One of Ang Lee's most underrated films

I remember for a few years after it's release The Ice Storm was considered one of Ang Lee's best films. Even got itself a Criterion release. But seems over the years the film has kind of fallen a bit in his canon and isn't talked about nearly as much.

I gave it a rewatch recently, although I don't quite consider it at the level of Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi, Eat Drink Man Woman or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon on his C.V of work. I think it's a film that holds up even after nearly 26 years. Reminds me a lot of his work from Taiwan.

I think Kevin Kline is excellent in this and probably one of his best performances outside of his Oscar winning one for A Fish Called Wanda. Sigourney Weaver and Joan Allen are solid. Christina Ricci was on a bit of roll at this time in her career, and this is one of her better performances. Tobey Maguire is good but I thought his storyline was the least interesting stuff in it, and Katie Holmes makes her debut as his potential love interest. Elijah Wood and Adam Hann Byrd are strong as two sons of Sigourney Weaver. Nice to see a small turn from Alison Janney.

As I said Tobey Maguire stuff isn't as good as the stuff with Kline/Allen marriage issues or even Ricci stuff with the two brothers. That kind of drags down the film a bit on my recent rewatch. But It's still one of my fav's from Ang Lee.