If you're looking for an exciting movie this year, then "Snow Falling on Cedars" is not for you - but if you enjoy intellectually stimulating movies, by all means pay the matinee price and get yourself some popcorn. One night, a heavy fog covers the community of San Piedro Island. A fisherman is out late with his nets out, waiting for his fish to come. In the morning, the island sheriff, Art Moran (played by Richard Jenkins), comes across the stranded ship and the lone fisherman is missing. As the deputy hauls in the nets, the fisherman is found, dead. The murder is the main incident that brings together San Piedro Island. Ethan Hawke plays Ishmael Chambers, the journalist covering the story for the local newspaper. Hawke not only covers the murder for the paper, but also for himself. The accused, Japanese-American Kazuo Miyamoto, is the husband of Hawke's childhood lover, Hatsue Miyamoto. The trial, which continues through the ninth anniversary of Pearl Harbor, is ruled by prejudice as testimonies are littered with racial slang. Beneath the murder and ongoing trial, issues of love, hate and prejudice are confronted. The main focus of "Snow Falling On Cedars" is putting the past behind and letting go of hard feelings while renewing love once lost. The movie itself is very slow moving even though a murder mystery is taking place. The opening gets your attention quickly with the murder, but from then on I felt overcome with fatigue. It took most of my energy to stay awake, let alone pay attention to the intricate details which made up most of the film. "Snow Falling on Cedars" is confusing to follow because of the flashbacks thrown in at odd times, but in the end, the film was great. The greatness of the film is not exactly its excitement factor but is more along the lines of its symbolism. It expresses racial problems that not only existed in the 1950s, but in the new millenium as well. Some intelligence may be required to deduce deep-lying issues and symbolism, but anyone who can make it through the California public education system should get the gist of the movie. "Snow Falling On Cedars" is an awesome movie and truly worth the title of best film. But it is early in the year and no one can predict what the shallow population of America will enjoy most.