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Inspired
Lunacy
Possibility's seductive
glitter.
By Lois
Wadsworth
THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS: Directed by
Wes Anderson. Written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. Produced by Wes Anderson,
Barry Mendel, Scott Rudin. Executive producers, Rudd Simmons, Owen Wilson. Cinematography,
Robert Yeoman. Production design, David Wasco. Editor, Dylan Tichenor. Costumes,
Karen Patch. Music, Mark Mothersbaugh. Music Supervisor, Randall Poster. Starring
Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson,
Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Seymour Cassel and Kumar Pallana. Narrator, Alec Baldwin.
Buena Vista Pictures. Touchstone Pictures, 2001. R. 108 minutes.
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Richie (Luke Wilson) and Margot
(Gwyneth Paltrow) stonewall their father, Royal (Gene Hackman), while Chas (Ben Stiller)
glowers from the doorway.
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One great comic idea depicted in Wes Anderson's dark tale of the eccentric
Tennenbaums illuminates a secret fear parents with grown children harbor -- that
the precocious kid or kids will come back home to live with (and blame) them. Like
Mother, Albert Brooks' 1996 hilarious black comedy with Debbie Reynolds, it's
every parent's nightmare. Etheline Tennenbaum (Anjelica Huston) has to accommodate
herself not only to her three adult children moving back in but also the wild man
she never got around to divorcing, Royal Tennenbaum (Gene Hackman). Royal pretends
he's dying, but the kids are just screwed up and have come home to figure out why.
To further complicate matters, Etheline's longtime business partner, Henry Sherman
(Danny Glover), has asked her to marry him.
Formerly regarded as geniuses, the Tennenbaum children have found
real life discouraging. The eldest, Chas Tennenbaum (Ben Stiller), has not recovered
from the recent death of his wife nor from his childhood rejection by Royal. Chas
brings his young sons, Ari (Grant Rosenmeyer) and Uzi (Jonah Meyerson), home with
him. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), who was a gifted child playwright, has seen her talent
fade. Married to the strange Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), Margot's depressed.
Among other childhood disappointments, Royal unfailingly introduced her as his adopted
daughter.
Richie (Luke Wilson) is his dad's favorite, but that has only hurt
him in his siblings' eyes. A professional tennis player since his youth, Richie quit
the game after melting down in a match and has sailed around the world for several
years. He's been in love with Margot since they were teenagers. Eli Cash (Owen Wilson),
Richie's best friend, is now a best-selling novelist of grossly overwritten prose.
Eli also turns up at the Tennenbaum's reunion. It feels like the late 1970s again
as everyone gathers in the genteel family brownstone in a New York that never existed.
Each is determined to act out within the precarious sanctuary that is family the
demons that drive him or her.
Anderson's (Rushmore) characters obviously resist accepting
the routine nature of most day-to-day experience we associate with being a grown
up. While Margot and Chas have legitimate grievances with Royal, dragging their case
histories around with them takes its toll on others as well. Royal says he wants
to make up for his shortcomings as a father, but he's such a renegade he can't be
straight even with himself. A whirlwind of irrational energy, Royal provides just
the jolt these sad sacks need to jump-start their lives. This inspired lunacy only
works because Anderson loves all his characters with a generosity that transforms
them into touchingly real, vulnerable people.
I've been told this is one of those movies 1) that you either love
or hate and 2) that you have to see a second time to love. I loved it from the start,
which is a quick illustrated narrative of childhood in the Tennenbaum household,
told in the crisp, ironic tone Anderson has affected in his other movies. While Bottle
Rocket was too adolescent for my taste, by Rushmore Anderson had polished
his knack for creating truly original, deeply mutinous characters. The Royal Tennenbaums
witnesses a further maturation of his sensibilities. Now playing at Cinemark, this
movie gets my very highest recommendations.
Back to top
The
End of an Era
"Upstairs Downstairs"
with teeth.
By Lois
Wadsworth
GOSFORD PARK: Directed by Robert Altman.
Written by Julian Fellowes, from an idea by Robert Altman and Bob Balaban. Produced
by Altman, Balaban and David Levy. Cinematography, Andrew Dunn. Production design,
Stephen Altman. Editor, Tim Squyres. Music, Patrick Doyle. Costumes, Jenny Beavan.
Starring Kelly Macdonald, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jeremy
Northam, Clive Owen, Bob Balaban, Ryan Phillippe, Alan Bates, Richard E. Grant, Helen
Mirren, Emily Watson, Eileen Atkins, Charles Dance and Geraldine Somerville. USA
Films, 2001. R. 137 minutes.
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Robert Parks (Clive Owen) and
Mary MacEachran (Kelly MacDonald) find time to talk downstairsss..
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At 76, veteran filmmaker Robert Altman has made many films
that involve a large number of characters, including M*A*S*H*, Nashville
and The Player. Ensemble work comes easily to classically trained British
actors. Altman has designed the ultimate ensemble piece for 20 accomplished, (primarily)
British actors. With his gift for nuance and ambiance, he's a natural for this character-driven
comedy of manners, with a murder mystery thrown in.
It's 1932, and varied privileged individuals and their servants
gather at an English country estate for a hunting party, creating the perfect opportunity
to observe how class affects behavior. Among the upper crust, jealousy, strange alliances,
betrayals and a snobbish distaste toward those not from old families percolate through
the group's various strata. Gossip is the most surprising commodity that passes between
the classes, although cross-class sex also has a place.
While the upper caste lolls around, looking bored, drinking and
quarreling among themselves, the servants' work is never-ending and underappreciated.
Present in nearly every scene, their presence is no more acknowledged than if they
were dogs. But the servants know everything and chew on the juiciest tidbits among
themselves, while the rich must persuade them to divulge what's really going on.
Upstairs, the estate belongs to Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon)
and his wife, Lady Sylvia (Kristen Scott Thomas). From a titled but poor family,
Sylvia married William for his money, earned from factories where the old goat routinely
plundered women workers. Sylvia's acerbic great aunt Constance (Maggie Smith) is
among the first to arrive, accompanied by her Scots maid, Mary Maceachran (Kelly
Macdonald), who becomes our guide through the house's endless corridors and multiple
levels.
Lady Sylvia's younger sister, Louisa (Geraldine Somerville), also
married a bore -- Raymond, Lord Stockbridge (Charles Dance), whose valet is Robert
Parks (Clive Owen). Other guests include American movie star, Ivor Novello (Jeremy
Northam), and producer Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban). Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe),
Weissman's valet, confounds the downstairs staff because he doesn't fit in.
The house is run by the McCordles' butler, Jennings (Alan Bates),
and housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren), "the perfect servant" because
she has no life of her own. Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins), the cook, controls the kitchen;
she's carried on a decades-long snit with Mrs. Wilson. Sir William's valet, Probert
(Derek Jacobi), head housemaid Elsie (Emily Watson) and first footman George (Richard
E. Grant) are other essential personalities.
Altman's reputation for being an actor's director really pays off
in Gosford Park, where each member of the hand-picked cast received the same
pay, whether playing a primary role or having only a few lines. Altman's natural
way to communicate with actors is to encourage them to improvise rather than tell
them what he wants. He uses multiple cameras and puts microphones on everyone in
the shot. He leaves the actors alone to develop their characters, then decides what
to keep in the editing room. It works here, plastering over the thinness of the plot
with a muttered aside, a scathing put-down or a withering glance. And the performances
are splendid, especially from Mirren, Smith, Macdonald, Watson, Northam, Scott Thomas,
Gambon, Atkins, Grant and Owen.
Gosford Park is a movie for grown-ups. Altman said he worked
hard to get an R rating, just so children who wouldn't understand it couldn't come.
I respect that, because I get really tired of movies for 12 year olds. The film opens
at the Bijou on Friday, with my highest recommendations.
Back to Top
Old
Time Fun
"Upstairs Downstairs"
with teeth.
By Aria
Seligmann
Remember the good old days of sitting in a movie theater all Sunday
afternoon, with pre-show live entertainment followed by a cartoon, a short film and
finally a feature-length movie? Too young to remember that? OK, remember watching
movies downtown at the McDonald Theatre? Thanks to Impact! Arts, both are possible.
This past Sunday, Impact's first-ever Family Fun Film Festival
kicked off with The Wizard of Oz, seen by many for the first time on the big
screen. Whistling Mitch Hider entertained the crowd as more than 500 people lined
up around the block waiting to get in. Mayor Jim Torrey opened by asking Whistling
Mitch why he didn't play "The Old Gray Mare," then proceeded to sing it
and the audience joined in. Betty Boop cartoon Poor Cinderella and a Buster
Keaton short, The Scarecrow, followed. Most in the audience had never seen
either film. Then, finally, the movie was shown on a giant screen that featured a
super-sized Wizard of Oz, an intense tornado scene and hundreds of details lost in
viewing the classic on TV.
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Impact
Film Fest Schedule
Jan. 13 Willy Wonk and the Chocolate Factory,
with Cascade Barbershop Chorus and Register-Guard arts reporter Fred Crafts
Jan. 20 No Festival
Jan. 27 Singin' In The Rain, with Musical Feet Tap
Dancers and DTO's Marc Seigle
Feb. 3 The Beatles' Yellow Submarine with The # 9
Band and "Stone Soup" Creator Jan Eliot
Feb. 10 No Festival
Feb. 17 Who Framed Roger Rabbit with Clown Vaughn
Avery and Randy Lord & Katina Paxino
Feb. 24 The Marx Brothers' A Night at the Opera with
members of the Eugene Opera
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All this, in a packed theater that reeked of family and community.
The film fest is a benefit for Impact Arts, which began in 1998
as Impact! Theatre, the education and community outreach branch of Lord Leebrick
Theatre Company. The program was formed by LLTC co-founder Randy Lord and Katina
Paxino to bring art and theater education to Oregon communities. IT! has several
components, including the Community Outreach Program, which brings plays, productions
and workshops to area schools and rural communities; an Alternative Education Arts
School, in which students learn acting, photography, videography, painting, sculpture
and dance; an After-school Arts Program and a Summer Theatre Camp where participants
learn about performing and writing and produce an original production.
The film festival was designed to offer a family centered activity
downtown. IT! Co-founder Katina Paxino came up with the idea when she was viewing
a movie a few months ago and thought, "Gee, where's the cartoon?" The idea
was to "create a fun family day," says Paxino, adding that Eugene doesn't
have enough events for families to engage in together. "If it's rainy, get out
of the house and get with the community," she says, adding "It's a delight
to introduce a generation to the majesty of Buster Keaton, and to hear 4- and 5-year-old
kids laughing at his artistry."
The showing of Wizard of Oz is the first public movie that
has been shown at the McDonald Theatre since its remodel.
Brendan Relaford, owner of Big Green Events, which is hired by
the Kesey family (owners of the McDonald) to manage events, recently purchased a
new digital video system, as well as a new 20 x 25 ft. screen. Thus, the theater
is now equipped to show DVDs and videos (but not actual films).
The Family Fun Film Festival runs through Feb. 24. Pre-show activities
begin at 1:30 pm and the movie-viewing starts at 2 pm. Tickets are $6 each, with
a $1 discount if you show up in a costume. Kids 3 and under are free. This event
is deservedly popular, so show up early to purchase tickets, or purchase them in
advance at Harlequin Beads, 1016 Willamette, from11 am --7 pm M-S, and 12-6 pm Sunday.
For further information, call Impact at 431-1177.
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless
otherwise noted.
Black Knight: Martin Lawrence stars in Gil Junger's comedy
about a theme park called Medieval World with a portal that opens into England of
the 1300s. You know who crawls through and has to live by his wits. PG-13. Movies
12.
Gosford Park: Robert Altman's comedy of manners set upstairs
and downstairns in a 1932 English country house features fine performances by an
all-star ensemble cast that includes Kristen Scott Thomas, Jeremy Northam, Helen
Mirren, Kelly Macdonald, Alan Bates, Emily Watson, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith.
Splendid look at class warfare, with a nasty, satiric edge. AFI Awards best director
to Altman. Highest recommendations. R. Bijou. See
review.
In the Bedroom: Named one of the best of 2001 by many critics,
this intimate domestic drama stars Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson and Marisa Tomei.
First-time director Todd Field adapted the film from an Andre Dubus' story. The
New York Times wrote: "it is an astonishingly rich, detailed and grimly
moving piece of work." AFI Awards best actor to Spacek. R. Cinemark.
Life in Vine: This half-hour documentary looks at Oregon
winemakers and growers during the natural cycle that arcs from winter through spring
and summer to the harvest of 1999. Independently produced by Matt Giraud; no wine
industry sponsorship. At 8:30 pm on 1/16, Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Orange Country: Colin Hanks and Jack Black star in Jake
Kasdan's teen comedy about a transcript mix-up. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Yol (Turkey, 1982): Best film award at Cannes '82, this
tale about five Turkish prisoners on temporary leave to visit their families is highly
acclaimed. Written and co-directed by Yilmaz Guney, based on his own experience.
At 7 pm on 1/15 in 122 Pacific Hall. Free. PG.
CONTINUING
Ali: Will Smith plays Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann's (The
Insider) film about the legendary fighter. Also stars Jon Voight, Giancarlo Esposito,
Mario Van Peebles and many others in a drama that follows one of the most controversial
sports hero of our time. Brilliant film, true to Ali's spirit; biting in its exploration
of racism, 1964-1974. Very highest recommendations. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review.
Amelie: Jean Pierre Jeunet's popular hit film about a shy
young French pixie who meddles in the lives of her co-workers, family and neighbors
instead of looking at her own need for love. Too sugary sometimes, this little fairy
tale has just enough gravity to stay grounded. Fabulous. R. Bijou. See review.
Beautiful Mind, A: Inspired by the true story of a mathematical
genius whose great discovery came early in his career, Ron Howard's film stars Russell
Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. Crowe plays the man who battled his demons
for many years yet fulfilled his promise late in life. Stunning work by Crowe and
Connelly. Highly recommended. PG-13. Cinemark.
Behind Enemy Lines: John Moore directs this military drama,
which has Gene Hackman as a naval officer and Owen Wilson as a hot dog pilot. PG-13.
Movies 12.
Corky Romano: Corky (Chris Kattan) is a kindly veterinarian
who gets drawn into becoming an F.B.I. agent to help out his long-lost Mafia boss
father (Peter Falk), who's being investigated. PG-13. Movies 12.
Hardball: Keanu Reeves plays a soft-spoken baseball coach
for an inner city middle school. He helps the team come together and meets the girl.
PG-13. Movies 12.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Early reviews say
it is utterly faithful to J.K. Rowling's book, which can either be a good thing or
not. Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane and more.
Directed by Chris Columbus. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. See review.
Heist: David Mamet's too-clever caper film stars Gene Hackman,
Rebecca Pidgeon, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Ricky Jay and Sam Rockwell. Hackman,
Lindo and Jay are top-notch; plot is pedestrian. R. Movies 12. See review.
How High: Rap superstars Redman and Method Man find some
really good smoke that helps them ace their college entrance exams. Yeah, right.
R. Cinemark.
Imposter: In a future world engineer/inventor Gary
Sinise is suspected of being an alien close. Madeleine Stowe is his girlfriend. Directed
by Gary Fleder. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Animated tale of an inventive
10-year old boy and his robot dog who live in a world where wishes come true. Jimmy
wishes his parents would disappear. When all the parents disappear, Jimmy and his
pals have to bring them back. G. Cinemark. Cinema World.
joesomebody: John Pasquin directs Tim Allen as a divorced
father whose workplace humiliation changes his life. Also stars Kelly Lynch, Jim
Belushi, Julie Bowen, and Greg Germann. PG. Cinemark.
K-PAX: Ian Softley (Wings of the Dove) directs Jeff
Bridges, who plays a psychiatrist, and Kevin Spacey's the patient who says he's from
another planet. PG-13. Movies 12.
Kate and Leopold: Sappy looking time travel romance stars
Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, who has been accidentally fast forwarded to New York at
the present from the 19th century. James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted) directs.
PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Lord of the Rings, The: The Fellowship of the Ring: The
first book in J. R. R. Tolkien's literary trilogy directed by Peter Jackson was shot
entirely in New Zealand. Stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, with Liv
Tyler, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee. Highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema
World. See
review.
Majestic, The: Jim Carrey plays a blacklisted Hollywood
writer who loses his memory after a car crash but finds a new life in a 1950s small
town. Directed by Frank Darabont (The Green Mile). PG. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Monsters Inc.: Computer-animated feature about a scare factory
and its top monster, Sulley (voice of John Goodman). Also Billy Crystal, Jennifer
Tilly, Steve Buscemi and Mary Gibbs. G. Cinemark. See review.
Ocean's Eleven: Steven Soderbergh's remake of the old Rat
Pack's '60s heist movie stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts. Brad Pitt
and Andy Garcia. This gang plans to hit several Las Vegas casinos on the same night,
while everyone's distracted by a high-profile boxing match. Soderbergh never disappoints,
and he's assembled great players. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. See review.
One, The: A dual role for Jet Lin who straddles parallel
universes - one where he's good, the other where he's evil. A rogue agent is loose
in multiple universes and must be stopped. Also stars Delroy Lindo. PG-13. Movies
12.
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. Movies 12.
Riding in Cars with Boys: Drew Barrymore stars in Penny
Marshall's film about a woman who wants to be a writer but ends up with a baby at
15 and a junkie husband. Based on a true story. With Steve Zahn and Brittany Murphy.
PG-13. Movies 12.
Royal Tennenbaums, The: Directed by Wes Anderson (Rushmore),
this critically acclaimed film looks at a family of geniuses that's undergone two
decades of failure, betrayal and disaster. Gene Hackman is the family patriarch,
Royal; Angelica Huston plays his wife, Etheline. Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Gwyneth
Paltrow are their grown children. Also with Danny Glover, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson.
AFI Awards best actor Hackman. Highest recommendations. R. Cinemark. 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. PG-13. Movies 12.
Shallow Hal: Jack Black plays a neurotic womanizer who gets
hypnotized into seeing women's inner beauty for the Farrelly brothers. But he sees
right through Gwyneth Paltrow's fat suit. PG-13. Movies 12.
Spy Game: Robert Redford is a CIA officer who mentors Brad
Pitt in this spy thriller directed by Tony Scott (Enemy of the State). Also
stars Catherine McCormack. R. Movies 12.
Thirteen Ghosts: Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis produced
this special effects remake of a 1960 horror film that stars Tony Shalhoub, Embeth
Davidtz and Matthew Lillard. They're given keys to a fantastic house that contains
the spirits of 13 murder victims. R. Movies 12.
Vanilla Sky: Cameron Crowe directs this erotic thriller
starring Tom Cruise as a publishing executive who's misplaced his soul. Entertaining
but twisted tale of mutable identities, irreconcilable temporal dislocations and
mystifying parallel stories also stars Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell,
Jason Lee and Timothy Spall. Highly recommended. R. Cinemark. See review.
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:
American Pie 2: Same cast -- Chris Klein, Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Seann William
Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas -- now directed by J. B. Rogers. R.
Anniversary Party: Ensemble cast includes directors Jennifer
Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming, also Kevin Kline, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jane Adams, Parker
Posey, John C. Reilly, Phoebe Cates. Looks in on them during a 24-hour period. Critics
loved or hated it; never played Eugene theatrically. R.
Boycott: HBO film about Rosa Parks and the civil rights
movement that grew up around her refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama
in 1955. Directed by Clark Johnson, it stars Jeffrey Wright, CCH Pounder. PG.
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.
Dinner with Friends: HBO movie follows two married couples
over 12 years and shows each person's crisis when one couple's marriage unravels.
Directed by Norman Jewison, it stars Dennis Quaid, Andie McDowell, Greg Kinnear and
Toni Collette. Critically acclaimed. R.
Glitter: Mariah Carey stars in this somewhat autobiographical
movie about a young singer who has to overcome her awful childhood to grow up and
find herself. Also stars Max Beesley. PG-13.
Melies the Magician: DVD. Documentary shows more than 12
films by one of the earliest filmmakers, Georges Melies, as well as a film about
his work by Jacques Mathete. NR.
Newsies: Disney's failed '92 musical about the 1899 NY newsboys'
strike against a powerful newspaper, the Pulitzer-owned New York World. Stars Christian
Bale, Bill Pullman and Robert Duvall. PG.
Pavilion of Women: Director Yim Ho's 2001 film adaptation
of Pearl S. Buck's novel set in 1938 China. The New York Times said it "marries
romantic, Hollywood-style pageantry to a morality play about Chinas corrupt and oppressive
old regime..." R.
Tortilla Soup: Remake of Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman by
Maria Ripoll is set in East L.A. and stars Hector Elizondo, Elizabeth Peña,
Raquel Welch. PG-13.
Tron: Restored and remastered sci-fi adventure stars Jeff
Bridges. PG.
Next week: The Blonde, Kiss of the Dragon and
Rock Star.
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