Tribute – Nora Roberts’ Tribute (2009)

Directed by: Martha Coolidge | 88 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Brittany Murphy, Jason Lewis, Christian Oliver, Diana Scarwid, Tippi Hedren, Tiffany Morgan, Griff Furst, Wallace Merck, Mark Wilson, Elliott Grey, Brandi Coleman

Ex-Hollywood star Cilla McGowan moves into her grandmother’s old farmhouse; the actress Janet Hardy. Her grandmother’s things are still in the house. The first evening Cilla has a lifelike dream about her grandmother, in which she not only watches, but can also take action herself. After recovering from this strange occurrence, Cilla decides to start the day diligently by doing some demolition work in the front yard. She raves about a collapsed structure with a sledgehammer and is watched by neighbor Ford Sawyer. He warns her that the family of the former owner may not appreciate the fact that the structure is now being demolished. Cilla informs Ford that she is okay with and related to Janet Hardy. This brief introduction is the prelude to a strong bond between Cilla and her single neighbor. After the first night, Cilla’s dreams continue. This gives her a little more insight into her famous grandmother’s past. But Cilla’s fascination with the past increases when she accidentally stumbles upon a book containing a stack of love letters. When someone breaks into the barn shortly afterwards and destroys old things, Cilla realizes that these love letters are very important. When ex-husband Steve accidentally gets involved in the matter, Cilla is determined to uncover the truth…

Nora Roberts’ books each work towards a certain climax. But with ‘Tribute’ this will not work. The movie never really gets exciting. You are not stimulated by the ‘bad’ events that Cilla experiences. You only see the final results; that hardly gets on your nerves. For example, during the break-in in the barn, the filmmakers could have portrayed the perpetrator in such a way that you can see what the person is cooking up – without revealing their identity. Even when the actions against Cilla take on greater proportions, you as a viewer remain rather unaffected because the camerawork does not generate enough suspicion and scary moments. You are literally and figuratively too far from it. A few shots where you look as if from the perspective of the culprit observing Cilla and quickly making his move as she leaves the house could really spice things up.

What also kills ‘Tribute’ is the incredibility of Brittany Murphy and Jason Lewis as a couple. The dialogues between the two come across as artificial and there is no trace of chemistry. The only scene that is somewhat amusing is the meeting between Cilla and Ford; with Cilla making fun of Ford’s name. The passion is totally absent, the looks between the actors are not suggestive enough and when they kiss, it seems more perfunctory than romantic. The background of the main character is also meager in ‘Tribute’. You know Cilla is a former child star, but a few snatches of her childhood might have sparked a little more compassion. Unfortunately, Murphy herself also misses the point with her rendition to portray Cilla in an interesting way. For example, the scene in which she attempts to demolish the structure with the hammer is a joke. There is so little spice in the blows she deals with the hammer that they are actually pathetic taps against a wall.

Murphy also disappoints in Cilla’s emotional moments. Her facial expression and intonation are too forced. Like when she finds her ex-husband Steve (Christian Oliver) unconscious on the floor. The makers of ‘Tribute’ Murphy could well have displayed it differently; the hair styling is lousy. Murphy’s hair seems dead and the moments when she wears her hair almost loose, she also seems anything but flourishing. It’s a shame if you’re familiar with other Brittany Murphy works, such as ‘Just Married’ with Ashton Kutcher. In this film, the actress sparkles in appearance. Perhaps most of the money went to the actors and the filming location and little was left for the styling?

Fortunately, Jason Lewis’ coupe didn’t mess up much and looks great. But like that of his colleague, his playing seems anything but natural. Lewis is stiff in his role as the cartoon-drawing neighbor cum suitor in terms of dialogue and mimicry, so that he mainly relies on his appearance. With regard to the script of ‘Tribute’, loose ends of the story are not brushed away nicely; that’s how ex-husband Steve comes on the scene. And later he is no longer looked after.

‘Tribute’ is one of the types of films that are better left in the DVD sleeve. The film is sleep-inducingly boring due to the lack of tension and passionate romance. Brittany Murphy fans should avoid this film; it does the memory of the late actress more harm than good.