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Despite what you’ve seen on TV sitcoms, neighbors in the ‘burbs aren’t always a close-knit group of pals who take turns hosting backyard barbecues. Sometimes, they’re people who never mow their lawn—or whose kids regularly trample your flowerbeds and throw baseballs through your picture window. But no matter how bad your neighbors may be, they’re nothing compared to Samuel L. Jackson’s Abel Turner in Lakeview Terrace.
When Lisa and Chris Mattson (Kerry Washington and Patrick Wilson) moved into their first home together, they dreamed of the perfect suburban life. But then they met their next-door neighbor, LAPD officer Abel Turner.
At first, having a cop as a neighbor seems ideal. The widowed father of two sees the neighborhood as his own private beat. He even patrols the streets every night. But Abel’s as tough on his neighbors as he is on his own kids—and, to make matters worse, he seems to have a problem with the Mattsons’ interracial marriage. Early on, he makes it quite clear that he wants them to leave the neighborhood—and he does everything in his power to try to push them out.
So is Lakeview Terrace a good movie? Not really. It’s just a simple story about a cop who uses his badge to wreak havoc on the lives of his new neighbors in a variety of ways that range from irritating to infuriating to malicious. The plot is so thin, in fact, that the writers obviously felt the need to throw in all kinds of random, unnecessary subplots as filler. Granted, some of them—like Chris’s strained relationship with Lisa’s dad and Abel’s strained relationship with his teenage daughter—do help to develop the characters. But others—like the looming (and seemingly metaphorical) wild fires that are slowly making their way toward the neighborhood and the Mattsons’ ongoing arguments about starting a family—just seem pointless.
But is Lakeview Terrace entertaining? Heck yeah. The story is strangely fascinating—especially if you’ve ever dealt with crazy neighbors. You might even be able to relate (though only slightly, I hope) to the ongoing battle. And, if nothing else, it’ll make you feel a little bit better about the annoying family next door.
The best thing about Lakeview Terrace, though, is Sam Jackson. While Washington and Wilson both give somewhat bland performances, he gives a solid performance as the crazed cop. In fact, he shows a great deal of restraint in playing Abel—because he doesn’t just spend the entire movie wreaking havoc and playing the typical badass. Sure, he overplays Abel’s crazy side at times; that’s to be expected. But Abel’s actually quite charming. On the surface, he’s just a concerned suburban father and an upstanding citizen. You can see why his fellow officers respect him—and why his neighbors trust him. But, at the same time, you can’t miss that wild look in his eyes—the one that dares you to push him over the edge. It’s a look that assures you that there’s plenty of wild-and-crazy fun to come—and Jackson definitely doesn’t disappoint.
So while Lakeview Terrace is far from noteworthy, it’s still a whole lot of fun to watch—especially if you love a little Sam Jackson action as much as I do. His performance alone makes this thriller a guilty pleasure that’s worth indulging.
