With the arty title of “Fireflies in the Garden,” a stellar cast populates a typical familial drama of hackneyed situations. Unfortunately, the quality cast’s proficient acting skills are overshadowed by a ponderous melodrama of sudsy soap operatics. The storyline focuses on the Midwestern Taylors, a dysfunctional household of patriarch Charlie (Willem Dafoe), a disillusioned university professor, his put-upon, troubled wife Lisa (Julia Roberts), and their two children, Michael (Ryan Reynolds) and Ryne (Shannon Lucio). A gap of years brings about a reunion at a family gathering which has been darkened by tragedy.
Writer-director Dennis Lee’s cast portrays standard, recognizable characters. Leaving behind lightweight fare, Ryan Reynolds is the only standout as he exercises his dramatic acting chops and performs well. Also in the cast, an underutilized Emily Watson and Carrie-Anne Moss in the somber, emotion-laden narrative from (surprisingly) 2009.
