Russ (Vince Vaughn) has moved to a little town on the prairie. Once a hotshot Chicago lawyer, he lost his job when his wife took off and left him the sole provider for his five year old son. Now a country lawyer with a big house and yard, Russ and wee Calvin are learning to adjust. Calvin is making friends and loves the wide open spaces while Russ starts dating a nice veterinary assistant named Beth (Joey Lauren Adams, looking very lovely). But, unhappily, the ex-wife, Kate (Monica Potter) suddenly returns and wants time with her son, messing with Russ's mind. Then, too, Russ believes he needs a higher profile job to feel complete. How will it all end? This is an excellent movie about a single-parent father and his young son. But, alas, the film's cover and description lead one to believe it is a love triangle story, with hardly a mention for the darling little boy. Not so. The movie is about finding out what is important in life and what is not, with most of its footage devoted to the special relationship between a parent and a child. Vaughn is excellent as the caring father, just excellent. If you are a fan of his comedic talents, you might be surprised by the depth of his acting range. Adams is likewise very attractive as a small town girl with a big heart while Potter delivers a fine performance in a thankless, complex role. The rest of the cast is up to par as well, the costumes well-chosen and the grassland setting most beautiful. In short, you may never have heard of this film but it is richly rewarding and deserves a large audience. You will not be in a "high and dry" situation if you bring this film home tonight.

I just thought I would write and let you know that the movie was awesome. I say awesome cause I know what the actors and crew had to put up with in the attempt to make this movie. It is called: "A Cool Dry Place." However, while the crew and actors were here there was likely only 2 days that were dry.They changed all of the signs in our small town and reconstructed the beauty in our old town (Lindsay, Ontario --- Now the City of Kawartha Lakes).The movie turned out great, the actors were wonderful and everyone was very nice to be around.I hope more Movie makers find the glory and wondrous uniqueness of our Town (City) and decide to film here.

It is funny that I had just a couple of days ago watched a Cooler Climate with Sally Field and Judy Davis and it made me think that I hadn't seen A Cool Dry Place in a while and low and behold I am flipping the channels and there it is! Vince Vaughn does a great job at playing a man that is suddenly forced into being a single parent after his wife leaves him. He has to reorganize his life in order to raise his son. This movie shows what sacrifices you have to make as a single parent in order to raise your kids.Fans of Vince Vaughn will be pleasantly surprised by this movie. It shows a different side of him, a side that I hope he shows more of in other movies.

Wow, I am so very glad I came across this movie on cable as it is a fine piece of work. It is a shame I had never heard of it - I think it could have been a huge hit. Vince Vaughn portrays his character with such strength - the chemistry between him and his son (Bobby Moat) is amazing (I especially love the way he calls him "Cal"). I truly felt for Vince's character in this movie - he seemed to show every emotion he was going through without over acting. Even though there is a serious story here, it is nice to see the humor he is known for. Bobby Moat is incredible. A fine young actor who has great potential to grow in the field. I enjoyed his portrayal of Cal - not too annoying or whiney, very funny and a smart kid. Yes, those lines were written for him, but he delivers them like no other. Joey Lauren Adams does a fabulous job here also. I loved her in Chasing Amy and she does not let me down in this movie either. She is intense and plays her role perfectly. Her scenes with Vince are so real. A fine acting job indeed. I had not heard of Monica Potter prior to this movie and it actually took me a while to be sure it wasn't Julia Roberts! I really didn't think it was as her acting style is much different (which is a good thing, it is hard to look so much like an already famous actor and hold your own) but when I finally got past worrying about if it were her or not, I did get to see how good she was in this film. All around I would have to say the acting was excellent. The story line is very good - not too typical (father raising his son is not heard of much) so it did have some freshness to it. I wasn't bored at any point in the movie and actually could not wait to see the outcome. It held my attention and had me wanting more. I honestly wish more people knew about this movie. Anytime anyone mentions they are going to rent a movie and asks for suggestions, I tell them about this winner! A must for my home collection!