Movie · Drama · Independent

From acclaimed writer/director John Sayles (Lone Star, Passion Fish) comes an unforgettable portrait of a richly diverse Florida town threatened by real estate developers. Edie Falco, Angela Bassett and Timothy Hutton lead a remarkable ensemble. A tidal wave of change is coming to Delrona Beach, Florida. Out-of-state developers have descended upon the sleepy coastal community with the promise of big bucks and bigger changes. Torn between honoring family obligations and the lure of quick cash, the locals greet the outsiders with a wildly mixed reception. Marly (Falco, TV's "The Sopranos") is eager to sell the family business and start her life over. As caretaker to her father's motel and restaurant, she's grown resentful of missed opportunities but finds a glimmer of hope in a tentative romance with a visiting landscape architect (Oscar winner Timothy Hutton). Desiree (Oscar nominee Angela Bassett) left town years ago to escape scandal and make a name for herself as an actress. Reluctantly returning home, she finds her strong-willed mother (Mary Alice) unwilling to let go of the past. Co-starring Mary Steenburgen, James McDaniel, Jane Alexander and Ralph Waite, "Sunshine State" is a winning tribute to everyone who lives and works in a land of dreams realized and dreams deferred.

2002 · 2h 21m
  • 80%
Director John Sayles

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Sunshine State

Drama

From acclaimed writer/director John Sayles (Lone Star, Passion Fish) comes an unforgettable portrait of a richly diverse Florida town threatened by real estate developers. Edie Falco, Angela Bassett and Timothy Hutton lead a remarkable ensemble. A tidal wave of change is coming to Delrona Beach, Florida. Out-of-state developers have descended upon the sleepy coastal community with the promise of big bucks and bigger changes. Torn between honoring family obligations and the lure of quick cash, the locals greet the outsiders with a wildly mixed reception. Marly (Falco, TV's "The Sopranos") is eager to sell the family business and start her life over. As caretaker to her father's motel and restaurant, she's grown resentful of missed opportunities but finds a glimmer of hope in a tentative romance with a visiting landscape architect (Oscar winner Timothy Hutton). Desiree (Oscar nominee Angela Bassett) left town years ago to escape scandal and make a name for herself as an actress. Reluctantly returning home, she finds her strong-willed mother (Mary Alice) unwilling to let go of the past. Co-starring Mary Steenburgen, James McDaniel, Jane Alexander and Ralph Waite, "Sunshine State" is a winning tribute to everyone who lives and works in a land of dreams realized and dreams deferred.

TOMATOMETER
Average 7.2
Reviews 110
Fresh 88
Rotten 22

Information

Studio
Sony Pictures Classics
Released
2002
Run Time
2 hr 21 min
Rated
PG-13 for brief strong language, a sexual reference and thematic elements.
Content Advisories
Language, Suggestive Dialogue
Region of Origin
United States
© 2002 Sony Pictures Classics Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Languages

Original Audio
English
Audio

English (United States) (AAC, ⁨Dolby 5.1⁩)

Subtitles

English (CC), Arabic , Chinese, Traditional , Danish , Dutch , Finnish , Hebrew , Hindi , Korean , Norwegian , Portuguese (Brazil) , Spanish (Latin America) , Swedish , Thai , Turkish

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.