A new film from director and screenwriter John Sayles ("Lone Star," "The Brother From Another Planet," "Passion Fish," "The Secret of Roan Inish," etc.) rarely disappoints and his latest, "Sunshine State," is no exception. In fact, it's probably his best film, deftly balancing humor and humanity with a serious issue: the over-development of America's land.

Real estate developers have turned their attention to Delrona Beach, Florida and its neighbor, the predominantly black Lincoln Beach. Now that they've succeeded in creating, as Murray Silver (Alan King) calls it, "nature on a leash," the developers want to put up strip malls at Delrona and luxury housing at Lincoln Beach.

Caught in the middle are Marly (Edie Falco), who runs her father's motel at Delrona Beach, and the deeply-rooted community at Lincoln Beach.

Lester (Miguel Ferrer) and Greg (Perry Lang) want the motel property but Marly's aged father (Ralph Waite) won't even consider selling the business he gave his life to. Meanwhile, Marly's mom (Jane Alexander) has steered clear of the motel business, preferring instead to run her community theater and work as an activist with the Audubon Society. She also is against selling, because of the environmental impact of development.

Marly's not so sure, though. The motel is her dad's dream, not hers. Besides, she wouldn't mind escaping her no-good ex-husband (the great Richard Edson) and she's just been abandoned by her boyfriend, who is struggling to become a pro golfer. She finds Jack Meadows (Timothy Hutton) a bit tempting ... too bad he's the developers' landscape architect.

Meanwhile, struggling actress Desiree (Angela Bassett) is back in Lincoln Beach for the first time since she was sent away, pregnant, as a teenager. Her mother -- who is raising a distant cousin, a young pyromaniac -- is upset that she hasn't stayed in touch, but she has come back with her new husband Reggie (James McDaniel, "NYPD Blue").

When she runs into a former local football star, who played a big role in her life, she's angered to discover his current role in the community, in which he's taken a keen renewed interest.

Add to the mix the local chamber of commerce doyen Francine Pinckney (Mary Steenburgen), who tries to keep a smile on her face as the annual festival fizzles and is too busy to notice that her desperate husband Earl (Gordon Klapp, also of "NYPD Blue"), weighted down by gambling debts, is contemplating suicide.

The cast is marvelous, with nary a misstep. Falco, however, is clearly the star. Even when Marly is depressed and dead-ended, she maintains her acidic wit and carries on.

The result is a cast of true-to-life characters with dreams, disappointments and desires. The web of relationships perfectly captures the drama and reality of small-town life and best of all, Sayles manages to make a comedic picture about the demolition of nature -- and the small businessman -- in our country without ever resorting to soap box preaching.

"Sunshine State" opens Fri., July 26 at Landmark's Oriental Theatre.