| OCR Text |
Show Ete. ‘My Family’: An Engaging and Bittersweet Epic By Gene Seymour (c) 1995, Newsday There’s so much about “My Family (Mi Familia)” that’s movie-of-the-week-sappy you wonder, as you’re watching it, why you're enjoying it so much. No mystery, really. Even if it were only halfway decent, the film would swallow up our wandering attention spans becausenearly all of us are suckers for heavily layered family melodrama, whether we're close to our own families or not. “My Family” is more than just halfway decent. It is evocative, well-crafted and performed with verve and passionbya first-rate cast of Latino actors. They, along with director Gregory Nava, bring the kind of depth to the Mexican-American experience that commercial movies rarely if ever, convey. It ali starts with the very long walk young Jose Sanchez takes from his central Mexican village to East Los Angeles. This was in the 1920s when, as Paco (Edward James Olmos), the family ‘“‘griot,” says, “The only border (between Mexico and the United States) wasa line in the sand.” Jose finds steady work manicuring Beverly Hills lawns. On one such lawn, he finds Maria, a pretty young housekeeper, whom he marries. As the Great Depression takes hold, Jose and Maria struggle to keep food on the table for their two young children. While pregnantwith her third, Maria, though a US. citizen, is caught up in an immigration sweep, loaded in a railroad car and sent back to the Mexican highlands. Cut off from the rest of her family, Maria takes her newborn son, Chucho, with her back to the States, despite their near-fatal encounter with a torrential river along the way. The film moves to the late 1950s where Chucho (Esai Morales from “La Bamba”) has grown into a charismatic and volatle young man who's become part of a street culture as full of peril as the river that almost drowned him.A rift develops between Jose (Eduardo Lopez Rojas) and Chuchothat serves as a grim preludeto the tragedy that follows. The legacy of that tragedy is borne most acutely by younger son Jimmy (Jimmy Smits), who, by the early 1980s, is even more of an accident waiting to happen than Chucho was. Older sister Toni (Constance Marie), an exnun-turned-activist, extracts Jimmy’s reluctant willingness to marry a Salvadoran woman (Elpida Carrillo) in danger of deportation. Eventually, they fall in love and she gets pregnant. Butas is often the caseinthis tale, “happi- DOOR BUSTER! Sunset Golden Giow 312 Coll Unit, 10-Yr Warranty tape. *429 *89 one, s299 TWIN, ea. pe — Associated Press Muchto the Sanchez family’s surprise, daughter Toni (Constance Marrie) announces her marriage to David (Scott Bakula) in “My Family,” a story of the children of a peasant whoestablished a dynasty. ly ever after” is out of reach. Many of the lesser-known actors, like Rojas and Carrillo, are revelations. You wish there were more of the redoubtable Olmos, but whatlittle there is surprisingly frisky. Nava, who co-wrote the screen- play with his wife, producer Anna ‘Thomas,seasonsthis generational epic with quasimystical imagery, voluptuouscolors and a delicate feel for period detail. He’s verygood at it, but when you watch his Chucho leadinglittle kids in an impromptu mambo lesson, you sense a graceful come- dian inside Morales yearning to bust through the Angry Young Man. comesoff as friendly, even jol- ly, despite being underthe gun for both “Priest” and her next movie, the Drew BarrymoreChris O'Donnell romance, “Mad Love.” The latter movie was planned for release later this year, but advance word was so sociated Press Director haters Bird goodthatit was pushedup.As a result, Bird has been chained to an editing machinefinishing the movie. She even hadto skip the premiereof“Priest” back home in England. “In a way, I’m glad,” says Bird, calling from an editing toom in Seattle. “If I had been there, I’d have been so nervous and so stressed.As it was, I was here,all cool and calm, and my family was there being stressed.” Bird knewhercriticism of the Roman Catholic Church would stir up controversy, but she thinks moviegoers can get beyond that. “The main reaction I hope for is an enormous sense of humanity and compassion, really,” says Bird. ‘I wanted to make a movie abouttolerance.I think welive in such intolerant times, and I believe we need to take care of each other.” Specifically, she’s talking about compassion for priests. She spoke with lots of them while researching the movie, which argues the Catholic Churchholdspriests to impossible standards. “I don’t think the movie is anti-religious,” says Bird. “I think it’s anti-hypocrisy. It’s not knocking religion, but it is — I don’t know the American term — it is cocking a hoop. It's asking the hierarchy of the church to take another look at these issues. I’m referring mainly to the issue of celibacy.’ Catholic organizations have ‘Amateur’: A Lot of Laughs By John Hartl Seattle Times One of the few independent Americanfilmmakers whosestyle has become immediately recognizable, Hal Hartley now seems always to have been part of the scene, even if it’s been just five years since he made his debut with “The Unbelievable Truth.” Last month, The New York Times ran a lengthy Sunday feature on “The Elusive Women WhoInhabit the Quirky Films of HalHartley,” among them Karen Sillas, Adrienne Shelly and Parker Posey. Film Threat magazine recently paid tribute to Hartley by identifying him as “the Great Stoneface” of indie movies. His characters rarely crack a smile, yet they can at any moment break into danceorgive into sudden emotion with a kiss or a slap. The subtle tensionin his movies growsout of a conviction that human behavior is rarely as predictable as most filmmakers presentit. Hartley's latest picture, ““Amateur,”’ has more laughs than anything he's ever done, thanks in part to the crack deadpan timing of Isabelle Huppert (“Madame Bovary") and Hartley regulars Martin Donovan (‘‘Trust”) and Elina Lowensohn (whoserole in Hartley's “Simple Men” led Steven Spielberg to cast her in a small but unforgettable role in “Schindler's List"). Whata treatit is to watch them play with Hartley's terse dialogue about the best buys in cellular phones, the meaning of the term “floppy disc,” and how to be both a nymphomaniacanda virgin. protested the movie, asking parishioners to complain to Miramax and Disney studios, but Bird says many priests support herideas. “We've been quite heavily involved with priests. Oh, that’s a good quote,” she jokes. “Sorry, but we hadseveralpriests helping us make sure wegot everything correct, and I was really By Glenn Lovell Knight-Ridder Newspapers “Picture Bride,” Kayo Hatta’s debut feature, is so earnestly acted and so awash in good intentions that there is a temptation to overlook its many awkward moments and embraceit as a Japanese-American “The Piano.” You'd do well to stave off this temptation.I did withlittle trouble or guilt. “Picture Bride,” set in the sugar canefields of Hawaii in 1918,is one of those intriguing-sounding productions you want to champion out of hand but finally can’t because it’s so doggedly predictable. Like New Zealand’s Jane Campion, the Hawaiian-born, Stanford-educated Hattatells the story of a mail-order bride who arrives in a new andexotic land, only to find her dreams dashed by harsh living conditions and an ogre of a husband. Though considerably younger than Holly Hunter’s mute bridein “The Piano,” Yokohama’s 16year-old Riyo (Youki Kudoh) also has her own agenda. She’s fleeing someterrible secret that, when divulged at the 11th hour, turns out to be worthyof a bored shrug. Also,like every mystery groom from Rochesterin “Jane Eyre” to Sam Neill in “The Piano,” Riyo’s new husband, Matsuji (Akira Takayama), has some secrets and badhabits of his own. For starters, he’s neither wealthy nor young, as his photo struck by how humanthey were. They're flesh and blood, but you're brought up to think of them in this superstitious way. They’re supposedto not need to be loved and cared for and nurtured. But they do need those things.” Much of the controversy about “Priest” can be attributed to the cynicism of Miramax, the fan-the-p.r-flames distributor of the film. Three years ago, the company’s “The Crying Game” surfed a waveof controversy and became a hit. This time, Miramaxstirred up trou- ble by threatening to release “Priest” on Good Friday and then, feigning surprise at the controversy, moving the open- ing date. Miramax hasalso slapped together a somewhat misleading trailer for “Priest.” The trailer tells one part of the story — that ‘‘Priest” is abouta cleric wholearns an awful secret in the confessional — butit does not mention the movie’s larger issue: that the priest is gay. andletter of introduction suggested. In truth, he’s a 43-year-old laborer who lives in a shack and earns65 cents a daycutting sugar The fragile-looking “city girl” joins her new husband in the fields, determined to work off her debt and return home. Standing betweenRiyo and that ticket homeare pretty much what you'd expect: a sadistic field boss, a threatenedstrike, a tragic accident (ineptly staged), and, of course, our heroine's evolving sense of “home” and “family.” Yes, we've seenit all before. What makes Hatta’s Hawaii-set twist palatable, at least in short stretches, are the unusualsetting the gorgeous photography by Claudio Rocha and thesensitive (mostly subtitled) performances by Kudoh and Takayama, who form aninteresting contrast temperamentally and physically. Tamlyn Tomita of “The Joy Luck Club” appearsas Riyo’s industrious newfriend, Kana, and the great Toshiro Mifune has a ride-through as a legendary Japaneseactor of the day. Some of the themes tackled here can be found in Nancy Kelly’s low-budget ‘‘Thousand Pieces of Gold,” which tells of a Chinese woman's plight in immigrating to the American Northwest. Thebig difference is that Kelly’s chronicleis gritty and endlessly surprising while Hatta’sis pretty as a picture and just as flat SUTay 5c Perfect Sleeper Premium 149 cap. *199 2pest 459 TWIN, ea x pc KING 3 vt "O29 NATURAL GAS FIREPLACES | ae > ar Over 40 Models to Choose Fro! my1 s ert Energy fflciency From Your Masonry Fireplace NOW WITH FOUR DIFFERENT COLORED FRONTS ® Matte Black The Charmof Yesterday © The Technologyof Today Natural Fireplace STANDARD FEATURES: ® 20,000 to 31,000 BTU/W. Variable Flame NOW AVAILABLE: THE ALL-NEW HIGH-EFFICIENCY NATURAL GAS ZC INSERT FITS INTO YOUR EXISTING FACTORY-BUILT PRE-FAB FIREPLACE. FIREPLACES INC. | 973 EAST 2100 SOUTH * Rumiture * Accessories E pc pevet *689) Sbe eet $899) TIRED OF YOUR WATERBED?..,._.\/ tating, meee se sack Laches 3 eee S Leaks 13 saat Seen vere ene WeHave the Solution. Serta Special Size Inner-Spring Mattress Insert for Waterbed Frames NOW ON SALE! ELECTRIC BED FLOOR MODELS STARTING $ 5 g 9 COMEIN AND SEEI OUR NEW SELECTION OF SOFA & LOVESEATS AT OUR SOUTH SALT LAKE LOCATION!!! OVER 35 SETS TO CHOOSE FROM AT UTAH’S LOWEST PRICES!!! nfNEW! n Flame PLUS MANY MORE STANDARD FEATURES & OPTIONS! 1083tant900cotsor bee, Baone ) 440-22 FULL burni @ BURNING EMBERS & YELLOW FLAME @ 6 REALISTIC-LOOKING OAK LOGS © 160 CFM BLOWER 0 $949“ *269 Seen easy and inexpensive. And because the: these chimneys, maki fireplaces use na ral gas, you can counton years of affordable comfort.ay In addition to direct vents, the Golden Flame Series includes top-vent gas setewith a reregasstove wall heater with a view, and natural gas log firey burning while enjoying the convenience and energy of natural gas. Featuring: Ua Perfect Sleeper Pillow Top The Golden Flame series offers direct vents which eliminate the. need for Ter CEREUS eke ould Gal OUadl |S Geni ol «. antexy retlece, 1516 Wazee * Deewer, Co! STE TWIN, ea. cane. Light Spot Aalto ° sew Atle = xing 3 pe vet SOD ‘Picture Bride’: Pretty As a 2 > @ troversy of the year, which has clogged newspapers’ fax machines with missives threatening protests and boycotts. But Bird, interviewed by phone, Page 3 SPECIAL REDUCTIONS ON SERTA, MAKERS OF THE WORLD'S BEST MATTRESS. Bird Denies Movie Is Anti-Religious Picture, and Just As Flat By Chris Hewitt Knight-Ridder Newspapers Antonia Bird doesn’t sound like the sort of woman who would anger an entire nation. Bird’s movie, “Priest,’’ has sparked the biggest movie con- May26, 1995 486-8452 GAS SPECIALTIES STORE eh on 7 Daybed Package 3p. slegent camel back, qty S287 Sehotn oe sn 2 huxury quilted, 336 inereoring snatrecssnanve frm, ol Yeintorcad edge 800 Here's What you Get: |
