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“Moonlight Mile” is a surprisingly honest film that doesn't take the easy route as it explores how a loved one's sudden violent death affects the surviving family members and friends. The crisp dialogue exposes a family with all its foibles and idiosyncrasies laid bare, bringing to the screen truly genuine characters (including another Oscar-worthy performance by Susan Sarandon) and creating a fictional family worthy of an audience's empathy.

Very loosely based on writer/director Brad Silberling's own experiences (his fiancée, actress Rebecca Schaeffer, was shot to death by a stalker), “Moonlight Mile” is a touching drama about the ties that bind people together after a great loss.

The film opens with Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal) preparing for the funeral of his fiancée, Diana Floss. His plans for their upcoming marriage have been replaced with the much more somber reality of participating in her memorial service. Having moved to the Floss' little town in order to join his father-in-law's real estate business, Joe is temporarily residing with his would-be future in-laws - Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and JoJo (Susan Sarandon). After the funeral, Joe's at a loss as to what comes next. He wants to live up to what's expected of a bereaved husband-to-be, so he decides to stick around Ben and JoJo, providing comfort to them as they mourn the loss of their only child.

While Ben and JoJo go about the business of attempting to return to a sort of normalcy, they are unaware that Joe is harboring a secret about his relationship with their daughter that is eating him up inside. To further complicate matters, Joe finds himself falling for a local girl (played by Ellen Pompeo) who is having a difficult time dealing with a loss of her own.

“Moonlight Mile” makes you realize how much Dustin Hoffman's presence on the big screen has been missed the past few years. He's so natural, so comfortable in his own skin, that watching him creates a warm feeling similar to greeting an old friend after months apart. Walking an acting tightrope, Hoffman's portrayal of a mourning father who must keep everyone and everything neat and tidy in order to not deal with the loss of his daughter is neither overstated nor understated.

Whereas Hoffman's been missing from theatrical roles, Susan Sarandon's been a very busy woman. With starring turns in “The Banger Sisters,” “Igby Goes Down,” and “Moonlight Mile,” the latter part of 2002 brings one of America's most intelligent and talented actresses into the limelight where she belongs. As JoJo, the tell-it-like-it is mother/author, Sarandon turns in yet another stellar performance.

Similar to the course of Susan Sarandon's 2002, Jake Gyllenhaal has been a major presence in theatres as of late. With recent releases “Lovely & Amazing” starring Catherine Keener and opposite Jennifer Aniston in “The Good Girl,” Gyllenhaal is emerging as a go-to actor for roles dictating the need for performers with both depth and passion.

While the film is centered on a somber topic, “Moonlight Mile” manages to pay it the respect due and yet include a little light humor to soften the film's tone. I wanted to know what happened to these characters after the film ended and to me, that's an excellent sign that “Moonlight Mile” has done its job.

Overall Grade: A-

"Moonlight Mile" is rated PG-13 for some sensuality and brief strong language.