Empire Falls (2005)

The story of a declining small Maine town is told through the experiences of its residents, particularly those of resigned restaurant manager Ed Harris. The cast that was somehow assembled here is incredible (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joanne Woodward, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman in his last role), but somehow the story does not offer enough for the talent assembled. It mostly meanders back and forth through the past and present with one of its many side stories standing out particularly for its incongruousness. It’s that story that takes center stage towards the climax in ways that really don’t age well in recent times.