Soda Springs (2012) Jay Pickett, Tom Skerritt, Victoria Pratt, Michael Bowen, Patty McCormack Movie Review

Soda Springs (2012)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Victoria Pratt and Jay Pickett in Soda Springs (2012)

Eden's New Beginning

Having spent eight years in prison on a charge of manslaughter, Eden Jackson (Jay Pickett - The Work Wife) is released and returning back to his home town of Soda Springs looking to start again. But not only are some of the town's folk not ready to accept Eden back but things have changed as his father died, his mother had a break down and his former wife has married a man who wants him gone. Not only does it leave Eden short on friends but also facing some old demons, mostly on his own. Fortunately he meets Shelly (Victoria Pratt - Your Love Never Fails), a woman with her own issues but is willing to accept Eden for who he is rather than who everyone else says he is. Maybe with the help of Shelly Eden will be able to move on and become the man he once hoped he would become.

You could say this about many movies but "Soda Springs" is one of those movies which if you connect with ends up a rewarding experience, but if you don't it leaves you a little bored due to its laid back, slow nature. Unfortunately I didn't connect with "Soda Springs" like others clearly have but can appreciate why they did as we have a story of a man looking for redemption in a town which just won't let him escape from the past to the point there are those who want him to continue to suffer and want him gone.

Now there are parts of "Soda Springs" which to be honest feel a little cliche such as Eden meeting Shelly who like him has some baggage when it comes to her past and why she ended up moving to town. But there is some thing which works about having these cliche elements which helps to make this feel grounded and easy to watch. Part of that is also how the story evolves and we slowly learn various secrets, including what it was which lead to Eden doing time. I am not going to elaborate on the story but will say for a good hour we learn various things, some seemingly random, and meet various people, such as a guy who happens to be outside the prison with a couple of horses, and then during the final 20 minutes the whole story comes together to make sense

What this all boils down to is that "Soda Springs" is to be honest a pretty typical movie which reworks a whole host of familiar elements to tell this charming story of redemption, new beginnings and secrets. For me it didn't have a lasting impression but I can appreciate how for some it would as it certainly has some laid back charm and appeal.


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