As is the case with most John Sayles's films, Sunshine State is another one about many normal but interesting people and the events which seem to connect all of their lives together in some way.  As also with most of Sayles's films, this one is most difficult to describe in such a way that one could easily understand what the movie is about.  The movie blends dramatic themes, environmental issues, and comedy all rolled into one story.

      Right off the bat, the film goes from one character to another, slowly but surely letting the audience get to know each one, as well as the issues surrounding their lives.  But the movie mostly revolves around the lives and people who surround two women, Desiree played by Angela Bassett and Marly played by Edie Falco.  Marley manages a local hotel and restaurant which used to be run by her father. It just so happens that this property sits on prime coastal land which is being eyed by developers to build condos and ritzy stores.  In a twist of fate, Marley starts to fall for the landscape architect (Timothy Hutton) who is working for the very people that Marley despises.

      Desiree has returned to Lincoln Beach with her new husband to make amends with her mother after little communication since she had left town years earlier as a pregnant teenager.  It also turns out that a former lover of Desiree, a former college football star, is still in town working as a used car salesman.  Many other characters round out the story, including a town leader who constantly fails to commit suicide, an old man intent on blocking the developers from taking over their coastal land area, and a volunteer do-gooder who nobody ever listens to.  But ultimately, this is a story about mostly ordinary people trying to cope with past mistakes and making their lives better.

      This film is filled with interesting characters, smart and funny dialogue, and marvelous scenes of the Florida coast.  I was totally engrossed with all the lives of these people and wanted to know what they would ultimately do or what events would take place to change their lives.  All the acting in this story is marvelous and it's hard to give kudos to just a few people.  But Bassett and Falco have the most screen time and so the audience is drawn mostly to their characters.  Both give real and believable performances and I wouldn't be surprised to see either of them get best actress Oscar nominations.

      The neat thing about this film is how interesting and engrossing it can be while really being about small things and the activities of day-to-day life.  Sayles fills the film with lots of witty dialogue which made the audience that I was watching it with laugh often throughout the film.  I was a little disappointed in that the film was not as dark and mysterious as two of his other recent films, Lone Star and Limbo, which I totally enjoyed.  But I have been a big John Sayles fan for a long time and I always enjoy seeing his stories unfold on the big screen.  It's worth the trip to your local art house theatre in order to be entertained by this film.