1999, PG-13, 126 minutes

Some critics merely skim a book that's been made into a movie so they can claim they read it when writing their review (it's that literary snob thing -- where people try to sound more intelligent). While I'll admit there aren't many novels I've read before they were made into movies, I happened to have picked up David Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars about five months prior to the film's release. The story was good, but I wasn't sure how well it would adapt.

The film takes place in the winter of 1950 on San Piedro Island, which is just north of Puget Sound. Kabuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune), a Japanese-American, is on trial for the murder of fellow fisherman Carl Heine (Eric Thal), whose body was discovered in the net of his own boat after a foggy night at sea. With the attack on Pearl Harbor only 9 years into the town's memory, the trial is as much about revenge as facts -- which is nuts considering Kabuo fought over-seas for the U.S. Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke) is the island's local news man (following in his father's footsteps) who discovers a key piece of evidence but doesn't release it because of Kabuo's wife, Hatsue (Youki Kudoh). Before World War II when all of the Japanese Americans on the island were sent away to camps, Hatsue and Ishmael were lovers. Years later, Ishmael still hasn't let go of his feelings, which has turned him into a bitter and jealous person.

While Ron Bass and Scott Hicks did a great job at handling all of the flashbacks in Snow Falling on Cedars (more than half of the story is set in the past), it seemed as though they couldn't decide if they wanted it to be more about the murder trial or the movie's theme. Guterson's novel focused heavily on how humans tend to desensitize their feelings towards other people and the things around them. The film did touch on this a bit with quick flashes of fish struggling for air, but it failed miserably in capturing the heart of a scene during the war when Ishmael hits bottom. Also, the bulk of a conversation between Carl Heine and Kabuo -- an exchange which truly represents the theme of the story -- was removed from the final cut.

One of the best parts of Snow Falling on Cedars is the beautiful cinematography. The setting shots of San Piedro island covered by a snow storm are so picturesque they could be taken as freeze-frames, printed out, and hung on the wall like an Ansel Adams photograph. Director Scott Hicks and cinematographer Robert Richardson apparently work quite well together.

The cast of this film was also another strong point. Ethan Hawke seems to play distant and lonely characters quite often (Reality Bites, Gattaca), which made him the perfect choice for the role of Ishmael. Rick Yune and Youki Kudoh were both good as Kabuo and Hatsue, respectively, but the best performances were from the two lawyers during the trial. James Rebhorn was sharp as the prosecutor and Max Von Sydow was excellent as Nels Gudmundsson, Kabuo's elderly defendant.

Snow Falling on Cedars would have been a tough project for any filmmaker to take on; perhaps it was just one of those stories that played out better on paper than film. Not to say that Hick's follow-up to Shine isn't a worthy effort, but in the end it lacks the heart that's necessary to really make us care. I recommend this film to people who have read and enjoyed the book, but if you haven't you will probably have trouble understanding Ishmael and why it is so difficult for him to make a decision.