eIN Entertainment 'Foxfire' p arents and responsible adults will cringe throughout this problematic parable of fe- male empowerment. Teens may flock to it for all the wrong reasons. Foxfire is a tale of four Port- land high-school girls: Maddy Wirtz (Hedy Burress, "Boston Commons"), a seemingly consci- entious photography/art student; Rita Faldes (Jenny Lewis), an ugly dumpling; Violet Kahn (Sarah Rosenberg), a doe-eyed promiscuous tart; and Goldie Goldman (Jenny Shimizu), an es- tranged, drug-addled loner. Their lives are changed irrevocably by the intrusion of a mysterious stranger named Legs Sadovsky (Angelina Jolie, Hackers, the real- life daughter of actor Jon Voight), an androgynous drifter who teaches them rebellion, retalia- tion and "grrls (sic) rights." homely Rita is most beset upon. Foxfire is based on the Joyce Her biology teacher, Mr. Carol Oaths novel originally set Buttinger, is keeping her after in the 1950s. It has been con- school and fondling her. She is temporized to the point where it too afraid to say anything. looks like someone saw a Benet- Legs, in a series of specious in- ton ad and decided it would make cidents, establishes herself as a a good script. It's all chic surface, sort of mystical interloper who but pretends to delve deeper. metes out justice to pernicious Maddy, as the picture begins, adults. But, of course, all the is taking photos of her boyfriend adults in this teen fantasy are in- as he bounds butt-naked through sensitive and too busy enforcing the woods. Later at school, she petty rules to really listen to their uses a computer graphics pro- kids. And so the kids are free to gram to manipulate the images raise themselves. for an assignment. We also meet The girls join together to en- Goldie, face down in the toilet trap the sexually harass- bowl. Alienated from her ing teacher, turn an weathier-than-thou par- M OVIES abandoned home on ents, Goldie has drifted into the edge of town into a casual drug use and som- club house ("Grrls Only!"), nambulism. Meanwhile, Violet, then break into the school to re- who for all practical purposes trieve Maddy's portfolio. Re- dresses like a hooker, can't un- turning to their hideout, they derstand why the boys are only strip to the waist and tattoo the interested in her for one thing. Foxfire emblem on one another's Despite all these tribulations, breas' is in a hazy five-minute in- terlude. That scene points out the main contradiction in the film's posture. It wants to be about female risk-taking, bravery and solidarity. But this seminude pseudo-rite-of- initiation smacks of exploita- tion. Foxfire's young actresses are so hip and nonchalant, and the Portland scenery is so drenched in teen angst, that such behavior may look cool to today's teens. But the film's vigilante heart is false and its solutions to the malaise of teen-age existence fall far short of acceptable. 4:0! Goldie Goldman (Jenny Shimizu) and Legs Sadovsky (Angelina Jolie) struggle with finding their independence and making a difference. — Dick Rockwell For more about Peter Himmelman and his Stage Diving release, see to- day's JNE Music article on page 93. Rated R cumstantially terminated. Soon, Annie, Matthew and Joe are headed west to take shelter uppose a giant magnetic me- in the back woods. They're pack- teorite swept past Earth just ing a shotgun and ready for trou- close enough to erase all our ble. Once out on the highway, ATM cards, computer disks, the travelers are stranded. Will videotapes, hotel room keys, and Matthew, Annie and Joe regain all other electro-magnetic tech- the technological tools which nology. "Don't leave home with- have civilized them, become out it" would become a lame jest. craven scavengers or end up as The Trigger Effect, written roadkill? and directed by David Koepp's directorial Koepp (screenwriter for dilemma is convincing us MOVIES blockbusters Jurassic these characters are be- Park and Mission Impos- having differently because of sible), plays out the rude after- the extremity of their situation. math of such a technological But by focusing on a nuclear disaster without providing so family on the verge of a melt- much as a single clue to its down, he has succeeded only in cause. This omission places the story's emphasis on an or- dinary trio of subur- banites who struggle with the conse- quences of a world wide blackout. No electricity, no tele- phones, no radio, no TV, no newspapers. Following a night out at the movies, Matthew (Kyle MacLachlan) and Annie (Elisabeth Shue) discover that a massive power fail- ure has rendered their household ap- pliances and com- munications devices useless. There is no immediate panic. Initially, the cou- ple are easy to iden- tify with. Their baby has an ear infection and needs a pre- How can Matthew (Kyle MacLachlan) and Annie scription. At the (Elisabeth Shue) survive without technology? drugstore, however, the pharmacist has no access to exposing latent hostilities which on-line records and is unwilling pre-existed and may well have to dispense medication without erupted on their own. a doctor's prescription. Matthew Words to the wise, Matthew takes matters into his own and Annie: Chill out and relax. hands by sneaking back into the Take some time off. Get to know store to steal the medication. each other. Make love, not war. Law-abiding citizens, whose lives are generally better because of ,90 4 technology, start to unravel with- out it. — Dick Rockwell A blue-collar friend, Joe (Der- mot Mulroney), drops by bring- ing rumors of "looting and shooting" in town. This paranoia is shared by neighbors and, for Outstanding a while, The Trigger Effect re- sembles the old "Twilight Zone" Very Good episode "The Monsters Are Due Good on Maple Street." The societal ck) microcosm breaks down even Fair further when a prowler is cir- S PHOTO BY DEANA NEWCO MB Rated R 'The Trigger. Effect' c_) Bagel Barometer .0. MOVIE LISTINGS ON PAGE 92.