As so many movie-goers know, movie trailers can be highly misleading. It’s the oldest cinema marketing ploy in the book. The most exciting, most adorable, and/or most enrapturing moments from the movie are cut and pasted together into one short segment, constructed for the sole purpose of compelling viewers to see the film. However, although viewers tend to know that they’re being played, they go to see the movie, anyways...just to find that it wasn’t even close to what they had been expecting. Most of the time, they are disillusioned and disappointed. However, in Elizabethtown, although the previews falsely represented the movie itself, it was one misrepresentation that set viewers up for a pleasant surprise—not the typical disappointment.

In the previews for Elizabethtown, we see a light, sunny romantic comedy. The movie, however, is anything but light and sunny. There is a deep message to be found in the film, but you have to actually engage your brain to be able to find it. Movies that make you think are all too rare nowadays. Elizabethtown is one of the few and proud that have managed to break through the mediocrity, sensuality, and shallow nature of today’s media—and it has been criticized for that very reason.

Elizabethtown follows the story of Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom)—a young man whose ambition and ingenuity land him a job with a major shoe company. He spends eight years of his life designing and producing a shoe design of revolutionary proportions. His job consumes his life; consequently, he stops spending time with his family. After eight years and much expectation, the shoes he designed are recalled, and he loses the company a whopping $972 million—easily rounded to a billion. He is on the verge of suicide but postpones his own death when his younger sister Heather (Judy Greer) informs him of his father’s. Drew is sent to Elizabethtown, Kentucky to represent his family and to arrange and manage his father’s final affairs.

On his flight to Kentucky Drew encounters the perky, nosy, rather obsessive-compulsive flight attendant, Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst). He is the only passenger on the flight, so Claire takes it upon herself to “entertain” him—when, really, all he wants is to be left alone. She leaves him directions because the streets of Kentucky are “hopelessly confusing,” and she just happens to write down her phone number for him, too.

Although, on the surface, Elizabethtown seems like a romantic comedy centering on the relationship between Claire and Drew, it really focuses more on the process of Drew finally coming to understand himself, his family, and the father that he never took the time to know. Family is found to be the center of this film—especially the special relationship that exists between a father and son.

On the downside, Elizabethtown is rated PG-13 for reasons other than its deep message. There are a few sexual references and several uses of expletives (which includes two uses of the “f-word”). This movie is certainly not for everyone; please take the PG-13 rating seriously, especially if you do not approve of the things listed above.

All in all, Elizabethtown is a deep, touching movie that was expertly written, directed, and cast. No matter how much the critics have trashed the film, it is still a must-see for anyone who likes to watch movies that are thought-provoking.

Just remember: If you walk away from the theater thinking that Elizabethtown was a cute, fluffy romantic comedy (or a miserable attempt at a cute, fluffy romantic comedy), then you’ve missed the point entirely.

Title: Elizabethtown
Genre(s): Romance and Comedy
Running Time: 2 hours, 3 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for language and some sexual references)
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Starring: Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Biel
Director: Cameron Crowe
Reviewer Rating: * * * * * (out of five); Recommended