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Dazed
and Confused
On the road to nowhere.
By Lois
Wadsworth
JACKPOT: Directed by Michael Polish.
Written and produced by Mark Polish and Michael Polish. Co-producers Jon Gries, Michael
Huens. Executive producers, James Egan, Marlise Karlin. Cinematography, M. David
Mullen. Composer, Stuart Matthewman. Music supervisor, Jonathan Daniel. Costumes,
Bic Owen. Editor, Shawna Callahan. Production design, Michele Montague. Starring
Jon Gries, Daryl Hannah and Garrett Morris, with Peggy Lipton, Rosie O'Grady, Tia
Matza, Crystal Bernard, Anthony Edwards, Rick Overton and Toni Oswald. Sony Pictures
Classics, 2001. R. 100 minutes.
 |
|
Sunny Holiday (Jon
Gries) works the karaoke crowd.
. |
|
Sunny Holiday (Jon Gries), a would-be pop singer, fantasizes that
he's working his way up the success ladder singing George Jones songs for a string
of karaoke contests in seedy clubs across the Midwest. Sunny's encouraged by the
shameless boosterism and dubious deals of his manager, Lester, whose porkpie hat
alone marks him a man from another place and time. Lester's indulgence soothes Sunny,
particularly after the righteous anger his wife, Bobbi (Daryl Hannah), expresses
when he drops back in after a nine-month absence.
Sunny's a bottom-feeder who longs to see his name set in Los Angeles'
bright lights yet fails to note that he's not winning enough money to keep their
gas-guzzling pink Cadillac in fuel. But just when Sunny's ready to call it quits,
a new woman appears who welcomes him into her heart and home for a one-night stand
like good hearted Janice (Peggy Lipton), the waitress. Sunny drops another notch
in our esteem (to say nothing of Janice's goodwill) when he sells her a gallon of
snake-oil rug cleaner for $50 the next morning.
A fair number of scenes take place in small town dives and roadhouses
the sort of place with a bathroom you'd hate to use and sour beer on the dance
floor. But Sunny's game. He goes to the microphone in his Stetson and dark glasses
and croons his love songs to the sad-eyed women in the audience. But he mistakes
their loneliness for a fan's love a critical error.
The Polish brothers Mark (who writes and produces) and Michael
(who directs, but also writes and produces) have a lot to learn about narrative coherence.
Jackpot has some interesting moments, but the overall film is confusing. We
never learn why Sunny left Bobbi and his darling little daughter, and we can't help
but wonder what it takes for Sunny to get it. The ending of the film in a motel owned
by his brother Tracy (Anthony Edwards) is even more incoherent than what's gone before.
Where did this character come from and why has he been waiting on Sunny? And why
would you inject a new character and introduce an entirely new plot at the end? It's
enough to cast the whole project as an amateur production.
If you liked the Polishes first feature film, Twin Falls Idaho,
you may enjoy this weirdness. Sundance 2001 liked it, and it took the Best Feature,
New American Cinema award at the 2001 Seattle International Film Festival. Opens
at the Bijou Friday, Oct. 28.
Heart
Rock
Dizzying heights of
success.
By Lois
Wadsworth
ROCK STAR: Directed by Stephen Herek.
Produced by Robert Lawrence, Toby Jaffe. Written by John Stockwell. Executive producers,
Steven Reuther, George Clooney, Mike Ockrent. Cinematographer, Ueli Steiger. Production
design, Mayne Berke. Costumes, Aggie Guerard Rodgers. Editor, Trudy Ship. Music,
Trevor Rabin. Music supervisor, Budd Carr. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston,
with Jason Flemyng, Timothy Olyphant, Timothy Spall, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Dominic
West. Also Jason Bonham, Blas Elias, Stephan Jenkins, Jeff Pilson, Brian Vander Ark,
Zakk Wylde and Nick Catanese. Warner Bros. Bel-Air Entertainment, 2001. R. 107 minutes.
 |
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Making it big in
the mid-1980s: Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg).
. |
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A conventional story about a 1985 rock band singer who is plucked
from obscurity to metal rock fame, Rock Star succeeds because director Stephen
Herek and writer John Stockwell are not overly ambitious here. They are content to
make a good-looking film with smart dialogue and interesting content and to let the
star of the show, Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg), do the rest. Wahlberg gives the most
nuanced performance since his Boogie Nights breakthrough in this hair rock
vehicle he's disarmingly decent, emotionally direct, and professionally attentive
to the stylized postures of rock performance and stardom.
As the singer with a Pittsburg tribute band called Blood Pollution,
Cole and his girlfriend (and the band's agent), Emily (Jennifer Aniston), live a
good but ordinary life. He still lives at home with his wildly supportive parents,
drives an old Dodge Dart and keeps a day job repairing copy machines. But Cole's
band resents his drive to perfect their Steel Dragon sound, and they fire him. Getting
a call from Steel Dragon and being invited to the band's Beverly Hills mansion makes
up for his disappointment, however.
Emily and Chris are met at the airport by the witchy Tania (Dagmara
Dominczyk), who introduces them to the party-on wildness of the rock scene. Right
away Emily is aware that this life is probably not for her, but for the moment, Chris
buys into all of it as he's hired to replace the band's former rocker, Bobby Beers
(Jason Flemyng).
My favorite among the supporting actors is Timothy Spall (Secrets
and Lies, Topsy-Turvy) as Mats, the band's road manager who befriends
the new musician. Mats is the guy who makes backstage life entertaining for the musicians,
the indispensable procurer of drugs and women. Spall's large malleable face reflects
the toll of life on the road and the loss of ordinary life.
Aniston ("Friends," She's the One) is also credible
as a complicated woman who needs to have a life of her own. As a movie actress, Aniston
has not played many challenging characters, but she succeeds here in showing Emily's
disillusion with show biz and her strength in leaving to create her own professional
life. Aniston, who won an Emmy for her role in "Friends," can probably
handle more sophisticated roles easily.
A rock and roll movie that is more than its traditional narrative
trajectory would suggest, Rock Star is well worth seeing, especially for Wahlberg's
star turn. I like some of his lesser known films Traveler, The Yards
as well as Three Kings and The Perfect Storm, where he deferred to
George Clooney's star power to turn in fine supporting performances. Rock Star
has only one showing a day at Cinemark, so catch it this week. Recommended for its
surprising sweetness.
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless
otherwise noted.
Don't Say a Word: Based on Andrew Klaven's novel, film is about
a child psychiatrist (Michael Douglas) who tries to save his daughter from a kidnapper
by getting critical information from a disturbed patient. Gary Fleder directs. R.
Cinema World. Cinemark.
Dr. Strangelove (1964): Peter Sellers stars in Stanley Kubrick's
quintessential Cold War black comedy, playing three roles. Other eccentrics include
Sterling Hayden as a crackpot officer, Slim Pickens as the pilot who goes down with
the bomb, and George C. Scott as a warmongering wacko general. 7 pm Oct. 3 in 180
PLC, UO campus. Free.
Extreme Days: Growing up is hard. Four friends since
childhood try out all the extreme sports before settling down. PG. Cinemark.
Happiness: Todd Solondz's 1998 film is the disturbing story
of three sisters, their husbands and domestic woes and one's psychiatric patients.
Riveting performances by Dylan Baker, Jane Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman. R. At
8 pm Sept. 28 in 180 PLC, UO campus. $2 students, $3 general public.
Hearts in Atlantis: Anthony Hopkins and Hope Davis star
in Scott Hicks' late-1950s adventure drama. Written by William Goldman, based on
Stephen King's novel. PG-13. Cinemark.
Jackpot: Michael and Mark Polish's funky road trip stars
Jon Gries as a would-be singer on the karaoke circuit, Garrett Morris as his manager,
and Daryl Hannah as his p.o.'d wife. R. Bijou See
review.
Serendipity: Destiny has them meet by chance in a department
story, and fate parts them right away. Now it's 10 years later, and John Cusack and
Kate Beckinsale try to find each other again. Directed by Peter Chelsom (Town
& Country). PG-13. Sneak Sept. 28, 29. Cinemark.
Zoolander: In his first foray in directing since The
Cable Guy, Ben Stiller also writes and stars in this comedy about a male model
brainwashed into taking on a secret mission. With Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor and
Milla Jovovich. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
CONTINUING
A.I. Artificial Intelligence: Steven Spielberg directs
this film, a project of the late Stanley Kubrick, that's set in a future filled with
environmental catastrophes. Haley Joel Osment plays an 11-year old android aware
of his own existence who wants to become a boy; Jude Law plays a sex toy android.
Also, Frances O'Connor and William Hurt. Imperfect gotta-see movie for newcomers
and second-timers. PG-13. Movies 12. See review.
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.
Bridget Jones' Diary: Renée Zellwegger plays the
neurotic but witty Londoner on the prowl for a man. Hugh Grant's her boss, and Colin
Firth is an old friend. All three give excellent performances, especially Zellwegger.
Sharon Maguire's directorial debut. Script by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard
Curtis. Funnier on second viewing, this smart, good-hearted romp is highly recommended.
R. Movies 12.
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, Swoozie Kurtz, Marley Shelton. 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. R.
Cinema World.
Cats and Dogs: An inside look at pet wars at home while
grown up people are at work. Kitty (Sean Hayes, voice) has grandiose plans other
critters want to stop. Live-action comedy directed by Larry Guterman also features
animatronic, computer-generated action. PG. Movies 12.
Closet, The: Francis Veber's French sex farce offers light
entertainment for these times, but it's especially enjoyable because of lucid and
inventive performances by Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu and Michel Aumont.
A comic examination of the politically correct stance taken by corporate bigots towards
gays. R. Bijou. See review.
Deep End, The: Scott McGehee and David Siegel's excellent
thriller stars the fabulous Tilda Swinton as a resourceful suburban housewife. Jonathan
Tucker plays her gay son, whom she's trying to protect, and Goran Visnjic is a blackmailer
who falls for her. Highest recommendations. R. Bijou. See review.
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.
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.
Glass House, The: Psychological nightmare stars Leelee Sobieski
as an orphaned girl (and her brother) taken in by her parents' best friends(Diane
Lane and Stellan Skarsgard. PG-13. Cinemark.
Hardball: Keanu Reeves plays a soft-spoken baseball coach
for an inner city middle school who helps the team come together. PG-13. Cinemark.
Cinema World.
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. Cinemark. See
review.
Jeepers Creepers: Summer shock schlock designed to scare
the pants off teens and other adolescents, despite its rating. Written and directed
by Victor Salva, supernatural thriller stars Gina Philips, Justin Long, Jonathan
Breck and Eileen Brennan. R. Cinemark.
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. Movies 12.
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.
Musketeer, The: Action adventure based on Alexandre Dumas
classic is directed by Peter Hyams stars Catherine Deneuve, Mena Suvari, Stephen
Rhea, Tim Roth and Justin Chambers. Xin Xin Xiong, choreographer of Once Upon
a Time in China, orchestrates fight sequences. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
O Othello: One of summer's most anticipated films is Tim
Blake's contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's famous tale of treachery and jealousy.
Set in elite Southern boarding school, film stars Mekhi Phifer as the only black
student and athelete on campus, Josh Hartnett as his best friend and Julia Stiles
as his girlfriend. Also, Martin Sheen, Andrew Keegan, Rain Phoenix and Elden Hensen.
R. Cinemark. See
review.
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. Movies 12.
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.
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 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.
Rock Star: Mark Wahlberg is the ultimate fan of a heavy
metal rock legend, but he also plays with a local tribute band until the night he's
called to replace the lead singer he worships. Jennifer Aniston is his hometown girlfriend.
Stephen Herek directs John Stockwell's script, based on a true story. Also stars
Jason Flemyng, Timothy Olyphant, Timothy Spall and Dominic West. R. Cinemark. See review.
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.
Scary Movie 2: The Wayans brothers' sequel to last year's
genre spoof, with Keenan Ivory Wayans directing brothers Marlon and Shawn (who also
wrote the script). The bros, trapped inside a haunted house, enlist the help of James
Woods, exorcist. R. Movies 12.
Score, The: This Frank Oz action movie stars Robert De Niro
as a career criminal who breaks his own rule to take an unknown (Edward Norton) as
partner on a heist. Also stars Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett. Great acting. R. Cinema
World. See
review.
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.
Spy Kids: Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi) directs this youth-oriented
tale about superspies (Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino) who leave the life to marry
and have a family. When they're kidnapped, only their kids can save them. PG. Movies
12.
Two Can Play That Game: Shanté (Viveca A. Fox) gets
even when her sweetie (Morris Chestnut) sees another woman (Gabrielle Union), and
she gets a lot of help from her friends (Mo'Nique, Tamala Jones and Wendy Raquel
Robinson). His buddy (Anthony Anderson) helps him in this romantic comedy directed
by Mark Brown. R. Cinemark.
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:
Luzhin Defence, The: Marleen Gorris directs this romantic and tragic chess drama
set in Italy's 1929 world championships. John Turturro plays Alexander Luzhin, an
eccentric, reclusive Russian chess Grand Master. Emily Watson is a wealthy, independent
Russian emigré, the first woman he's ever loved. PG-13. See review.
Mummy Returns, The: Starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz
star in this thriller directed by Stephen Sommers. PG-13. Movies 12.
Simpsons, The: The Complete First Season: DVD release of
the antics of "Bart Simpson, fourth-grader and eternal subversive," as
The New York Times puts it.
Next week: Bridget Jones' Diary, Cirque du Soleil, The
Godfather and Snow White.
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