The experiences of several generations of a Jewish family in Baltimore comprise the main focus of the film. As the younger generations become more and more Americanized, they loosen the very close family ties that the older generations seek to maintain. The grandfather, who is somewhat estranged from his entrepreneurial son, builds a close relationship with his grandson, constantly retelling him the story of his arrival in the United States on the Fourth of July.
Immigrant Sam Krichinsky and his extended family seek a dream called America in a place called Avalon. From poverty through prosperity, the Krichinsky family faces their changing world with enduring humor and abiding love. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best (Original) Screenplay, Best Original Score.
(20 votes)
2.
From the Oscar -winning director of Good Morning, Vietnam (1998) and Rain Man (1988) comes Avalon, Barry Levinson's critically-acclaimed, semi-autobiographical masterpiece. Intensely personal and yet universally appealing, Avalon follows immigrant Sam Krichinsky and his extended family as they seek a dream called America in a place called Avalon. From poverty through prosperity, the Krichinsky family faces a changing world with enduring humor and abiding love. Whether squabbling over Thanksgiving turkey or commiserating over a failed business, Levinson never fails to find the comedy and immediacy of their immigrant experience. A superb cast led by Armin Mueller-Stahl, Aidan Quinn and Elizabeth Perkins perfectly captures the vibrant love and laughter of this quintessentially American family. The coming-of-age story of an entire nation, Avalon is a "tapestry of American life so rich and perfect it could hang in a museum." (Rex Reed)
(18 votes)
3.
Writer-director Barry Levinson is at his best when exploring his native Baltimore during his formative years: the 1950s and 1960s. This film, drawing upon family stories, tells a compelling, amusing tale about an extended group that came to America one by one, each earning enough to bring the next sibling. The new, American-born generation--represented by Aidan Quinn and Kevin Pollak--see a future in that mysterious machine known as the television, even as the older generation, led by Armin Mueller-Stahl, finds its traditions shattering or being put aside. Funny, tragic, and telling, it's a terrific, multifaceted film that ultimately details the breakdown of the oral tradition in the wake of television's burgeoning popularity. --Marshall Fine
(19 votes)
4.
The third installment in Barry Levinson’s Baltimore Trilogy, AVALON tells the story of a Jewish family immigrating to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. Starting in the early 1900s, the Krichinsky brothers begin to arrive in America one at a time, scrimping and saving to pay for the next relative’s trip to the land of opportunity. As the brothers find success in Baltimore, their family grows and they face new challenges. First-generation American cousins Jules (Aidan Quinn) and Izzy (Kevin Pollak) shorten and Americanize their last names, build a small empire with their ever-expanding discount store, and move to the suburbs. Patriarchal figure Sam (Armin Mueller-Stahl)--who proudly reminisces about his initial arrival in Baltimore on the Fourth of July--and his brothers find it hard to understand the younger generation. Levinson does a fine job of capturing the emotions and ties that bind families together, juxtaposing the loss of family interaction with the advent and rising popularity of television. The top-notch ensemble includes Joan Plowright, Elizabeth Perkins, Lou Jacobi, and a very young Elijah Wood.
(17 votes)
Mooviees.com is not the official site for this film.
All editorial views and opinions expressed here are for entertainment purposes only.
<>
Movie Database
In Theaters
