Blythe Danner, Edward Burns, Jon Bon Jovi

The third film in writer-director-actor Edward Burns's "Long Island Trilogy" is in some ways the slightest of the three, and that's a blessing and a curse. By keeping things spare, Burns is able to fo...( read more  read more... )cus on the simple, honest humanity of his story, which centers on the emotional dilemma of Claudia (Lauren Holly), a small-town waitress whose engagement to blue-collar Michael (Jon Bon Jovi) is challenged when old flame Charlie (Burns) returns after an extended absence. Their shared history includes an abortion that left Claudia feeling abandoned and resentful, and for good reason, given Charlie's reputation for self-involved aloofness.

As in his previous films, Burns demonstrates a subtle hand with actors and a keen awareness of life's authentic rhythm; this movie will strongly affect anyone who can relate to Claudia's need to find herself, independent of her tenuous relationships. The performances are uniformly superb: Holly expresses the confusion and seeking quality of her character; Burns makes Charlie both charming and bluntly self-serving; and Bon Jovi shows strong potential beyond his rock-star handsomeness. Indeed, the film's only weakness is that it's stretched too thin to be truly substantial, and Burns relies far too heavily on a soundtrack (with heavy doses of Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow) that too often substitutes for dialogue. It's as if Burns didn't trust his own material; he needn't have been so insecure. --Jeff Shannon

Flixster Users

68% liked it

284 ratings

R, 96 min.

Directed by: Blythe Danner, Edward Burns, Frank Prinzi, Jon Bon Jovi, Lauren Holly

Release Date: March 27, 1998

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DVD Release Date: May 1, 2001

Stats: 70 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (70)


  • January 26, 2008
    What a good cast this movie has from Ed Burns and Lauren Holly. No Looking Back gives a realistic glimpse into an everday group of friends in a small sea side town in NJ.
  • September 15, 2008
    GOOD MOVIE WORTH WATCHING
  • April 20, 2008
    This was an alright film.
  • October 14, 2007
    Not entirely sure why...but I really loved this film. It's probably Ed Burn's most overlooked movie, and maybe for that it felt like his most "independent" film. It's pretty good all around, even if the story and personal drama itself frustrates people.
  • September 9, 2007
    this one of those movie that I really really wanted to love since many thing in this movie hit home with me but ultammitly it was kind of boring and The charters were not as divalped as I would of liked, we never seem to have a reason for why most of the charters are the way the...( read more) are. I think Edward Burns is a good writer, dictor and actor but in this movie he falls short on all three. The one thing that I true love about this movie the ending it was very realstic. Anthor thing I love was the fact that jersey become a charter in the movie
  • July 22, 2007
    Any movie that uses Springsteen to help tell its story immediately gets on my good side, but director and star Edward Burns' final film in his three-part ode to Long Island would have won me over even sans The Boss.
  • July 21, 2007
    Is there an Edward Burns flick that sucks?

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