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In the wake of the Watergate scandal and the waning Vietnam War, a Connecticut family reunites for Thanksgiving while simultaneously pulling away from each other for private indiscretions. While the characters play in moral shades of gray -- drugs, adultery, petty crimes, and sexual experimentation included-- the namesake storm arrives, causing a tragedy that puts things in perspective. Based on the book by Rick Moody and directed by two-time Oscar-winner Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi), The Ice Storm is a very well-acted and superbly crafted piece about personal rebellion and the ties that bind.

The Ice Storm reminds me in many of ways of another favorite film of mine, Ordinary People. Not only are both family dramas, they’re also about people who don’t (or can’t) say what they’re feeling. They’re about people trying to connect without knowing how, and taking for granted the relationships they already have.

The Ice Storm may offer a warning, but it’s not a didactic movie. Lee balances the ensemble banter with his tone poetry approach, aided tremendously by the beautiful work of photographer Frederick Elmes (Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart) and composer Mychael Danna. Danna’s score in particular, driven by a Native American flute and gamelan bells, is one of the most inspired of the last few decades.

The central family is played by Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, and Christina Ricci. Sigourney Weaver plays the inscrutable neighbor with whom Kline’s having an affair. Elijah Wood plays Weaver’s son, with whom Ricci is ‘messing around’. The parts aren’t flashy — everyone’s keeping their emotions close-guarded, but Lee is sure to give you several quiet moments of introspection, and that’s where the performances and the film’s substance is at.