I Urift IdtanDij Take a trip to the 'Badlands' In one of his earliest screen roles, Martin Sheen stars in "Badlands," a 1974 Terrence Malick thriller about a teenager who kills his girl- friend's father. Over the years, the film has gained a cult following, and it is playing tonight -just for you, film fan - at the Natural Science Auditorium at 7:15. Don't miss it. Tuesday October 29, 1996 5 Weak 'Gillia By Bryan Lark Daily Arts Writer Pretending to be a deep, complex exploration of love and grief, "To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday" is actually nothing more than a celebration of soggy sen- timent and romantic stereotypes that banks on the ence's appreciation of a good cry. owever, the film fails to achieve the depth it strives for and barely garners a sniffle, let alone all-out "Steel Magnolias" tears. This is despite wrenching performances by an exceptional ensemble led by Peter Gallagher and Claire Danes. Though she logs minimal screen time, Michelle Pfeiffer R E asGillian is the true star of this TO overwhelmingly bland and pre- tentious film. As the core of stagnant, unsubstantiated plot, Pfeiffer's Gillian is charming, radiant, and, well - she's dead. When the two-year anniversary of Gillian's demise in a boating accident rolls around (a day that also hap- pens to be her 37th birthday), confronting her death is not the first order of business for David and Rachel Lewis (Gallagher and Danes), Gillian's husband and daughter. For David, every night is as momentous as Gillian's hday - he spends countless hours in the surf with Wspirit of Gillian, kissing and kidding with his love- ly wife, while Rachel watches helplessly in agony her father's delusional happiness. Now occupying the Nantucket beach house where Gillian spent her last few days in 1994, David and Rachel welcome Gillian's analytical sister Esther in' suffers birthday blues ill 7 (Kathy Baker) and Esther's sardonic husband Paul (Bruce Altman) for an observance of Gillian's legacy on Labor Day. Thrown into the firestorm of emotions that is the Lewis household are Kevin Danford (Wendy Crewson), who was brought to Nantucket unwittingly to help David "get over" his late wife, and nymphet- next-door Cindy (Laurie Fortier) who has all the seductiveness of a 16-year-old Pamela Lee, but with more wit and less plastic. Despite a few humorous sidetracks into karaoke and sand-castle competition, the depressing weekend is all about V I E W Gillian - David frolicking with Man on Her her ghost on the beach; Rachel th Birthday graciously harboring her own pain to ease her father's; Esther attempting to gain permanent At showcase custody of Rachel and save her from David's demented devotion to Gillian. Over the course of the weekend, facts are revealed, relationships are re-evaluated and questions are emi- nent. Is David really crazy? Will Rachel be better off with her aunt and uncle? Can Paul and Esther ever have a love as strong as David and Gillian's? How can Kevin escape the island of insanity? Why is such an insignif- icant character as Cindy in this film? Does anyone care? Trying to juggle familial relations, coming of age, forbidden sexuality, humor and heart, not to mention the aforementioned questions in just about 90 min- utes, "To Gillian" drops all of the balls in one mal- adroit, if gorgeously executed, motion. It is difficult to pinpoint what is actually wrong with this cheesy film, seeing that all elements are presum- ably in order - perhaps the order is just wretched. Whatever makes "To Gillian" so brilliantly mediocre, it is decidedly not the fault of the endlessly appealing cast. Gallagher, while a bit unbelievable as a grieving widower and a capricious father, deftly conveys the outward derangement and hidden distress of David. Usually, when Gallagher is brought up in conversa- tion, things like well-tailored, arrogance, one-testicle coma guy and huge bushy eyebrows spring to mind, not father and widower. Maybe that's just me. If not for Gallagher or Gillian's birthday, then one reason to celebrate is the overall greatness of Danes. So heartbreakingly real and unabashedly astonishing on "My So-Called Life," in "Little Women" and here as the tortured Rachel, Danes is one of the best actresses working today. Making this film as a favor to her husband, pro- ducer David Kelley, Pfeiffer is amazing as Gillian, haunting every word and movement of the film. Making her supporting role a star vehicle, Pfeiffer does nothing for the good of the film by uttering such cheese-laden phrases to Gallagher as "You're OK, Mr. Man." If anything good can be said about "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday," aside from the great cast and lus- cious locations, it is that the film is better than Pfeiffer's last vehicle, "Up Close and Personal," which is not a miraculous feat by any means. This "Birthday" is one in which you can simply send money or your regards and not feel guilty about your absence from the celebration. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything. Peter Gallagher consoles Claire Danes in "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday." Gospel's McClurkin returns to M1 ot+owna *Eugene Bowen Daily Arts Writer Donnie McClurkin is coming home. And the 35-year-old associate minister of Detroit's Perfecting Church and founder / director of the New York Restorations Choir has just tacked on the title singer / songwriter to his list of accomplishments with today's release of his debut self-titled gospel album arner Bros., ***). .),riginally from Amityville, N.Y., McClurkin's childhood - a story of his journey from suffering to salvation - is one which sparks feelings of sad- ness, anger and awe at the power of God's deliverance. "My family was totally dysfunction- al;' McClurkin said in a recent inter- view with The Michigan Daily. "My mother was a backslider and a drug user; my father an alcoholic. I lived in a lent home. There would actually be hts in the street, situations where my two sisters and I would have to pull mother and father apart." \PREVEW ; Donnie McClurkin Appearing tomorrow at 5 p.m. at God's World Record store in Detroit. But he remembers that throughout the horror, the church and God were always there for him. Various events in his life have strengthened McClurkin's belief in a higher power. That is why producing this album was so important to McClurkin. "Doannie McClurkin" is a nine-song thank you to God for all He has done. "I want to make God proud of me' he d: "I want God to look at me and ile, to trust me with exactly what he tells me to do. I want to be just like Him, to have His heart for people, His com- passion. I want to ... minister Jesus to (others). I could care less about fame:' So why a self-titled album? "Because I think the phenomenon of Donnie McClurkin is really simply explained. Not because (I'm) a great singer; 90 percent of artists out there sing better than me any day. The 'enomenon is that I understand Jesus and the calling of God, so I can say to people that I know the Anointing is going to come." "Donnie McClurkin" certainly has some religious songs worth shouting .hkrtirt In the cnirt of such MackL o vsn Parker's 'Here Lies' comes to life Production recreates Algonquin Round Table majesty Dy Evelyn Miska For the Dailvy The Arena Theater was the proud host of some very fash- ionable people for this weekend's performance of Dorothy Parker's "Here Lies." The members of the Algonquin Round Table congregated around an appropri- _ ately round table and the play was off and running. RE The small cast of eight, staged and directed by Karina Miller, made con- tinuous jabs at the difficulties often arising between men and women. The action moved from the rowdy group seated around the table, to a num- ber of monologues and dialogues, beginning with the selection "From the Diary of a New York Lady." Heather Adams played a very convincing New York Lady, telling the audience all about her week - the high points and the low points - constantly emphasizing things with the phrase "What can you do'?" From there, the play moved on to "A Telephone Call," in which Carrie Keranen desperately awaited a phone call from her sweetheart. Keranen's character went from begging God to make the phone ring, to cajoling Him with sweet words, and finally moved to making threats if he did not call. Well I1 played, Keranen showed the male contingent of the audience the thought process of an extremely agitated woman. "The Waltz" showed the audience the inner thoughts of a woman (Stephanie Bernstein) forced to dance with a man when she did not want to. The constant motion of the waltz- ing became distracting, though, and made it difficult to hear all of the V I E W monologue. Here Lies "The Last Tea" (Jennifer Moore, Jay Cramer) "Dusk Before Fireworks" Arena Theater (Adams, Matt Witten) and "The oct. 25.1X996 Sexes" (Keranen, Kevin Brewer.) All of these selections were quite similar, which unfortunately caused things to become tedious by the time "The Sexes" was reached. "Just a Little One" brought the audience to a speakeasy, where a woman (Stephanie Bernstein), again, is conversing with her sweetheart. Bernstein convincingly showed the audi- ence how quickly emotions and ideas change as one drinks more and more alcohol. She went from pleasant to hysterical all in a matter of minutes. "You Were Perfectly Fine" brought the audience to "the day after." A man who had been very intoxicated the previous See HERE LIES, Page 8 JOIN THE MOST PROMISING PROFESSION OF THE 21ST CENTURY fl~OM EA~ TEACXEE Prospective Teacher Education Meeting Thursday, November 7, 1996 Whitney Auditorium Room 1 309 School of Education Building Call 764-7563 for more information. TePsychology Peer Advisors Present TeFOCUS GROUPS Fall Term 1996 APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PSYCHOLOGY Approaching the Application Process: Writing the Personal Statement, Arranging for Letters of Recommendation and Preparing for Interviews Wednesday, October 30, 19%6,7:00-9:00 PM, 4th Floor Terrace, East Hall eRefreshments will be served at all events. * Faculty Members and Graduate Students will be available to answer your questions and discuss these issues. * RSVPto the Peer Advising Office at 647-3711 * 1346 East Hall http://www/personal.umich.edu/~hsy/PeerAdvising.html ALL ARE WELCOME!! Enter East Hall by the Ps cholog Church St. entrance. The elevator is to the f'eft. Go to the fourth floor -p and follow signs to the Terrace.