Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Daytrippers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 25, 2019

Greg Mottola's "The Daytrippers" (1996) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary with the director Mottola, editor Anne McCabe, and producer Steven Soderbergh; new cast conversations; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Emily Nussbaum and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Daytrippers is about a group of people that are spending most of their time trying to fool each other that they are a normal family while playing parts that don’t suit them. They all know that their acting skills are poor, but it is only after one of them discovers a secret love letter that they finally exit the silly play and begin admitting that they have been wasting their time.

It is Eliza (Hope Davis) that makes the discovery. At first she refuses to believe that her loving husband Louis (Stanley Tucci) could be a cheater and attempts to calm herself with the theory that the letter has something to do with his book publishing business, but the more she rereads it, the more concerned she becomes that he might have been the intended recipient. Determined to get the truth Eliza then gathers the courage to visit Louis’ office in the city and demand a straightforward explanation, but because she is already on the verge of a nervous breakdown she is joined by her bossy mother Rita (Anne Meara), her old-fashioned father Jim (Pat McNamara), sister Jo (Parker Posey) and her boyfriend Carl (Liev Schreiber).

On the way to Louis’ office every member of the support team tries hard to downplay the situation, but when their unique strategies begin pointing to drastically different ‘logical’ solutions of the crisis they turn on each other. Initially the fireworks seem harmless, but their intensity gradually changes and then a couple of unexpected truths seriously rock the entire team.

After spending most of the day in the freezing city Eliza eventually surprises Louis at a big party, but the encounter and the ensuing chaos overwhelm her and then her mind unleashes an avalanche of new questions that force her to reconsider her commitments and priorities in life.

Greg Mottola’s directorial debut is the type of low-budget arty dramedy that can split folks right down the middle. On one end there would be the usual crowd of arthouse pundits and fans that will passionately argue that it is some rare gem bursting with originality in a sea of big-budget stinkers; on the opposite end would be the crowd that does not take seriously the noise that typically comes out of the coastal indie scene and Sundance and flat-out dismisses it because of its obvious pseudo-intelligence. This really is an unavoidable scenario because the film is clearly scripted to appeal to ‘the crowd that gets it’, and once its enthusiasm to be liked by it is revealed it becomes awfully difficult to accept as a witty and authentic charmer. (Here’s a slightly different description of the film’s identity: Think of it as the authentic blind date that for a while says and does all the right things to make the right impression but then reveals itself as a serial dater that is only really good at reading the scene. Once the act is revealed the date immediately becomes annoying).

Tucci’s character is the only one that actually looks entirely legit, but the story needs him to be on the periphery of the action. After Eliza and the rest of the family head to the city the film begins producing endless ‘authentic’ situations where the dynamics and complexities of modern life, love, and happiness are discussed ad nauseum. Yes, there are a few funny moments, but the bulk of these discussions is instantly forgettable pseudo-intellectual chatter.

There are a couple of notable cameos. Campbell Scott plays a slick character that hits on Posey’s willing-and-ready girlfriend at the party where the truth comes out. At the same party Marcia Gay Harden emerges as an alcoholic that is trying to attract the attention of a man that may or may not be aware of her miserable existence.

The Daytrippers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Daytrippers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration, which was supervised by director Greg Mottola, I think that the film looks terrific in high-definition. It is easy to tell that it was shot on a budget because there are a few areas where the manner in which subdued light and shadow produce temporary flatness and make the visuals look slightly uneven, but these fluctuation are part of the original cinematography. The color grading is very nice. There are some lovely warm primaries and equally gentle and healthy supporting nuances that give the film a very convincing 90s indie look. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Image stability is outstanding. Finally, there are no debris, stains, specks, or other similar anomalies to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Daytrippers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film might have been made with a small budget, but its soundtrack is very nice. I was actually quite surprised use of music and the overall very solid mixing. the dialog is always clean, crisp, stable, and very easy to follow. There are no encoding anomalies to report.

The Daytrippers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Mottola, Posey, Schreiber, and Scott - in this new filmed conversation, writer-director Greg Mottola and actors Parker Posey, Liev Schreiber, and Campbell Scott (who joins by phone) recall their collaboration on The Daytrippers. The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in New York in June 2019. In English, not subtitled. (39 min, 1080p).

• Mottola and Davis - in this new filmed conversation, Greg Mottola and actor Hope Davis recall how they discovered each other, the progression of their careers, and their work on The Daytrippers. The conversation was filmed exclusively for Criterion in New York in June 2019. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080p).

• The Hatbox - this short silent film -- which was also the first film that Greg Mottola shot and edited -- was made during the director's brief stint at Pittsburgh Filmmakers in 1985. It can be viewed with an audio commentary by the director. (5 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary features Greg Mottola, editor Anne McCabe, and producer Steven Soderbergh. It was recorded exclusively for Criterion in June 2019.

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Emily Nussbaum and technical credits.

The Daytrippers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I give the folks at Criterion a lot of credit for remastering and bringing to Blu-ray various independent films that have done well at prestigious festivals. However, each time I see a release like this one I wonder: Why is it that over the years not a single one of Abel Ferrara's films managed to sneak in their Collection? For a very, very long time Ferrara was arguably the face of the indie scene, and he actually made some of his best films right there in New York. I realize that this isn't the place to bring up Ferrara and his work, but on the other hand each year it is getting more difficult to ignore his mistreatment. (This is how I view his absence from the Collection).

The Daytrippers is not my type of film. I know exactly what Greg Mottola was trying to do with it, but I can't relate to its characters and I find the intellectual chatter that is supposed to hold the comedy and drama together quite boring. If you enjoy the film and have been waiting for a quality release of it to emerge, I guarantee you will be very happy with the new 4K makeover that was [prepared and used to source the Blu-ray. It is wonderful.