Okay, fellow travelers through time and tape, let's rewind to the cusp of the new millennium. While VHS Heaven typically dwells in the glorious static of the 80s and 90s, sometimes a film arrives just as the credits roll on an era, carrying echoes of what came before. Lisa Krueger's 2000 film Committed is one such movie – an indie quirk that feels like it could have easily shared shelf space with late-90s rentals, perhaps catching your eye with Heather Graham's familiar face on the cover. It poses a rather startling question right from the start: what happens when unwavering devotion tips over into something far stranger, perhaps even unsettling?
An Unconventional Vow
The premise itself is a hook. Joline (Heather Graham) discovers her husband, Carl (Luke Wilson), a perpetually unsure newspaper photographer, has simply vanished from their New York apartment. But Joline isn't your typical abandoned spouse overcome by grief or anger. Her reaction is… different. Believing profoundly in the sanctity and permanence of their marriage vows ("'til death do us part" is taken very literally), she packs her bags, hires a tracker, and sets off to find him, not to confront or divorce him, but to understand why he left and, implicitly, to remain… well, committed. It's a peculiar, almost surreal starting point that immediately sets the film apart from standard relationship dramas. I remember renting this, likely on DVD as the transition was happening, expecting maybe a light rom-com based on the cast, and being struck by its gentle oddity instead.
Heather Graham's Radiant Intensity
This film really hinges on Heather Graham, and she delivers a performance that’s both luminous and subtly off-kilter. Fresh off her higher-profile roles in Boogie Nights (1997) and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Graham leans into Joline’s unwavering, almost unnerving optimism. It's not played for laughs, exactly, but with a sincere conviction that makes her quest both touching and slightly worrying. Is her commitment admirable resilience, or a profound denial? Graham navigates this ambiguity beautifully. She makes you believe in Joline’s internal logic, even as the external circumstances become increasingly strange. Her wide-eyed stare isn't just naivety; there’s a steely determination beneath it, a refusal to accept the narrative of a failed marriage. It’s a performance that anchors the film's unique tone.
Finding More Than Expected in El Paso
Joline eventually tracks Carl to El Paso, Texas, where he’s shacked up and trying to find himself, or perhaps lose himself entirely. The film, shot partly on location, captures a certain dusty, sun-bleached listlessness in this border town setting. It becomes less about the frantic search and more about Joline finding an unexpected community and perhaps pieces of herself she didn't know were missing. This is where Casey Affleck enters as Jay, Carl’s enigmatic brother, whose quiet intensity offers a stark contrast to Joline's effervescence. There's a fragile connection that forms between them, born of shared loneliness and proximity to Carl’s emotional chaos. Affleck, even then showing the understated power he'd later refine in films like Manchester by the Sea (2016), provides a crucial grounding presence. Luke Wilson, playing the object of Joline's unwavering pursuit, effectively portrays Carl's passive confusion and inability to articulate his own desires, making Joline's relentless commitment seem even more like a force of nature overwhelming a man adrift.
Indie Spirit and Lingering Questions
Writer-director Lisa Krueger, whose previous indie feature Manny & Lo (1996) also explored unconventional female relationships, imbues Committed with a distinctive, low-key sensibility. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000, it carries that hallmark indie spirit – character-focused, slightly melancholic, more interested in mood and small moments than explosive plot points. There's a deliberate pace here, allowing Joline's interactions with the quirky inhabitants of El Paso (including a memorable turn by Goran Višnjić as a helpful, lovesick mechanic) to breathe. The film doesn't offer easy answers. What is the true nature of commitment? Can love persist even when one partner has fundamentally checked out? Is Joline’s quest noble, or a form of self-imposed delusion? Committed doesn't judge her, instead inviting us to ponder these questions alongside her. It doesn't have the slickness of a studio picture; its charm lies in its earnest peculiarity and its willingness to explore the messy, irrational side of devotion.
Final Reel
Committed isn't a pulse-pounding thriller or a laugh-a-minute comedy. It's a gentle, strange, and surprisingly thoughtful film anchored by a captivating central performance. It feels like a relic from that specific moment when indie cinema was finding its voice in the mainstream, just before the digital revolution truly changed the landscape. It might have been one of the last slightly offbeat tapes (or early DVDs) you picked up, drawn in by familiar faces but finding something unexpected within.
Rating: 7/10
Justification: The score reflects the film's undeniable charm, Heather Graham's compelling performance, and its unique, thought-provoking premise. It successfully captures a specific indie mood. However, the pacing can feel slow at times, and the resolution might leave some viewers wanting more concrete answers, keeping it from reaching higher marks. It remains a worthwhile curiosity from the turn of the millennium.
Final Thought: It leaves you wondering not just about Joline's unwavering belief, but about the unseen commitments and quiet desperations that might be driving the people we encounter every day. A quiet film with a lingering, slightly haunting resonance.