"American Pastoral" Starring Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly & Dakota Fanning

Phillip Roth received the Pulitzer Prize for his novel "American Pastoral" ('97) has now been adapted to film.   Scottish actor Ewan McGregor stars & makes his directorial debut.  McGregor plays "Swede" the all American high school athlete & WWII veteran who falls in love with NJ beauty queen Dawn (the glowing Jennifer Connelly.)  Roth's alter ego, famous writer Nathan Zuckerman, is the novel & movie's bookend narrator.  Zuckerman returns for his 45th high school reunion & connects with his childhood friend, Jerry.  Jerry is the younger brother to the much admired, Seymour, dubbed Swede.  Swede is the golden boy; popular, handsome, athletic.  The world was his oyster.  Seymour is of Jewish heritage.  He is the son of a strong headed businessman (played by a likeable Peter Riegert.)  Oysters are not kosher which is how Swede's father feels about his son marrying a gentile.  But, Dawn's stalwart declaration of love wins over the father's religious objections.  The two are married, have a beautiful daughter, Mary (Dakota Fanning) and move into what appears an idyllic, bucolic lifestyle.  McGregor doesn't succeed in grasping the lay of the land for the tumultuous 1960's with its violent anti-war protests & civil unrest.  Mary's stuttering & outlandish behaviors as a girl are signs of the deeply disturbed young woman she will become.  When the local post house is bombed, killing its postmaster, Mary vanishes & the police pursue her as their prime suspect.  The crime/drama plot feels thinly fabricated.  The overwhelming angst of the movie is the father's steadfast devotion to finding & saving his daughter.  The actors are all well cast.   But, the demise of the American dream gets dried out & crumbles.  "Life is a short space of time in which you are alive."