Signs of Life

Amusing and bittersweet drama set on the coast of northeastern New England

When it seems imminent that a small boat-building company is closing down in a sleepy Maine town, it affects the lives of the key personnel and those linked to them in different ways.

“Signs of Life” (1989) is worth seeing for the scenic setting of coastal Maine, as well as catching Vincent D'Onofrio and Mary-Louise Parker when they were young and relatively unknown. Several other notables are on hand, like Kevin J. O'Connor, Beau Bridges and Arthur Kennedy. The latter plays a cantankerous 66 years-old man, but easily looks ten years older (he was 74 during shooting and this was his last film).

Some parts are too draggy, but there’s enough interesting things going on in the intersecting stories to keep interest, along with some quality droll amusement. I like how the flick leads you to think something is going to happen, but pulls the rug out from under you.

It runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot at various locations near the central coast of Maine (Thomaston, Stonington, South Bristol and Ellsworth), except for one short underwater sequence done at Mystic Marine Aquarium in Connecticut.

GRADE: B-