Cherish is a 2002 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Finn Taylor. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 14, 2002 and had a limited theatrical release June 7 of that same year. The movie's title is a nod to The Association's 1966 hit song with the same name.Mitchell, Elvis. "Film Review: Banished to Her Home but Not Bored," The New York Times, Friday, June 7, 2002. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
Synopsis Zoe Adler (Robin Tunney), is a shy, eccentric and misunderstood computer animator who lives and works in San Francisco, has a love for 1970s and 80s pop music and is infatuated with co-worker Andrew (Jason Priestley). While heading home after a few drinks one night, she is forced into her car by a stalker who steers her into a police officer, knocking him off his bicycle and killing him.
When Zoe is put under house arrest with a story no one believes and an electronic bracelet that keeps her homebound with an ever-increasing list of mandatory and repetitive tasks she must complete or risk going to jail, she must find a way to clear her name. With the help of Daly (Tim Blake Nelson), an officer responsible for checking her bracelet every week who falls for her, a downstairs neighbor, and neighborhood kids, Zoe finds her stalker and tries to clear her name.
Cast Actor Role Robin Tunney Zoe Adler Tim Blake Nelson Daly Brad Hunt D.J. Liz Phair Brynn Jason Priestley Andrew Nora Dunn Bell Lindsay Crouse Therapist Ricardo Gil Max Kelvin Han Yee Officer Yee
Production and release Actor Brad Hunt had appeared in Finn Taylor's previous film Dream with the Fishes (1997), which was released by Sony's arthouse film division Sony Pictures Classics. Cherish would be released by Fine Line Features, the arthouse division of Time Warner-owned New Line Cinema. In 2002, a soundtrack album for Cherish was released by New Line Records, featuring songs from various artists.https://www.allmusic.com/album/cherish-original-soundtrack--mw0000660326
The Region 1 DVD was originally released June 1, 2004 and then re-released on October 25, 2005 with new cover art.
Reception Critical response Roger Ebert gave the film three stars and a thumbs up. He praised Tunney, saying that "she brings a quiet goofiness to the role that is a much better choice than grim heroism or calm competence or some of the other speeds she could have chosen." He also complimented Ricardo Gil who plays Max, a gay dwarf who lives downstairs from Zoe and befriends her.Cherish, Friday, June 14, 2002 – RogerEbert.com. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times liked it "as a poky little character comedy...enchanting in a small-scale way" but was critical of Taylor for trying "to shift the tone to a thriller's rush." He added, "The film lacks the horsepower for the 0-to-60-pickup needed for Zoe's Nancy Drew-like investigations of her stalker." He was also disappointed by the lack of development of characters beyond Zoe.
References
External links
Official site