ROBERT FORSTER
Robert Forster, a consummate professional, died recently at 78. He had over 200 appearances in movies and TV shows. He seemed to be working constantly. At the time of his death two of his movies (El Camino and Phil) had just been released. One of his best known roles was as the sheriff in the quirky TV show Twin Peaks. Well, most of his movies weren’t very good, but Mr. Movie will try to pull the gold from the dross.
Mr. Forster’s last appearance of note was in the excellent underrated What They Had (2018).It is a good, and timely, portrayal of the family situation that many face. The family’s matriarch is fading into dementia. The kids want her to be in a care facility. The father is dead set against it, insisting he can take care of her. Such stubborn insistence has been faced by many children. But she is the love of his life and he just can’t let go. Mr. Forster shines as the adamant father. Blythe Danner, Hillary Swank and Michael Shannon complete a crackerjack cast.
Robert Forster’s first appearance on the radar was as John Cassellis, a news photographer striving to keep his distance from the frenetic rioting at the 1968 Democrat convention. (Mr. Movie remembers these events because he was tuning them in. Many of you weren’t born then.) Anyway, Medium Cool is a sort of docudrama about this historic incident. And Mr. Forster is very good in it.
Jackie Brown (1997) is Quentin Tarantino at the top of his game. Pam Grier has the title role as a mid-level bag woman. Robert Forster is Max Cherry, her willing helper. Jackie manages a complicated triple-cross that leave lots of bodies and missing money and she manages to leave the country with finances and body intact. Mr. Forster was nominated for an Oscar for his part, but lost to Robin Williams as the math teacher in Good Will Hunting.
Robert Forster plays an aging but still agile diamond salesman in Diamond Men (2000). His employer wants him gone, desiring younger and hungrier salesmen. The boss decides Forster’s character is the perfect person to train his replacement, ably played by Donnie Wahlberg. Their road trip-buddy film-coming of age flick is well done and somewhat instructive about aging out of a job before your time.
Mulholland Drive (2001) is just a very weird movie. That it was written and directed by David Lynch puts you quickly in the picture. And yet, is has been ranked as one of the greatest films of the century. I find the open-ended plot baffling, but Robert Forster, Naomi Watts and Laura Harring do their best with what they have.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.
THE PLAY’S THE THING
A splendid, and somewhat overlooked, movie from 1999 is Topsy-Turvy, an entertaining biography of the famous operetta composers, Gilbert and Sullivan. It is also a fascinating look backstage at the world of theater and a delightful glimpse at the rigors of writing and producing for the stage. Any movie fan interested in the components of live theater will adore Topsy-Turvy.
Al Pacino’s lifelong infatuation with Shakespeare’s Richard III provides the basis for the intelligent and riveting Looking For Richard (1996). With a few of his friends (Kevin Spacey, Winona Ryder, Estelle Parsons, Aidan Quinn, et al) Pacino first dissects a scene, relates it to modern life, then the cast performs it. Another wonderful film for anyone interested in the theater, Shakespeare- or life.
A variation on this theme is the remarkable Vanya On 42nd Street (1994) in which we watch the actors, director and small audience experience Chekov’s Uncle Vanya. Director Louis Malle’s version of David Mamet’s play is almost hypnotic as we watch the actors become the characters and the rehearsal become the play, and both somehow become real life. Wallace Shawn, Andre Gregory and Julianne Moore head a fine cast.
Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway (1994) is his take on the creative process involved in live theater. Diane Wiest (Oscar, best supporting actress), John Cusak, Chaz Palmienteri, and Jennifer Tilly have a ball in this constantly funny and engaging film. Cusak is a struggling playwright who sells out in a heartbeat to get his
play produced, even if involves placating the mob and casting their moll as the heroine. One of Woody’s delightful entertainments, without a serious bone in its body.
Shakespeare In Love (1998) brought the Bard to the masses, enchanted everyone with its humor and heart, and won the Oscar for best movie. Gwyneth Paltrow (Oscar), Joseph Fiennes, Judy Dench (Oscar) and Geoffrey Rush gleefully lead this romp through 16th century theater. Shakespeare decides against “Romeo and Ethel” as a title, and decides to leave out the pirates in his latest play. He also strives to get paid rather than to get famous.
Annette Bening owns Being Julia (2004) lock, stock and barrel, but that’s ok because she is absolutely super as an aging actress who still knows a trick or two. She seems always “on stage” to her college-aged son and her producer-husband (Jeremy Irons). She is roughly pushed aside by a director and young ingenue. Then she pushes back!
All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are suitable for children 12 and over.
WEDDING BELLS
Weddings are an excellent movie subject, and one of the most popular was the exuberant My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), which unknown Nia Vardalos wrote and starred in. It is a tremendous amount of fun. The contrast between the bride’s seemingly unending bevy of outgoing, emotional relatives and the groom’s buttoned up Ivy League parents is constantly funny, and you’ll learn of the healing properties of Windex!
Implausible as it may seem, an even better ethnic wedding film than Greek Wedding appeared the year before, and is almost unknown. Monsoon Wedding (2001) is the story of an arranged Indian wedding priced way beyond the means of the bride’s doting parents. By turns humorous and serious, it examines the tangled web of families, traditions, secrets and loyalties in new and exciting ways.
Another excellent sleeper is Muriel’s Wedding (1994 Australia) in which our heroine leaves the farm for the bright lights of Sydney with her adventurous girlfriend and gets married for all the wrong reasons. Constantly surprising, and with a cast of little-known Aussie actors, this is a treasure about what is important and what is not.
Weighing in from England is the delightful Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). This is the movie that introduced us to the charmingly awkward Hugh Grant and to the icily beautiful Andie MacDowell. Mr. Grant is a confirmed good-time guy who suddenly notices that all his friends are tying the knot. Playing the field no longer seems such a great idea. Ms. MacDowell captures his heart and is harder to get than a
moon rock. There are delightful moments at all the weddings, and at the funeral. Milestone events are sometimes a wake-up call, even for a good-natured rake like Mr. Grant.
Julia Roberts’ best friend in My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) isn’t a girl, it’s childhood buddy Dermot Mulroney. The two had pledged that if they were both still single at age 28, they’d just marry each other. But Mulroney shows up with fiancé Cameron Diaz, and Ms. Roberts goes pleasantly ballistic, trying all sorts of subtle and obvious ploys to sabotage the wedding. I’ll let you find out how it ends.
Other good wedding movies include Father of the Bride (1950) with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor. The 1991 remake with Steve Martin is a pale imitation. For something completely different, there’s Robert Altman’s A Wedding (1978) with his usual cast of thousands and disjointed story line.
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for 10 and up.
SALESMEN
Even in this day of the internet and smart phones, the traveling salesman and saleswoman who personally calls on customers is still the backbone of American commerce. Are there good movies about them? I thought you’d never ask!
The mother of all salesman flicks is Death of a Salesman, from Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer-prize play which is a microcosm of American commerce and family life. And we have three excellent versions. The first, in 1951, features the late Frederic March as Willy Loman, Mildred Dunnock as his long-suffering wife, and Cameron Mitchell and Kevin McCarthy as the sons. The 1985 version stars Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich. Both of these are good; the earlier one is a shade better. Also quite good is a 2002 Broadway play with Lee J. Cobb. Beware the 2008 version- it’s in a weird format that won’t run on most DVD players.
Diamond Men (2001) has the underrated Robert Forster as the old veteran diamond salesman and Donnie Wahlberg as the raw rookie on the circuit. The veteran’s health and age are pushing him out, and he is offered a short respite to train the young guy. It’s a real culture clash, which is entertaining, and there are several nice twists and turns before an ending you will like.
The cast of Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) reads like a who’s who of actors. Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin are fine in David Mamet’s play about desperate real estate salesmen, who are really more like con men. A terrific character study, both of the salesmen and of America.
Few actors can compare to Danny Devito as a sleazeball and he is at his smarmiest in Barry Levinson’s Tin Men (1987) about two siding salesmen, who become
even more hostile when their cars collide in Baltimore. A very young Richard Dreyfuss is good as Danny’s nemesis. Sometimes an uneven blend of comedy and pathos, Tin Men is entertaining if unresolved.
Last but hardly least, Salesman (1969) is a Maysles brothers documentary that follows real Bible salesmen on their daily rounds, their get-togethers and their sales meetings. An incredible job of cinema verite work, the film is so real and sometimes heart-breaking that parts of it are hard to take. But if you want to know what it’s like to be a salesman in America, you can’t do any better than this.
All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. All are grown-up films.
CHINA
2019's outstanding The Farewell examines the age-old conflict between modern Chinese-Americans and the traditional way. Billi (actress Awkwafina) is a 30-year-old writer who is pretty well Americanized. She returns to China on the news that her beloved grandmother is dying of cancer. When she arrives she discovers that no one has told the old lady about her condition or her prognosis, and Billi must not tell either. Also, she must not look sad! Touching and funny, this is an outstanding film. The ending is a zapper!
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) is available on DVD. And though its high-flying martial arts sequences might be a little better on the big screen, it is still a terrific rental. This marvelous film marks the complete coming of age of the Chinese cinema and perhaps has raised the bar on fight scenes to unreachable levels. Crouching Tiger features two great love stories, mystery, suspense, and the most incredible flying circus martial arts panorama of all time. It won an Oscar as Best Foreign Film and was even nominated as Best Movie.
But there’s a lot more to Chinese films than kung fu. Raise The Red Lantern (1991) is a timeless set piece on the place of women in society, though the story of the beautiful concubine is centuries old. The acting and the costumes are first rate.
Ju Dou (1989) is one of several films in this column banned in China. In it, a young girl’s arranged marriage to a much older factory owner is the center of a story of intrigue, infidelity and the sometimes stultifying effects of tradition.
Farewell, My Concubine (1993) uses Chinese traditional opera as its centerpiece and as a metaphor for the chaos wrought by the Cultural Revolution. Another non-favorite in China, it includes a forbidden love triangle, great scenery and acting, and a look at a facet of another culture completely unknown to most Americans.
The Story Of Qiu Ju (1992) is a terrific movie with a story that travels well to almost anywhere. A simple village woman’s husband is beaten up by the powerful
village chief. She will not rest until there is both an explanation and an apology. Her struggles with the bureaucracy and her refusal to give up are both amusing and heartening. The undertow here is a sly look at how bureaucrats don’t really help anyone but themselves, which is just as true in China as elsewhere.
All of the films in this article are available on DVD, including the first one, and all are adult fare.
ANN MILLER
Betty Grable’s were more famous, but Ann Miller’s legs were better. Ms. Miller left this world at 81, and I picture her tap dancing her way through the pearly gates to the great delight of everyone. She could tap 500 times a minute, and smile through every one of them.
As she said herself, she was always the second girl, the slightly kooky friend of the female star. When Cyd Charisse broke a leg before filming began on Easter Parade (1948), MGM turned to Ms. Miller who responded brilliantly. Granted, Fred Astaire and Judy Garland are the stars in this spectacular musical, but Ms. Miller is just as good and lights up the screen with her dancing. If you get a chance to see this, notice the gorgeous Technicolor. They truly don’t make them like that any more.
In Stage Door (1937) Ann Miller holds her own with some true legends: Katherine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball and Eve Arden. This is a fine film about young women trying to make it big in show business while they work at dreary low-paying jobs and share a beat up boarding house.
To me Ann Miller’s shining hour is in On The Town (1949). She has a couple of great tap numbers, the costumes and scenery are fabulous, and with Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Vera-Ellen this is a fun film about three sailors with only a 24-hour leave in New York City.
In Room Service (1938) Ms. Miller had the courage (or lack of sense) to appear on the same screen as the Marx Brothers, who clown and ad lib their way through a luxury cruise. Ms. Miller is a good-natured lady along for the ride. There’s a scene with about a hundred people in a stateroom- how did they do that?
Ann Miller appears in Kiss Me Kate (1953) not, of course, as Kate but as her girlfriend. Kate is Katherine Grayson, her husband is Howard Keel, and this is a wonderful musical take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. There is great dancing and the Cole Porter score is marvelous.
Some other Ann Miller outings worth a look include Too Many Girls (1946), Lovely To Look At (1952), and Hit The Deck (1955), all from the golden age of musicals. Ms. Miller’s last appearance on the silver screen is in David Lynch’s utterly confusing Mulholland Drive (2001).
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for all ages except the last one.
RIP TORN
Rip Torn died recently. He was 88. I always assumed he picked that quirky name to sound tough. Many famous actors have changed their name to something easier to remember- Tina Fey, Vin Diesel, Whoopi Goldberg, etc. But no, that is Rip Torn’s real name! Well, Torn is his family name and men in the family had been called Rip for several generations. He had a glowery countenance, perfect for playing bad guys. I cannot remember a movie where he smiled.
He logged nearly 200 credits in movies and TV. Mr. Movie is here for you, to rip(!) out the gold from the dross in Torn’s dossier.
Let’s begin with his one Academy Award nomination. It came in 1983 when he portrayed Marsh Turner in Cross Creek, the excellent film based on Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ classic autobiographical story. Mary Steenburgen plays the author, who leaves her husband and New York after buying a Florida orange grove sight unseen. Her interaction with the locals becomes the basis for her very successful novel, The Yearling. Rip Torn’s character is forced to shoot his daughter’s pet deer after it eats all of the family’s vegetables. By the way, Torn lost to Jack Nicholson for Terms Of Endearment.
Pork Chop Hill (1959) is one of the very best Korean war movies, and Rip Torn appears as Lieutenant Walter Russell. The Americans and South Koreans take Pork Chop Hill from the enemy, but suffer grievous losses. The Chinese are massing to retake the hill, but the allies are still urged to hold out despite the overwhelming force against them. Gregory Peck has the major role in the film, but the cast includes an astonishing list of actors who went on to become stars: Martin Landau, Woody Strode, Harry Guardino, Robert Blake, George Peppard, Gavin MacLeod, and Harry Dean Stanton. It’s fun to see all these guys when they weren’t yet famous.
Marie Antoinette (2006) is the fairly accurate biopic of the Austrian beauty who lost her head in the French Revolution. She is sent to France to marry the future Louis XVI and produce heirs. She doesn’t for many years and the French blame her, though her husband seems impotent or uninterested or both. Much later he finally gets the idea and a daughter is born. Rip Torn plays his father, Louis XV, who dies of smallpox. Kirsten Dunst has a great time playing the flighty Marie.
In both of the first two Men In Black (1997) and (2002) Rip Torn is the boss of the two leads, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, who go around outing and blowing away aliens who look like ordinary people. Rip is appropriately dictatorial and frequently angry.
Rip Torn can also be seen as Big Daddy in the TV movie of Cat
on A Hot Tin Roof (1984).
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.
