"Avalon" is a heart-felt story from Barry Levinson that was apparently inspired by his own childhood, growing up in the Avalon area of Baltimore during the 1940s-50s. It takes place during two years, from Thanksgiving, 1948 through the early 50s (with a bit later at the very end) in the lives of the Krichinsky family. This film is very much unlike most movies in that instead of telling a complete traditional story with a clear beginning, middle and end, it's much more a slice of life...when an emphasis on personalities and people as opposed to action and suspense. It also emphasizes nostalgia and family as opposed to a typical Hollywood production. Some may not like this, but I really enjoyed and appreciated watching "Avalon". And, as a history teacher, it's a great lesson about the immigrants' experiences.

By the way, I don't think it's coincidental that a year after Levinson's film, Gary David Goldberg brought out the short-lived television show, "Brooklyn Bridge". There are some changes, but the Jewish grandparents in this one look and act like clones of the grandparents in the film...identical as you can make them. The family dynamics, though a bit different, aren't THAT different. There even was an episode on "Brooklyn Bridge" that mirrored "Avalon" where the family faces dealing with a European relative who survived the Holocaust and just made it to post-war America. The only real obvious difference is that "Brooklyn Bridge" occasionally emphasized humor more than "Avalon", though there were plenty of serious episodes as well.

Overall, an exceptional film that led to a truly exceptional television series...neither of which is to be missed.

Barry Levinson has gathered a big ensemble cast of great actors including Aidan Quinn, Elizabeth Perkins, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Kevin Pollak, and Joan Plowright.

It's a multi-generational story of an immigrant Polish Jewish family in Baltimore. It's Levinson's semi-autobiographical film. As such, it has some funny slice-of-life scenes like the whole family gathered up to see the first TV and the only thing on is the test screen. The family first finds success in selling TV. Eventually the extended family scatter to the winds.

It has the grand scale and the feel of the era. It has some great bits of family stories. There are great actors, and Levinson is in charge. All the pieces are in place. This should be a masterpiece, but it's not quite there. The story just go on and on and on. There really isn't any flow that ramps up to a climax. It's just a series of interesting family vignettes coming one after the other. It goes on too long.

This is essentially Levinson's home movie reshot onto the big screen. As such it is the best home movie in anybody's dusty attics. But like all those home movies, it probably means more for people who remember those times than those of us who were never there.

As quite a few people have pointed out, this will especially appeal to people who migrated to other countries. It doesn't have to be the USA, it could be the people who came to Germany after the second world war or other countries. With Armin M. Stahl you have a heavyweight actor, but you also get Elijah Wood as a kid. Who knows if someone thought he'd become famous like that, back then?

The title of course is a clue in itself, but the movie is nicely paced drama. I only watched it this year (at the Berlin International Festival) but I think the impact the movie has, still works. It didn't lose anything over the years. Hopefully you are in the right state of mind, while watching it