Levity (2003)

35% of critics liked it
(88 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(4,869 ratings)

Action comedy screenwriter Ed Solomon switches gears to psychological drama for his feature film directing debut, Levity. Manual Jordan (Billy Bob Thornton) gets released after doing 23 years in prison for accidentally killing a kid during an attempted robbery. Not having any place to go as a free… More Action comedy screenwriter Ed Solomon switches gears to psychological drama for his feature film directing debut, Levity. Manual Jordan (Billy Bob Thornton) gets released after doing 23 years in prison for accidentally killing a kid during an attempted robbery. Not having any place to go as a free man, he returns to the town where he committed the crime in hopes of seeking salvation. He ends up in a community center where he meets pastor Miles Evans (Morgan Freeman), who helps him out with practical matters like work, food, and housing. Trying to find redemption for his sins, he befriends Adele Easely (Holly Hunter), a single mother who just happens to be the sister of the boy he shot in the robbery. He also meets teenaged Sofia Mellinger (Kirsten Dunst), a rich girl with a drug problem. Still attempting to reconcile with his past, Manual seems drawn to interfere when Adele's son Abner seems headed down a criminal path. Levity premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Ed Solomon
Written By: Ed Solomon
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 4, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Aug 26, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
In the end the film is undone by an overload of cliches, and by a gravity that never lets up.
Vic Vogler, Denver Post
Slow and satisfying.
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic
An unrelentingly morose quest for redemption, one that leans too heavily on stock characters and tends to wander in odd directions.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
The movie is stymied by its rather rigid approach to sending us a message about redemption and forgiveness. Message? No, make that sermon.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
This is a lovely film about redemption and guilt.
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News
The characters in the well-meaning drama resemble symbols rather than people, while the storyline seeks mighty truths that remain evasive.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
Little touch of style is enough to compensate for the lack of substance in Levity.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
... a bit heavy on talk and light on action, the film grapples with tough issues at the soul-level, instead of selling us feel-good lies or cynicism.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Worth seeing for the visuals and the performances, but as drama it's maddening.
Jordan Hiller, Bangitout.com
"Levity's complications, however, do not stick in your throat - they slumber in your stomach"
Matt Kelemen, Las Vegas CityLife
Why do filmmakers continue to let Billy Bob Thornton sleepwalk through their productions?
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
This meandering movie rises and falls depending on each individual storyline.
Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly
This is one of those films that seems to mistake lack of dialogue for meaningful silence and has every line delivered as if it were the most important thing ever said.
Duane Dudek, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The whole thing could use some air, a bit of light and a little levity.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Leigh R

Slow and straight-forward movie. I liked it...
♥˩ƳИИ &

BILLY BOB THORNTON, MORGAN FREEMAN, HOLLY HUNTER, KIRSTEN DUNST Manual Jordan has gotten parole from a life sentence for the murder of Abner Easley, and returns to the city he lived in to try to seek redemption. He ends up living and working at a community house run by a preacher,… More
BILLY BOB THORNTON, MORGAN FREEMAN, HOLLY HUNTER, KIRSTEN DUNST Manual Jordan has gotten parole from a life sentence for the murder of Abner Easley, and returns to the city he lived in to try to seek redemption. He ends up living and working at a community house run by a preacher, Miles Evans. Manual also becomes friends with Adele Easley, his victims sister, in an attempt to make up for what he did. While working at the home he has interactions with Sofia Mellinger, the druggie daughter of a famous singer, struggling with the lack of adult guidance in her life. It's a slow story, but the character's keep it interesting enough. Not the greatest movie done by any of these actors, yet worth the watch. The movie is simple. No twists and turns. Just a story playing out with some decent acting. Nothing to special. Some people may get bored with it, cause of how slow the movie is. But stick with it. Maybe you will see something in it I didn't. Billy Bob Thornton was good in this movie along with Freeman, and Hunter. I was unimpressed with Kirsten Dunst's role. I just found her annoying. I like her acting though. Just not in this movie. Maybe seeing it a second time around would change my mind, but I don't know if I want to sit through it again.
Todd S

This was a great story and if it was a book, it would have been amazing. As a movie however it was a bit slow.