Character development plays a pivotal role in a film’s success and while it was Jennifer Lopez’s Slim Hiller that develops the most over the course of the film, it was Billy Campbell’s Mitch Hiller that was best developed. From the first time Campbell appeared on screen, it was clear the direction that director, Michael Apted, and writer, Nicholas Kazan, wanted to go with this character. His first interaction (with a stranger) in the diner, his erie ability to convince a random homeowner to sell his house and, finally, his first interaction with his daughter were subtle but clear hints to what he would become later in the film. Ultimately, it was Campbell that drove this film forward. While Lopez and the other actors pulled their weight and helped support the story, without Mitch Hiller and Campbell’s creepy, domineering portrayal of that character, the story (and the film) would have fallen apart. The film, as a whole, was intense; the film focused on a sensitive subject and was graphic about how horrible it can get for the people involved in domestic violence on any level. Apted and Kazan present a story of strength and perseverance and the idea that one is able to, regardless of the circumstances, overcome even the toughest battles in life. With all of the positives in this film, the fact that Lopez was completely outshined by her counterpart took something away from the story. Her inability to reach the audience and cause an emotional reaction the way that Campbell did made the film less interesting and would have been the opposite of what this cast and crew would have wanted to accomplish. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278435/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2
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