ALAN PARKER
The roller coaster career of British director Alan Parker ended with his death in London at 76. Like David Lean and Alfred Hitchcock, he made most of his films here in America. He made some big winners, some big losers and some near misses.
Bugsy Malone (1976) sounds like a terrible idea but Parker somehow whipped it into a winner. Young children play the part of gangsters, lip syncing the lines spoken by adult actors. I know, I know, it sounds awful. But it isn’t.
Midnight Express (1978) gave Parker his first Oscar nomination for Best Director. Alas, he lost to Michael Cimino for The Deer Hunter. Featuring a bravura performance by unknown Brad Davis, the film is unremittingly dark and grim for its first hour and a half. It is based on the true story of Billy Hayes, a young American arrested for smuggling drugs out of Turkey. Actor Brad Davis died at 41, a brilliant career cut tragically short.
Mississippi Burning (1988) is the fictionalized story of the murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. It stars Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe as FBI agents investigating the incident. They are not exactly welcomed with open arms by the locals. The film garnered seven Oscar nominations, but won only for cinematography. Parker lost to Barry Levinson for Rain Man.
Shoot The Moon (1982) stars Diane Keaton and Albert Finney as the dysfunctional couple from Hell with four innocent daughters. I found it a real downer, but I guess Parker did a pretty good job directing it.
Evita (1996) is a tantalyzing near miss. A great story of the rags-to-riches wife of Argentinian dictator Juan Peron, and a great score from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. And with Madonna and Antonio Banderas in the leads, what could go wrong? Well, something did. It isn’t bad, really, but it just isn’t very good. I guess we have to hang the fault on Alan Parker, who somehow fails to get this off the ground.
The Committments (1991), about an Irish rock band, is okay, just not to all tastes (including mine). Many critics blamed director Parker for the slow pacing and draggy dialog.
Fame (1980) is a musical with top-heavy topics weighing it down. Actually loved by many fans, but disliked by more. A C+ for director Parker.
From there it’s pretty much downhill.. The Road To Wellville (1994) is from a really good book by T.C. Boyle about an eccentric clinic in Michigan. Though it has Sir Anthony Hopkins in the lead, it is pretty much a big mess.
Angela’s Ashes (1999) is dragged kicking and screaming from Frank McCourt’s family memoir. It would be hard for anyone, including Alan Parker, to direct.. Finally, the really bad The Life of David Gayle (2003) is about capital punishment, sort of. It has Kevin Spacey, Laura Linney and Kate Winslett. And yet it is just unremittingly awful.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups, who are hereby duly warned about the last three.
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Sunday, August 23, 2020
WILFORD BRIMLEY
He made a nice living as a kindly, but grumpy, old man, and Wilford Brimley worked almost to the time of his death at 85. You might remember him from Quaker Oats commercials, or for his signature walrus moustache. Or maybe from some of these fine films.
The China Syndrome (1979) is still scary, with its cautionary tale about the failure of a nuclear power station. Jack Lemmon plays the station manager and Brimley is on board as Ted Spindler, a shift supervisor. When things go terribly wrong, it is Spindler who wants to shut things down and notify the public.
In Absence Of Malice (1981) Reporter Sally Field gets suckered into printing a completely false story about union official Michael Cunningham (Paul Newman). Brimley appears as James Wells, an assistant District Attorney who does his best to settle matters down before they blow up again.
Tender Mercies (1983) features Robert Duvall as alcoholic country singer Mac Sledge, attempting to reform as he promised motel owner Rosa Lee, a comely widow. Duvall did his own singing and won Oscar as Best Actor for this good film. Wilford Brimley is quietly effective as the manager of country singer Dixie Scott (Betty Buckley), Mac’s ex-wife.
The Hotel New Hampshire (1984) is faithfully adapted from John Irving’s novel. It features a wealth of unusual characters, some in the hotel owner’s (Beau Bridges) family. Too complicated for summarizing here, but I will point out that Wilford Brimley’s character, Iowa Bob, has a fatal heart attack when a stuffed dog he knows was long dead shows up at a Christmas celebration.
Robert Redford is Roy Hobbs in The Natural (1984) a baseball fairy tale that is quite wonderful. Hobbs shows up at the New York Knights’ practice as a 40-year-old rookie, whose signing enrages manager Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley). There are lots of shenanigans involving attempted fixes but Hobbs is unfazed and hits a legendary home run into the light standard to win the pennant.
Wilford Brimley appears as Ben Luckett, one of the fortunate oldsters rejuvenated by trespassing in a swimming pool owned by and magically charged by aliens. Cocoon (1985) is a real charmer about the transformation of the aging men and women made young again. There’s quite a cast: Jack Gilford, Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy and Gwen Verdon are all on board. It’s interesting that at the time of the filming, Brimley was actually about 20 years younger than the other actors, and dyed his hair and beard to fit in. BTW, the 1988 sequel sucks.
No more Mr. Nice Guy for Wilford Brimley for in The Firm (1993) he plays a law firm’s top security man who is actually their hit man. Tom Cruise, recent Harvard Law graduate, gratefully accepts employment with a Memphis law firm. He gradually discovers that the firm is crooked as a snake and involved in lots of criminal activity.
After this, Wilford Brimley’s resume’ drops off the earth. There are lots more movies, but none of them very good. I believe this was his choice, wanting to go his own way and leaving glitzy Hollywood productions behind.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults.
He made a nice living as a kindly, but grumpy, old man, and Wilford Brimley worked almost to the time of his death at 85. You might remember him from Quaker Oats commercials, or for his signature walrus moustache. Or maybe from some of these fine films.
The China Syndrome (1979) is still scary, with its cautionary tale about the failure of a nuclear power station. Jack Lemmon plays the station manager and Brimley is on board as Ted Spindler, a shift supervisor. When things go terribly wrong, it is Spindler who wants to shut things down and notify the public.
In Absence Of Malice (1981) Reporter Sally Field gets suckered into printing a completely false story about union official Michael Cunningham (Paul Newman). Brimley appears as James Wells, an assistant District Attorney who does his best to settle matters down before they blow up again.
Tender Mercies (1983) features Robert Duvall as alcoholic country singer Mac Sledge, attempting to reform as he promised motel owner Rosa Lee, a comely widow. Duvall did his own singing and won Oscar as Best Actor for this good film. Wilford Brimley is quietly effective as the manager of country singer Dixie Scott (Betty Buckley), Mac’s ex-wife.
The Hotel New Hampshire (1984) is faithfully adapted from John Irving’s novel. It features a wealth of unusual characters, some in the hotel owner’s (Beau Bridges) family. Too complicated for summarizing here, but I will point out that Wilford Brimley’s character, Iowa Bob, has a fatal heart attack when a stuffed dog he knows was long dead shows up at a Christmas celebration.
Robert Redford is Roy Hobbs in The Natural (1984) a baseball fairy tale that is quite wonderful. Hobbs shows up at the New York Knights’ practice as a 40-year-old rookie, whose signing enrages manager Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley). There are lots of shenanigans involving attempted fixes but Hobbs is unfazed and hits a legendary home run into the light standard to win the pennant.
Wilford Brimley appears as Ben Luckett, one of the fortunate oldsters rejuvenated by trespassing in a swimming pool owned by and magically charged by aliens. Cocoon (1985) is a real charmer about the transformation of the aging men and women made young again. There’s quite a cast: Jack Gilford, Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy and Gwen Verdon are all on board. It’s interesting that at the time of the filming, Brimley was actually about 20 years younger than the other actors, and dyed his hair and beard to fit in. BTW, the 1988 sequel sucks.
No more Mr. Nice Guy for Wilford Brimley for in The Firm (1993) he plays a law firm’s top security man who is actually their hit man. Tom Cruise, recent Harvard Law graduate, gratefully accepts employment with a Memphis law firm. He gradually discovers that the firm is crooked as a snake and involved in lots of criminal activity.
After this, Wilford Brimley’s resume’ drops off the earth. There are lots more movies, but none of them very good. I believe this was his choice, wanting to go his own way and leaving glitzy Hollywood productions behind.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Olivia de Havilland
She was sort of the Meryl Streep of the 40's with five Oscar nominations and two
wins. She was the sister of actress Joan Fontaine (Rebecca) and they had the worst
sibling rivalry since Cain and Abel. Olivia de Havilland lived to be 104 and if her starring
days were way behind her, well, there were sure a bunch of them! I’m going to stick to
to the films that got her nominated, but there are lots more.
Gone With The Wind (1939) is on everybody’s list in spite of having happy
slaves. This movie won everything on Oscar night: Best Movie, 12 other nominations
and 8 wins. Olivia was nominated for supporting actress and lost to Hattie McDaniel,
who actually won from the same movie! This film was shown so much that it was
referred to as “the Oz bowl game.” It still holds up pretty well and Olivia is very good as
doomed cousin Melanie.
In Hold Back The Dawn (1941) Charles Boyer is a Romanian gigolo lurking in Mexico to catch a naive American woman to marry so he can immigrate. Olivia de Havilland fills the bill, a schoolteacher from America with a busload of young boys. But she marries Charles and then it gets complicated. She is badly hurt in a car wreck but he sticks with her until the, of course, happy ending. Olivia was nominated for this one but lost to her not-exactly-beloved sister, Joan Fontaine, for Suspicion.
The third time was the charm for Olivia, as she copped the Oscar for Best Actress for her part in To Each His Own (1946). After a one-night stand with a soldier, she has a child. She gives him up for adoption, then regrets it and after four years gets him back. But he wants his adoptive parents, not her, and back he goes. Then there is a very unlikely happy ending, but hooray for Hollywood!
The Snake Pit (1948) ripped the cover off the dreadful state of most mental hospitals. Olivia de Havilland plays Virginia Cunningham, who is crazy, but not that crazy. Undone by a hateful jealous nurse, she is consigned to the Snake Pit, where the worst patients are simply strait-jacketed and thrown together. But don’t worry, there is the obligatory happy ending! Olivia was nominated for Best Actress, and she was very good but lost to Jane Wyman for Johnny Belinda. A close call, but I agree.
Olivia de Havilland copped her second Best Actress award for The Heiress (1949). And she is quite wonderful as the rather plain but rather wealthy Catherine Sloper. She is wooed by handsome gold digger Montgomery Clift. They plan to elope and she packs her bags and waits for him by the door. And waits. But he never comes. This is a truly great scene and she does it splendidly.
Olivia de Havilland can also be seen to good effect in My Cousin Rachel (1952), Libel (1959) and Light In The Piazza (1962).
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. Though tame by today’s standards, they are adults only films.
She was sort of the Meryl Streep of the 40's with five Oscar nominations and two
wins. She was the sister of actress Joan Fontaine (Rebecca) and they had the worst
sibling rivalry since Cain and Abel. Olivia de Havilland lived to be 104 and if her starring
days were way behind her, well, there were sure a bunch of them! I’m going to stick to
to the films that got her nominated, but there are lots more.
Gone With The Wind (1939) is on everybody’s list in spite of having happy
slaves. This movie won everything on Oscar night: Best Movie, 12 other nominations
and 8 wins. Olivia was nominated for supporting actress and lost to Hattie McDaniel,
who actually won from the same movie! This film was shown so much that it was
referred to as “the Oz bowl game.” It still holds up pretty well and Olivia is very good as
doomed cousin Melanie.
In Hold Back The Dawn (1941) Charles Boyer is a Romanian gigolo lurking in Mexico to catch a naive American woman to marry so he can immigrate. Olivia de Havilland fills the bill, a schoolteacher from America with a busload of young boys. But she marries Charles and then it gets complicated. She is badly hurt in a car wreck but he sticks with her until the, of course, happy ending. Olivia was nominated for this one but lost to her not-exactly-beloved sister, Joan Fontaine, for Suspicion.
The third time was the charm for Olivia, as she copped the Oscar for Best Actress for her part in To Each His Own (1946). After a one-night stand with a soldier, she has a child. She gives him up for adoption, then regrets it and after four years gets him back. But he wants his adoptive parents, not her, and back he goes. Then there is a very unlikely happy ending, but hooray for Hollywood!
The Snake Pit (1948) ripped the cover off the dreadful state of most mental hospitals. Olivia de Havilland plays Virginia Cunningham, who is crazy, but not that crazy. Undone by a hateful jealous nurse, she is consigned to the Snake Pit, where the worst patients are simply strait-jacketed and thrown together. But don’t worry, there is the obligatory happy ending! Olivia was nominated for Best Actress, and she was very good but lost to Jane Wyman for Johnny Belinda. A close call, but I agree.
Olivia de Havilland copped her second Best Actress award for The Heiress (1949). And she is quite wonderful as the rather plain but rather wealthy Catherine Sloper. She is wooed by handsome gold digger Montgomery Clift. They plan to elope and she packs her bags and waits for him by the door. And waits. But he never comes. This is a truly great scene and she does it splendidly.
Olivia de Havilland can also be seen to good effect in My Cousin Rachel (1952), Libel (1959) and Light In The Piazza (1962).
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. Though tame by today’s standards, they are adults only films.
Sunday, August 9, 2020
JANE WYMAN
Jane Wyman died at the age of 90. She famously left, and divorced, Ronald Reagan, and many who were not fans of The Gipper’s politics proudly wore buttons proclaiming “Jane Wyman Was Right.” She actually had two careers. From 1981 to 1990 she appeared in over 200 episodes of the megahit Falcon Crest, starring as Angela Channing, regal mistress of the upscale winery.
Her film career started in 1932, but her memorable roles were in the 40s and 50s. She won the Oscar as the heartbreakingly vulnerable Johnny Belinda (1948). This is the sort of role the Academy loves- she plays a deaf mute, the victim of a savage sexual assault. Using only her gestures and face, she truly breaks your heart.
Ms. Wyman is even better, in my humble opinion, in Tennessee Williams’ Glass Menagerie (1950). I have probably seen a half dozen productions of this memorable play, and to me Jane Wyman is Laura Wingfield. Gertrude Lawrence is fine as her vague but hopeful mother and Kirk Douglas is good as the gentleman caller. But Ms. Wyman carries this film as the crippled, enchanting Laura.
Billy Wilder’s Lost Weekend (1945) won everything in sight that year and still packs a punch after 70 years! It was one of the first Hollywood movies to treat a serious issue (alcoholism here) in a grown-up manner. Ray Milland sparkles as the rapidly sinking hero, and Jane Wyman is quite good as his somewhat enabling spouse.
The Yearling (1946) is a fawn raised by the young son (Claude Jarman, Jr.) of Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman. The boy learns a bitter lesson about necessity.
Magnificent Obsession (1954) is Douglas Sirk’s soapy remake of the earlier 1935 version, and it made Rock Hudson a star. It is his fault that Jane Wyman is blinded, and he vows to become a physician so he can heal her. She is good, once again playing a woman with a severe disorder. The story is ridiculous, but after all this is Hollywood, so just go with it.
All That Heaven Allows (1955) is another Douglas Sirk potboiler with Jane Wyman as the society lady scorned by friends and family because of her love of gardener Rock Hudson. Beneath her, you know...
Jane Wyman can also be seen to advantage as Betty Rogers in The Story of Will Rogers (1952), and as an amateur sleuth in a lesser Alfred Hitchcock vehicle, Stage Fright (1950).
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All except Johnny Belinda are really suitable for any age, keeping in mind the boredom factor for littlies.
Jane Wyman died at the age of 90. She famously left, and divorced, Ronald Reagan, and many who were not fans of The Gipper’s politics proudly wore buttons proclaiming “Jane Wyman Was Right.” She actually had two careers. From 1981 to 1990 she appeared in over 200 episodes of the megahit Falcon Crest, starring as Angela Channing, regal mistress of the upscale winery.
Her film career started in 1932, but her memorable roles were in the 40s and 50s. She won the Oscar as the heartbreakingly vulnerable Johnny Belinda (1948). This is the sort of role the Academy loves- she plays a deaf mute, the victim of a savage sexual assault. Using only her gestures and face, she truly breaks your heart.
Ms. Wyman is even better, in my humble opinion, in Tennessee Williams’ Glass Menagerie (1950). I have probably seen a half dozen productions of this memorable play, and to me Jane Wyman is Laura Wingfield. Gertrude Lawrence is fine as her vague but hopeful mother and Kirk Douglas is good as the gentleman caller. But Ms. Wyman carries this film as the crippled, enchanting Laura.
Billy Wilder’s Lost Weekend (1945) won everything in sight that year and still packs a punch after 70 years! It was one of the first Hollywood movies to treat a serious issue (alcoholism here) in a grown-up manner. Ray Milland sparkles as the rapidly sinking hero, and Jane Wyman is quite good as his somewhat enabling spouse.
The Yearling (1946) is a fawn raised by the young son (Claude Jarman, Jr.) of Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman. The boy learns a bitter lesson about necessity.
Magnificent Obsession (1954) is Douglas Sirk’s soapy remake of the earlier 1935 version, and it made Rock Hudson a star. It is his fault that Jane Wyman is blinded, and he vows to become a physician so he can heal her. She is good, once again playing a woman with a severe disorder. The story is ridiculous, but after all this is Hollywood, so just go with it.
All That Heaven Allows (1955) is another Douglas Sirk potboiler with Jane Wyman as the society lady scorned by friends and family because of her love of gardener Rock Hudson. Beneath her, you know...
Jane Wyman can also be seen to advantage as Betty Rogers in The Story of Will Rogers (1952), and as an amateur sleuth in a lesser Alfred Hitchcock vehicle, Stage Fright (1950).
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All except Johnny Belinda are really suitable for any age, keeping in mind the boredom factor for littlies.
Sunday, August 2, 2020
JANE WYATT
Her best known role was as the wise and nominally pretty stay-at-home Mom in the 50's TV show, Father Knows Best, which is still kicking around on TV Land and its brethren. After this long-running success, Jane Wyatt’s work was mostly in TV. And yet, before Robert Young and the tube, she had an interesting career on the silver screen. Ms. Wyatt left this vale of tears at the grand old age of 96.
Lost Horizon (1937) is an absolute masterpiece and still very much worth seeing. Based on James Hilton’s captivating novel, it is the story of a place (discovered quite by accident) that is for all intents and purposes, perfect. Directed by the iconic Frank Capra, it features Ronald Colman as well as Ms. Wyatt in a fairy tale about the possibility of perfection.
Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) is more than 60 years old, but is still a classic. Gregory Peck pretends to be Jewish to find out what it’s really like. He does. We do. Ms. Wyatt adds a nice note of stability as his lady friend. Ok, it’s a little dated, but aren’t we all?
Boomerang! (1947) is a good courtroom drama with a crime-fighting, straight-arrow District Attorney (Dana Andrews) who is the only one to question the guilt of a convenient suspect nabbed right after the crime. Ms. Wyatt is the supportive love interest in a fine film directed by Elia Kazan and based on a true story. Not to be confused with a really awful film of the same name with Eddie Murphy, released in 1992.
Ms. Wyatt is just fine as Aggie Hunter in None But The Lonely Heart (1944) written and directed by Clifford Odets. Pretty close to soap opera territory, but still a nice turn for those involved. You can’t go wrong with Cary Grant and Ethel Barrymore along.
One of Ms. Wyatt’s last feature film ventures was in the still-charming Never Too Late (1965) with Paul Ford and Maureen O’Sullivan as surprised middle-aged parents in waiting, and Ms. Wyatt as Grace Kimbrough, friend of the astonished family.
Ms. Wyatt is good in the pivotal role of Estella in the 1934 version of Great Expectations. But, in all honesty, this one pales compared to the 1946 classic directed by David Lean (though it is better than the weird 1998 one with Ethan Hawke).
All of the movies in this article are fine for children of all ages (boredom factor noted). All are available on DVD.
Her best known role was as the wise and nominally pretty stay-at-home Mom in the 50's TV show, Father Knows Best, which is still kicking around on TV Land and its brethren. After this long-running success, Jane Wyatt’s work was mostly in TV. And yet, before Robert Young and the tube, she had an interesting career on the silver screen. Ms. Wyatt left this vale of tears at the grand old age of 96.
Lost Horizon (1937) is an absolute masterpiece and still very much worth seeing. Based on James Hilton’s captivating novel, it is the story of a place (discovered quite by accident) that is for all intents and purposes, perfect. Directed by the iconic Frank Capra, it features Ronald Colman as well as Ms. Wyatt in a fairy tale about the possibility of perfection.
Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) is more than 60 years old, but is still a classic. Gregory Peck pretends to be Jewish to find out what it’s really like. He does. We do. Ms. Wyatt adds a nice note of stability as his lady friend. Ok, it’s a little dated, but aren’t we all?
Boomerang! (1947) is a good courtroom drama with a crime-fighting, straight-arrow District Attorney (Dana Andrews) who is the only one to question the guilt of a convenient suspect nabbed right after the crime. Ms. Wyatt is the supportive love interest in a fine film directed by Elia Kazan and based on a true story. Not to be confused with a really awful film of the same name with Eddie Murphy, released in 1992.
Ms. Wyatt is just fine as Aggie Hunter in None But The Lonely Heart (1944) written and directed by Clifford Odets. Pretty close to soap opera territory, but still a nice turn for those involved. You can’t go wrong with Cary Grant and Ethel Barrymore along.
One of Ms. Wyatt’s last feature film ventures was in the still-charming Never Too Late (1965) with Paul Ford and Maureen O’Sullivan as surprised middle-aged parents in waiting, and Ms. Wyatt as Grace Kimbrough, friend of the astonished family.
Ms. Wyatt is good in the pivotal role of Estella in the 1934 version of Great Expectations. But, in all honesty, this one pales compared to the 1946 classic directed by David Lean (though it is better than the weird 1998 one with Ethan Hawke).
All of the movies in this article are fine for children of all ages (boredom factor noted). All are available on DVD.
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