing) is a teacher and Michael 'The Murph' (played by Burns is a lawyer) dated but due to a misunderstanding of him cheating on her they broke up and don't seem to have had their own serious relationships since. Patti and Brian easily rekindle their love while it takes much longer *for Kate and Michael to even talk face-to-face.

While Patti and Kate are celebrating Kate's 33rd birthday (*how am I older than them now?), they see Michael, Brian, and his girlfriend at the other side of the restaurant. They all notice each other, wonder what do do next, and Brian decides to go over. Some time later Patti and Michael bump into each other (*how convenient to have a second run-in so soon but there was nothing in the years since graduating?!) and she agrees to find him a new apartment. It is this platonic pairing that sets themselves up with their respective exes.

Selma Blair, Debra Messing, Patrick Wilson, and Edward Burns are well-known enough to promote the film and their acting talents *to give stable performances. The only casting complaint is Donal Logue as Pattie's husband for his pitiful attempt at a fake English accent. The costume designer is very deserving of recognition for perfectly choosing the best of NYC style wardrobes. A nagging problem is Patti and Brian constantly complimenting each other's writing but there are NO clear excerpts from their works to prove how good they are (*I am still very bothered by this kind of choice when done in any other movie or show!). Burns also might have lost his own touch at writing; conversations between characters are poor and vague.

Perhaps why Purple Violets is different from Sidewalks is the large ensemble of stories of the latter: there are so many different relationships that by switching between them there was a concentration *when they were each time featured and *you're not realizing the absences. But by focusing only on two couples, each path must be stretched out and the writing flaws are more noticeable.

The smartest decision he made regarding Purple Violets was not the movie itself but putting it on iTunes, leading the way for a new method of distribution. Although not worth purchasing, doing so means entering a future of more possibilities.  

Updates from 2021:

I stand by this movie's critique 100%, and even more so today because Edward Burns' latest projects still reflect this level of disappointing mediocrity. 

I'm giving a shout-out here to my friend Jason Michael Brescia who wrote and directed two films that are much better than anything Edward Burns has made since 2001's Sidewalks (or maybe The Flight of the Phoenix from 2004 (if that was any good?)). Not only did JMB's Bridge and Tunnel come before Burns' Bridge and Tunnel series but it's better! JMB's film tells the story of a group of mid-20s Long Island south-shore friends from the start to end of 2012. His other film (Romance) In the Digital Age (2017) also follows a similar group of characters but instead of through a year, it follows them in the immediacy of leading up to one of the couple's Christmas wedding. These are films by a Millennial, starring Millennials, for Millennials (and other generations who want to better understand Millennials). It beautifully encapsulates the relationship and adulting struggles of the 2010s. But don't just take my word for it, JMB's Bridge and Tunnel is 1.3 point stars higher than Burns' B&T and feature film Summer Days, Summer Nights. Congrats Jason, and to the wonderful cast!

On the Purple Violets Imdb.com trivia page, the sole fun fact is that it is the first feature film to premiere exclusively on iTunes. While this movie ushered in a significantly new era for filmmakers' independent distribution avenues, the film itself has been significantly forgotten by audiences. (No one has contributed additional trivia points in the 14 years since.) 

Remembering that back in the fall of 2007, it was revolutionary for iTunes to sell movies via digital download like how songs could be (something only legally offered within the last four years or so). And there weren't any significant competitor online streaming or digital stores for movies and shows at that time. MySpace was slowly becoming obsolete in favor of Facebook, YouTube was still primarily a depository for uploading silly 30second videos and vlogs but "rapidly growing", Hulu was less than a year old, and Netflix was only offering streaming service earlier in the year but still highly relying upon its DVD rental model. None of these companies were producing original content. None of these companies were the initial premiere mode of exhibition. 

The world of filmmaking exists as it does today, with independents and the AMPTP studios alike relying upon streaming services and digital downloads for earning profits and getting audiences' attentions. DVDs aren't even a thing anymore. 

The ability for films to initially exhibit online became the heir so apparent, that by December 2019 there were at least 14 major streaming services available to subscribers in the United States/North America. And when the COVID-19 pandemic required everyone in March 2020 to stay home and close down the theatres, EVERY film that was supposed to initially exhibit in theaters pushed their theatrical exhibition dates so far down the timeline, strictly went online first instead, or did a day-and-date exhibition of both online and in theaters. And since March 2020, additional streaming services were launched for subscribers (HBOMax, Peacock, Discovery+ and ESPN+ (both under the Disney+ umbrella)). Online exhibition no doubt saved audiences' lives and their sanity, but the extremity of the situation nearly broke the independently owned movie theatres as well as the chains. 

Films are still going to festivals to garner interest in a sales agent and/or distribution deal. Sundance, Venice, Toronto, Cannes, New York, etc. annually show the best of what independent films and in the last five years have made major splashes with getting picked-up by and then winning awards for Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO. But no longer are films failing at the box office their first weekend only to bring in even worse returns and then get released for rent at Blockbuster 6 months later. The shelf-life for a film can not only go longer but thrive online!