"Adam Resurrected" - Jeff Goldblum's Finest Movie

I've noticed that when most people view a movie, they want to laugh, not cry. They prefer happy endings, even if they're contrived. They avoid movies that are "dark" or "disturbing." Maybe this is why Hollywood produces so many stupid B-grade comedies. People actually pay money to watch them.

And why a movie like "Adam Resurrected" (2008) can flop, even though it's an important story with excellent production qualities, featuring a popular actor like Jeff Goldblum in an Oscar-worthy performance, the finest of his career. Now while it's true the Jeff Goldblum has starred in plenty of fluff movies, what he does in this one is magical. I don't see how he did it, or how any other actor could have done it.

Because it is, indeed, dark and disturbing. It's about Holocaust survivors who were driven mad by their experiences. It captures the strangeness of life in a mental hospital, and it depicts the horror and degradation of life in a Nazi concentration camp. Which is a story that ought to be told. It's well-paced and full of surprises, including the ending.

This is definitely one of those "finds" - a destined-to-be-a-classic movie that no one has ever heard of. If you have the stomach for the truth and unusual drama, I highly recommend it.

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength .