Mr. Fox is very appealing here... Miss Jett is good too, snapping her way angrily through confrontational scenes and musical ones alike, and taking a sentimental turn just when the story does.

Light of Day flounders because of Schrader's simplistic symbolism: the rebellious children, the unhearing mother, the lifeless father. The story limps from one predictable scene to the next.

The movie stands as an admonition that making great movies isn't merely a matter of talent, but a matter of will.

One of those movies with strong individual elements that never quite cohere. You can feel Schrader straining to come up with a big finish.