This might have been a savvy satire on today's celebrity - struck media culture, but Niccol
unfolds the story at a lumbering pace, peppered with not - funny gags and dramatic
scenes that build little
emotional power.
While the political debate that
unfolds between Stanley and John during that
scene is as forced as the road trip formula that outlines the plot, this
emotional argument rings true, especially for us who are critical of Stanley's decision, and a moment of simple brotherly love that caps the
scene is truly touching.