STN Entertainment
'A Time To Kill'
'The Adventures
of Pinocchio'
Rated R
Rated G
PHOTO BY C HRI STINE LOSS
Throughout this film, Pinoc-
chio behaves like a real child. The
of so long ago, John Gr-
alt Disney may have had various animation techniques
isham was a practicing at-
the lock on this Pinocchio blend superbly. Pinocchio's in-
torney in Mississippi. A
story for the past 50 years, nocent wide-eyed attraction to
mere five years later, he is
but now he's got serious his world's wonders and his en-
the author of six best-selling
competition. The Adventures of suing journeys are utterly con-
novels, three of which have been
Pinocchio lives and breathes. And vincing. When he tells a lie and
adapted into blockbuster films.
Jim Henson's Creature Shop, his nose grows, it pokes out into
Now, a fourth is about to be
the audience like a 3-D movie
along with a stellar bunch
added to the list: A Time to Kill
(kids will love this part).
of digital animators,
reunites Grisham with Direc-
The carriage ride to Plea-
rules.
MOVIES
tor Joel Schumacher, who di-
sure Island, where all the
From the first scene in
rected The Client.
bad
boys become jackasses,
the forest, suffused with
Hollywood's newest up-and-
golden magical light, we know is sensational. The set designers
corner. Matthew McConaugh-
that director Steve Barron has have given us just enough to look
ey (Lone Star), portrays Jake
taken consummate care crafting at, not like the overdone Never-
Brigance, an earnest young
land playground in Steven Spiel-
this classic story.
lawyer in Mississippi. Brigance
berg's Hook.
While out chopping wood, the
finds himself compelled to de- Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) questions Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L.
humble Geppetto (Martin Lan-
fend Carl Lee Halley (Samuel L. Jackson), who is on trial for murder.
dau) pauses to carve his true
Jackson), a black factory work-
love's initials in the trunk of a
Brigance and his young fami- which is difficult to capture in a
er who has committed a pas-
tree. Shortly after, a lightening
performance.
ly
become
irretrievably
enmeshed
sionate act of retribution after his
Hailey's grounded attitude to- bolt strikes the trunk and sends
10-year-old daughter has been in a web of personal angst, racial
ward
his situation is intrinsic in magical sparks to the initialed
tensions
and
Ku
Klux
Klan
up-
raped, tortured and left for dead.
heart. (Hey, it worked in Phe-
Thus, the ambitious Brigance risings (one KKK member is his understanding of human na- nomenon.) Too shy to propose,
ture,
and
he
is
the
source
of
in-
played
by
Donald
Sutherland's
sets out to teach the world — and
lonely Geppetto spends his life
real-life son, Kiefer Suther- spiration to Brigance, who begins
prosecutor Rufus Buckley
making wooden puppets of im-
to
waver
with
the
negative
events
land).
(The Usual Suspects'
peccable design.
The real hero, howev- engulfing him.
MOVIES
Academy Award-win-
Years pass, and the weath-
Although
there
is
a
bit
of
fairy-_
er,
turns
out
to
be
Jack-
ning Kevin Spacey) that
ered
Geppetto serendipitously
it is possible, in the New South, son. The actor was awarded the tale optimism to parts of brings home a portion of that
Grisham's story, even die-hard
to provide a defendant with a fair, Cannes Film Festival's Best Sup-
same tree trunk, aged, but still
just trial. Brigance is aided by Lu- porting Performance Award for cynics may be moved to melt by
the film's heartened determina- brimming with magic. The log
cien Wilbanks (Donald Suther- Jungle Fever and was nominat-
tion to "love thy neighbor," or at has a mind of its own, bouncing
land) and Sandra Bullock (Speed, ed for Best Supporting Actor in
out of the fireplace. Geppetto de-
While You Were Sleeping), who Pulp Fiction. His portrayal of least get to know him.
cides to carve it into a new mar-
turns in a typically endearing Carl Lee Hailey, a man already
ionette. And so, Pinocchio is
c).4.)
performance as the self-pro- struggling through a life with the
born,
made of pine and "mag
claimed "brilliant law student" cards stacked against him, ex-
Pinocchio comes to life as Jonathan Taylor
— Lynne Konstantin nifico."
Ellen Roark.
udes an honesty toward life
Now here's where the real Thomas.
magic takes place: Young movie
Could this be a whale of a tale
goers will be absolutely enthralled
an international cartel. The amoral hoods are all
when the wooden boy comes to without Monstro the whale, or,
menacing, and their army of thugs all fight mind-
life. Pinocchio's woodgrained face in this case, the monstrous
lessly for evil purposes. Chan slices through their
is beatific, full of innocence. His Lorenzini who has been trans-
ranks like a hot samurai sword through butter.
There's plenty of comic relief, since Chan real-
eyes sparkle and his limbs are ea- formed into a whale by drinking
ger to explore. Geppetto is aston- that same fluid that turned the
izes the outrageousness of anyone being a Super-
ished and delighted. At last, a boys into donkeys? Of course not.
cop, or James Bond for that matter. His
Pinocchio's rescue of Geppetto
companion.
self-conscious shrugs, and willingness to mock him-
Filling in for Disney's di- from the belly of the beast is an
self, make him an amiable, attractive hero. If you
sheveled cat and crafty fox in the exciting and new interpretation.
must see only one kung movie this year, make sure
Only when Pinocchio is trans-
story are purr-fectly cast Bebe
it stars the real thing — Jackie Chan.
Neuwirth (Dr. Lillith Sternim- formed into a real live boy (the
Crane from "Cheers") and "Sat- too-long-in-the-tooth Jonathon
urday
Night Live" alumnus Rob Taylor Thomas — "Home Im-
— Dick Rockwell
Schneider. Exquisitely conniv- provement"), or when a con-
ing, they're anxious to waylay temptuous moralizing cricket
Pinocchio and sell him to the evil named Pepe appears, does this
puppet master Lorenzini (Udo film suffer in the translation.
Outstanding
Kier). When they succeed, Pinoc- Overall, the film is true to its
chio is cast in a grand operetta fairy-tale roots, gracefully re-
Very
Good
(musical score by Queen's Brian vealing the no-strings-attached,
®
May). Pinocchio must choose loving bond that exists between
Good
stardom or loyalty to his fellow parent and child.
puppets when Lorenzini breathes
00.
Fair Jackie Chan: From Rumble in the Bronxto Supercop.
clouds of fire across the elegant
stage.
— Dick Rockwell
Bagel. Barometer
• c!)
l