STN Entertainment
'The Star Maker'
'A Family Thing'
seem to work, the would-be stars
bare their souls, as Morelli de-
clares, 'What a face!" — over and
n Cinema Paradiso, Director over.
Giuseppe Tornatore captured
Having no real connection to
the sense of sheer joy that the film business, Morelli doesn't
movies can bring us. We es- appear to have the slightest
cape, we dream, we forget — in sense of remorse for his thievery
the fantasy world of flick-
but, as time goes on, his
ering light. If Cinema
conscience begins to en-
MOVIES
Paradiso was a valentine
gage him in a war of at-
to the magical lure of cin-
trition. Only the
ema, then Tornatore's newest unrelenting prodding of a come-
film, The Star Maker, is a poison ly young woman, too simple to
letter.
see past the facade, can bring
Set in 1953, the film follows Morelli back to humanity. It is a
traveling huckster Joe Morelli trip that he may not survive in-
(Sergio Castellitto) through Sici- tact.
ly as he peddles a tonic that
Tornatore possesses a re-
brings prospects of hope and markable ability to explore basic
glamour to the villagers he en- human issues in a manner that
counters. Although his product is unabashedly poignant, with-
is no more effective than snake
out being overwhelmingly senti-
oil, it goes down a lot smoother. mental. He demonstrated this in
See, Morelli is a merchant of Cinema Paradiso and, to a less-
dreams. Not little ones, or sim- er extent, does so with The Star
ple ones, but big, glorious, emp- Maker.
ty ones.
The script is honest, intelligent
Touring around in a crickety and boasts moments of great in-
truck marked "Studios de Uni- sight and wit. No one in this film
versales," Morelli preys upon is above pathos; no one is beyond
some universal fantasies by of- redemption. Like his character
fering screen tests for a mere Morelli, Tornatore finds beauty
1,500 lire. He passes out dialogue in the faces that parade before
from Gone with the Wind —blue his camera. Fortunately for the
pages for men, pink for women. film goer, Tornatore's camera ac-
The citizens flock, with money in tually works.
their hands, and hearts on their
sleeves. Seated in a makeshift
tent, before a camera that doesn't
— Richard Halprin
half-brother in Chicago. As my
last dying wish, go find him.
It doesn't take a large stretch
ith Republican legisla- of the imagination to understand
tors swamping Con- Earl's shock. His sense of identi-
gress, and Republican ty utterly destroyed, he has only
candidates and credo one option: he must take tempo-
filling the national news, it rary leave of his family and head
comes as no surprise that Hol- for Chicago on a much-needed
lywood is beginning to deal with journey of self-discovery.
some conservative issues. A
Upon arriving in the Windy
Family Thing, directed by City, Earl quickly learns that his
Richard Pearce and written by Southern bravado is little pro-
Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Ep- tection against the hazards of a
person, focuses on one of the Midwestern metropolis. Also, he
greatest concerns this election is suddenly in the racial minori-
year: the American family.
ty for the first time in his life. Af-
The family in this film deals ter some inquiry, Earl meets
with the heavy issues of race policeman Ray Murdoch (James
and self-acceptance in an hon- Earl Jones), his long-estranged
est, yet lighthearted fashion. I brother.
don't think it's what Pat
Although the two don't exact-
Buchanan has in mind when he ly hit it off (mutual prejudice and
pontificates on family values.
tension intervene), circum-
Constructed for a
stance thrusts Earl into
family audience, A
MOVIES
Ray's life, in a primarily
Family Thing takes a
black community. In Ray's
simple, almost farcical
small apartment, Earl now lives
approach to its premise. Earl with Ray, Ray's son Virgil
Pilcher Jr. (Robert Duvall) is an (Michael Beach) and the blind,
Arkansas good or boy in his 60s,
elderly and loving Aunt T. (Irma
happily mired in a comfortable P. Hall). Despite several shared
life of family, auto repair and misadventures and uncomfort-
Southern pride. But when Earl's able situations, with Aunt T.'s en-
mother dies from Alzheimer's, couragement the brothers
his world is completely shat- develop a common understand-
tered — not by her death, which ing and appreciation that em-
was expected, but by a letter she phasizes the film's main point:
leaves behind. To paraphrase, Love and the bond of family tran-
she writes: I am not your real scend differences that exist only
mother; she was a black woman on the surface.
who died while bringing you into
Though somewhat melodra-
this world. You have a black matic, A Family Thing remains
Rated R
I
Rated PG-13
powerful and inspiring through
thoughtful characterizations.
With a bow-legged gait and a
Southern drawl, Robert Duvall
paints a comical picture on the
mean streets of Chicago. He per-
fectly captures the ignorance, in-
nocence and confusion of an
older man seeking his true iden-
tity in a totally unfamiliar sit-
uation.
On the opposite extreme,
James Earl Jones is effective in
embodying the annoyance, bit-
terness and underlying sensitiv-
ity of an ex-Marine-turned-cop
who has his comfortable exis-
tence destroyed by a ghost from
the past. Irma P. Hall, mean-
while, brings humor to her role
as the glue that holds the family
together.
Ultimately, A Family Thing
shows that while the American
family of the '90s is no longer
just a conservative concept, it's
as important an institution as
ever.
c)
— Dan Zimmerman
Bagel Barometer
Outstanding
0.A*-)
Very Good
lOck)
Good
Fair
Sergio Castellitto
and Tiziana Lodato
are featured in
Giuseppe
Tornatore's The
Star Maker.
Box Office grosses, nationally and regionally.
*For the weekend of March 22
Top 10 filing (in order of local rank)
Film
Nat'l rank
1
The Birdcage
2
Executive Decision
Girl 6
7
3
Diabolique
Up Close & Personal 5
Homeward Bound 2 4
Fargo
6
Down Periscope
9
Mr. Holland's Opus 8
13
Race The Sun
Local box office
$ 232,408
$ 174,827
$ 102,142
$ 101,197
$ 79,812
$ 66,176
$ 65,510
$ 39,214
$ 29,229
$ 28,929
Nat'l box office
$ 13,294,404
$ 9,776,225
$ 2,485,764
$ 5,524,055
$ 4,172,633
$ 4,186,801
$ 2,812,662
$ 1,924,558
$ 1,973,447
$ 1,116,504
James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall play brothers who learn that although their lives have been distanced by more than just
miles, the bonds of family are indestructible.