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Appalachian
Summer
Mountain
music brings all under its spell.
By Lois
Wadsworth
SONGCATCHER: Written
and directed by Maggie Greenwald. Producers, Ellen Rigas Venetis,
Richard Miller. Executive producers, Jonathan Sehring, Caroline Kaplan.
Cinematography, Enrique Chediak. Production design, Ginger Tougas.
Editor, Keith Reamer. Costumes, Kasia Walicka Maimone. Music, David
Mansfield. Starring Janet McTeer, with Aidan Quinn. Jane Adams, Pat
Carroll, Stephanie Roth Haberle, Gregory Cook, Emmy Rossum, David
Patrick Kelly and E. Katherine Kerr. Musicians Iris DeMent and Taj
Mahal also appear. Lions Gate Films, 2001. PG-13. 109 minutes.
 |
|
Tom
(Aidan Quinn) and Lily (Janet McTeer) find time together at a
picnic.
. |
|
Maggie Greenwald's understated little film
set in 1907 centers around an unmarried music scholar, Lily Penleric
(Janet McTeer), who's getting nowhere in the good old boys' university
where she teaches musicology and studies English, Irish and Scottish
ballads. After being passed over for tenure, Lily leaves her privileged
life in the academy to visit her schoolteacher sister, Elna Penleric
(Jane Adams, Wonder Boys), in a small North Carolina mountain
community.
Despite its rather conventional opening and some time
spent introducing the other characters, Songcatcher catches
fire about the same time that Lily finds love -- at a rollicking,
freestyle country dance, moonshine fest and all-comers brawl. But
first Lily has to learn that what makes the community tick is its
200-year old musical history, songs brought over the ocean and preserved
in isolation among the beautiful but destitute hollows ("hollers"
locally) of Appalachia. Lily recognizes what a treasure she has stumbled
upon.
Other characters include Elna's partner and co-teacher,
Harriet Tolliver (E. Katherine Kerr); a precocious 13-year old orphaned
singer, Deladis Slocumb (Emmy Rossum); the girl's restless boyfriend,
Fate Honeycutt (Gregory Cook); a talented artist, Alice Kincaid (Stephanie
Roth Haberle); a stalwart, shotgun-toting matriarch, Viney Butler
(Pat Carroll); her opinionated son, widower Tom Bledsoe (Aidan Quinn);
and a local man turned coal company lackey, Earl Giddens (David Patrick
Kelly).
With the help of Fate and Deladis, Lily climbs hills,
trudges up hollers, slogs through muddy roads and overcomes other
less tangible obstacles. She carts her Edison recording equipment
that cuts wax discs to the people who make the music. The heart of
the film comes from these moments on the front porch of a small, unpainted
house when a clear voice rings out or two or more rise in harmony
to sing traditional tunes such as: "Barbara Allen," "Matty Groves,"
"Old Joe Clark," "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies," and "Lord
Randall."
Great pickin', strummin' and pluckin' on traditional
mountain instruments and a bit of clogging (sometimes called flatfooting)
also enliven the rustic scenes. Dexter Speaks (Taj Mahal) plays some
original banjo blues songs in the "claw hammer" style. Emmylou Harris
performs the ending credits version of "Barbara Allen" (offscreen),
while Iris DeMent, Emmy Rossum and Hazel Dickens sing other traditional
pieces. As Rose Gentry, DeMent's high lonesome voice becomes the yearning
of the people of rural Appalachia.
Three love relationships unfold in the film. The women
schoolteachers, Elna and Harriet, illuminate a life shared by many
women before lesbians were able to live openly together as a couple:
They create credible public personas that help the mountain people
accept them while keeping their private lives secret. The teenage
lovers, Fate and Deladis, are tested in ways neither could have foreseen.
And in their improbable match, McTeer (Tumbleweeds) brings
many sides of Lily into her relationship with Tom, while Quinn honors
Tom's sadness but also enjoys his pleasures. McTeer and Quinn's chemistry
works.
Songcatcher opens Friday, Aug. 24, at the Bijou.
Highly recommended.
Gilded
Age Relic
Beauty
money can buy.
By
Lois Wadsworth
THE GOLDEN BOWL: Directed
by James Ivory. Produced by Ismail Merchant. Written by Ruth Prawer
Jhabvala, based on the novel by Henry James. Executive producers,
Paul Bradley, Richard Hawley. Cinematography, Tony Pierce-Roberts.
Music, Richard Robbins. Editor, John David Allen. Production design,
Andrew Sanders. Costumes, John Bright. Choreographer, Karole Armitage.
Starring Kate Beckinsale, James Fox, Anjelica Huston, Nick Nolte,
Jeremy Northam, Madeleine Potter and Uma Thurman. Lions Gate Film,
2001. R. 130 minutes.
 |
|
Charlotte
Stant (Uma Thurman) watches Prince Amerigo (Jeremy Northam) with
his wife, Maggie (Kate Beckinsale).
. |
|
You can count on Merchant Ivory films for
their authentic period details, subtle understanding of the historical
forces at work in the era, nuanced performances by actors willing
to stretch and discover deeper motivations for their characters and
a cinematic aesthetic professionally expressed. If you love James
Ivory and Ismail Merchant's dedication to story and character as I
do, welcome The Golden Bowl.
The movie has been around the world before landing
here, and critical response has varied widely. Although historical
romances do not appeal to every appetite, they represent one of film's
oldest pleasures. Cheap historical rip-offs offer the greatest possible
contrast to such films as Howard's End, the Merchant Ivory
1992 masterpiece based on E.M. Forster's 1910 novel, especially trashy
works like Original Sin, set in 1880s and now mercifully (but
probably only briefly) departed from area theaters. Or take Bruce
Beresford's Bride of the Wind, set in the early 1900s, which
fails to create a coherent historical narrative and unfavorably compares
to even one of Merchant Ivory's less successful pictures such as Jefferson
in Paris (1995), which I believe to be greatly undervalued.
The Golden Bowl, like many Henry James novels,
takes place in that interesting time early in the 20th century when
wealthy industrialists from the U.S. came to Europe to buy class and
culture. Like other novels of the era, it studies the matrimonial
dance between the two worlds. The old world, with its opulence and
rigid social system, recognizes its own diminishing wealth, while
the new world with vigor and cunning buys husbands for their daughters
and wives for themselves as carefully as they purchase the art masterpieces
that interest them.
Such is the case with Adam Verger (Nick Nolte), an
American whose wealth is counted in billions and whose taste runs
to classical paintings and sculptures. He adores his only child, Maggie
(Kate Beckinsale), and opens his deep pockets when she falls in love
with and marries an impoverished Italian aristocrat, Prince Amerigo
(Jeremy Northam). Nor does Verve's acquisition stop there. When Maggie's
poor but stunning and bright school friend Charlotte Stant (Uma Thurman)
comes to visit, Verger proposes to her, and she accepts.
But wait! What was that brief melodrama at the beginning
of the film? Set during the Italian Renaissance in a beautiful palazzo,
men in soldier uniforms rush up stairs, fling open the doors to a
room where a naked young man and woman are found entangled in the
bedclothes, and drag the lovers, screaming, to meet their deaths.
A slice of family history, Amerigo tells his lover, Stant, on the
sunny day of their parting. He's off to marry his beloved, who is
her best friend, and both must keep their affair secret. A lurid prologue
for what becomes a study in propriety within two marriages, the ancestral
lesson lurks in the background and colors all.
The Golden Bowl is gorgeous to look at. Performances
by principals Nolte and Thurman are notable, as are Anjelica Huston
and James Fox's in supporting roles. The film unlocks the puzzle that
links the four major players in a way that is both credible and satisfying.
Like the golden bowl of the title, this romance is a flawed but lovely
relic of the gilded age.
Highly recommended, The Golden Bowl opens Friday,
August 24 at the Bijou.
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW
publication unless otherwise noted.
Bubble Boy, The: Comedy about immune deficient
boy who falls in love with the girl next door who builds a mobile
bubble suit to pursue her. Directed by Blair Hayes, film stars Jake
Gyllenhaal, Swoosie Kurtz, Marley Shelton. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The: Woody Allen's
1940s comedy stars Allen, Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Elizabeth Berkley,
Wallace Shawn, David Ogden Stiers and Charlize Theron. Allen's a NY
insurance investigator who gets involved in a crime caper. PG-13.
Cinema World.
Ghosts of Mars, John Carpenter's: Set in a
future where 64,000 earthlings work on Mars, the movie pits policewoman
Natasha Henstridge and the planet's number one criminal, played by
Ice Cube, against ancient Martian warriors. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Golden Bowl, The: Merchant Ivory's early 1900s
look at marriage and romance based on Henry James' novel stars Uma
Thurman, Nick Nolte, Kate Beckinsale, Jermey Northam, with Anjelica
Huston, James Fox. Gorgeous, with great performances. Highly recommended.
R. Bijou. See review.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: Director Kevin
Smith in his screen persona, Silent Bob, co-stars with Jason Mewes
as Jay in this insider comedy. Someone is making a movie about their
lives, and they want money for it. R. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: Angelina Jolie plays
the video game action heroine, and Simon West directs. Also stars
Jon Voight and Iain Glen. PG-13. Movies 12.
Legally Blonde: Reese Witherspoon plays a LA
natural blonde who goes to Harvard Law School to persuade Warner (Matthew
Davis) that she's the one for him. Directed by Robert Luketic. Also
stars Selma Blair, Victor Garber, Holland Taylor, Jennifer Coolidge
and Luke Wilson. PG-13. Movies 12.See
review.
Songcatcher: Sweet film about an early 20th
centurey musicologist (Janet McTeer) who discovers the joys of Appalachian
music and culture. Authentic music accompanies unfolding love stories
of three couples. Directed by Maggie Greenwald (Ballad of Little
Jo), film is a must for traditional music fans who enjoyed Oh
Brother Where Art Thou? PG-13. Bijou. See
review.
Summer Catch: Romantic comedy directed by Mike
Tollin stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel. PG-13. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
CONTINUING
America's Sweethearts: Directed by
Joe Roth, spoof stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack as a split-up
but still famous Hollywood couple. Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, Hank
Azaria. Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin and Seth Green
also star in this loser. Cinemark. PG-13.
American Outlaws: Les Mayfield (Flubber) directs
Colin Farrell, Scott Caan and Ali Larter in a youth Western about
the James Gang. Tag line: Bad is Good Again. No, but crap is still
crap. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
American Pie 2: Same cast -- Chris Klein,
Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas --
but a different director, J. B. Rogers, and a super-secretive writer,
Adam Herz. R. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Animal, The: Wimp Marvin (Rob Schneider) becomes
a super cop after surgery following an accident leaves him with animal
organs. Now, his instincts are taking over, and it isn't a nice picture.
Luke Greenfield makes his directorial debut; also stars Coleen Haskell.
PG-13. Movies 12.
Captain Corelli's Mandolin: WWII-era romance
stars Nic Cage as an Italian soldier and Penelope Cruz; it's set on
a gorgeous Greek island. Trailer shows zero chemistry between stars.
Unhappily, John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) directs. Also
stars John Hurt, Christian Bale, Irene Papas and David Morrissey.
G. Cinemark.
crazy/beautiful: John Stockwell directs Kirsten
Dunst as the sexy, rich daughter of a California congressman and Jay
Hernandez as the poor Hispanic boy she loves. Better than expected
teen flick, it deals with some real issues, and Dunst is always excellent.
PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives.
Dr. Dolittle 2: Eddie Murphy is back as the
good doctor, but the animals have changed. They've become activists
who plan to go on strike to save their forest in Steve Carr's new
film. And they're hungry for sex advice. PG. Movies 12.
Evolution: David Duchovny and Julianne Moore
star in an Ivan Reitman summer comedy about pterodactyls and meteors.
PG-13. Movies 12.
Fast and Furious, The: Undercover cop (Paul
Walker) infiltrates gang-like LA street racing teams in Rob Cohen's
action-adventure that also stars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez
(Girlfight). PG-13. Movies 12.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Computer-generated
human characters live in 2065, when a meteor bearing millions of alien
creatures crashes into Earth. Only the beautiful scientist, Dr. Aki
Ross, can save the planet. Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi. Voiced
by Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Donald Sutherland
and James Wood. PG-13. Movies 12.
Jurassic Park 3: Sam Neill reprises his role
as paleontologist Grant. Joe Johnston directs. Grant takes a rich
adventurer (William H. Macy) and his wife (Téa Leoni) for a fly-by
of the forbidden island. Lots of dinosaurs! PG-13. Cinemark.
Knight's Tale, A: Aimed at 12-year-olds but
enjoyable to adults as well, this medieval adventure fantasy stars
Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell. Directed
by Brian Helgeland, co-writer of L.A. Confidential. PG-13.
Movies 12.
Moulin Rouge: Director Baz Luhrmann (Strictly
Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet) sets this fabulous dramatic
musical extravaganza in the summer of love, Paris, 1899. Nicole Kidman
and Ewan McGregor make a great romantic pair, and John Leguizamo,
Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh are excellent players. Everybody
wants to work at the all-singing, all-dancing Moulin Rouge shows.
Very highly recommended. PG-13. Movies 12.
Mummy Returns, The: Starring Brendan Fraser
and Rachel Weisz star in this thriller directed by Stephen Sommers.
PG-13. Movies 12.
Osmosis Jones: Directed by Bobby and Peter
Farrelly with others, this live action/animated comedy goes inside
the body to the sites of the most yucky sites. Stars Bill Murray,
Molly Shannon and the voices of Chris Rock, David Hyde Pierce and
Laurence Fishburne. PG. Cinemark.
Others, The: A haunted Victorian mansion, a
rigid and icy mother (Nicole Kidman) and two special kids who see
things makes this one of the scariest movies made, critics say. Directed
by Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar with style, it's very
highly recommended. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. See
review.
Planet of the Apes: Re-imagining of the 1968
original by filmmaker Tim Burton has great makeup and quicker-witted,
stronger apes who act more like real ones. Tim Roth walks away with
the show as the menacing chimpanzee who wants to kill all humans.
Stars Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan,
Paul Giamatti and Tim Roth. PG-13. Cinemark. See
review.
Princess and the Warrior, The: New movie by
Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) stars Franka Potente, and
she's the best reason to see it. A somewhat muddled story about a
psychiatric nurse who almost gets killed by a truck and the reluctant
hero who saves her. R. Bijou. See
review.
Princess Diaries, The: Directed by Garry Marshall,
this comedy about a S.F. teen who finds out she's a princess stars
Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Julie Andrews, Robert Schwartzman
and Heather Matarazzo. G. Cinemark.
Rat Race: Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr.
and other desperate folks make fools of themselves looking for a $2
million jackpot hidden somewhere in New Mexico. Directed by Jerry
Zucker of Airplane! fame. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Rush Hour 2: Brett Ratner returns to direct
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as detectives who travel to Hong Kong,
LA and Vegas looking for a master criminal. Also stars Zhang Ziyi
(Crouching Tiger, The Road Home). PG-13. Cinemark.
Shrek: Computer-animated fairy tale (by DreamWorks'
Pacific Data Images, makers of Antz) stars Mike Myers, Eddie
Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. Entertaining and funny for
kids and grown-ups. PG. Movies 12. See
review.
Swordfish: John Travolta plays a C.I.A. spook
who persuades a sexy colleague (Halle Berry) and a hacker (Hugh Jackman)
to help him steal $9 billion. AP reviewer says after the first 10
minutes, this fish begins to smell. Directed by Dominic Sena (Gone
in 60 Seconds). R. Movies 12.
MOVIE
THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.
Bijou
Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th
Regal
Cinemas
Cinema World 342-6536 | Valley River
Center
Springfield Quad 726-9073 |
Cinemark
Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway
Mall
Movies before 12:30 are Sat. Sun. only. $1.50 all shows all days.
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO:
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following
date of EW publication, sometimes sooner:
Batman: This 35th anniversary special edition of the 1966 TV series
stars Adam West, Burgess Meredith and Cesar Romero. NR.
Blood: the Last Vampire: Japanese animé
directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo is described by The New York Times:
"The movie fetishizes its own technological prowess by lingering over
images like jet planes moving behind chain fences that emphasize the
mathematical minutiae of the digital universe." Moreover, it does
so at the expense of "turning people into machines." NR.
Exit Wounds: (Available 8/31) Steven Seagal,
DMX and Tom Arnold mix it up in this action flick about rogue cops
directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak. R.
Joe Dirt, The Adventures of: Comedy directed
by Dennie Gordon stars David Spader as a dunce who goes on a quest
to find the parents who dumped him at the Grand Canyon when he was
8 years old. PG-13.
See Spot Run: David Arquette plays a mailman
who teams up with a crime-fighting canine in this comedy. PG.
Next week: Memento, Wit.
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