Stateside

REVIEW
Mark (Tucker) is a typical spoiled rich kid who is forced to serve in the Marines when a practical joke causes a horrible accident. The only factor keeping him driven to a somewhat blissful future is his love for Dori (Cook), a former singer/actress whose schizophrenia has caused her to neglect her career, sentencing her to years of half-way houses and mental hospitals. While everyone in the lives of these two young lovers seem to be certain the best thing for all is for them not to see each other, they are both determined to stay together. Typically when a film dares to boast of its dramatic content being "based on a true story," the audience builds up a certain expectancy to be moved by the humane content. While Stateside does tell this tale of young love in a sometimes moving manner, there really isn’t enough conveyed to keep us interested in whether or not these star-crossed lovers ever really end up together. The acting is decent; Tucker’s performance is often detailed and convincing, and although Cook is a bit over-dramatic and irritating, the supporting players -- including a hilarious Kilmer -- all make Anselmo’s under-achieved feature a bit more enjoyable.