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Show Ete: 2, 1996 Page 3 Mark Twain woudSe Plenty to Like in ‘Tom and Huck’ | 96 alt By Kevin McManus (c) 1995, The Washington Post Two knifings and a few nasty expletives make “Tom and Huck” too heavy for the under-10 crowd. And some purists probablywill consider Jonathan Taylor Thomas too wholesome for the role of Tom Sawyer. Most other viewers, though, should find plentyto like about this adaptation of Twain's novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” In the Mississippi River town of Hannibal, Mo., Tom is known as a decent lad with a mischievous streak. By day, he’s an impish scamp in school and church. Nighttimefinds him roaming with pals through alleys and yards, downby the river, up around the cemetery. Onenight, the graveyard gives him a living fright: vile bully Injun Joe (Eric Schweig) plunging a big knife into the town’s undertaker. Tom, with best buddy Huckleberry Finn (Brad Renfro) at his side, panics and flees. By dawn they've sworn a blood oath to never tell another soul what they've witnessed. But Tom's got a conscience and can't stand the idea that an innocent man, town drunk Muff Potter (Michael McShane), may hang for the murder, To help free Potter, Tom and Huck muststeal a treasure map from the pocket of Injun Joe. The attempted theft makes a funny, suspensefulscene, which is soon topped by an evenbetter sequence in a wrecked cabin. “Tom and Huck” pokes along for the first 20 minutes, but the murderkicksit into a higher gear that is sustained throughthe end. And the film's look is just right, from the kids’ torn,filthy clothing to the smoke-filled courtroom where townsfolk gather for Potter'strial. The film could have used a scruffier Tom — JonathanTaylor Thomas is winsome enough for milk ads. But all the other leads are well cast, particularly Schweig as Injun Joe. i Town mischief-maker Tom Sawyer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is having the timeof his life after convincing his friends to do his chores in ‘1 Tom and ‘TwoIf By Sea’: Definitely Shipreck of a Show ‘Roses’: Pure Thorns By Chris Hewitt Knight-Ridder Newspapers Minutesinto “Bed of Roses,” Mary Stuart Masterson has a flashback to a troubling childhood incident. We're supposed to be upsetbyit, but we haven't figured out who sheis yet, so it's like a stranger introducing himself to you by saying, ‘Hi, I'm Roger. I’m thinking of com- mitting suicide.’ It is off-putting when movies force emotional epiphanies on us before we're ready. And there are too darn many of them in this touchy-feely romance, in which Masterson and Christian Slater's ioveis tested repeatedly before we've even figured out whythey’rein love. There's no time to get your emotional bearings — it’s like one of those K-Tel ‘Rock Hits of the ‘80s’ record commercials on which they playa snippet of a song’s refrain and as soon as you get the hangofit, they're on to the next snippet. Masterson, a businesswoman, and Slater, a florist/social worker, are each troubled by a secret from their past (Survey says: Yuk"). The movie makes us wait to find out the secrets, not because it makes any dramatic sense, but because if we knew the secrets right away, there'd be no movie. The characters talk about flowers a lot. Masterson: “I really think roses ought to have thorns. Otherwise, they're too perfect.” Slater: “Everybody's entitled to too much perfec- tion.” You get the picture on Slater — he’s sensitive. he’s wounded, and you could go surfing on his big, wavyhair You can tell Masterson is miscast within the movie's first seconds, when she’s supposed to be a high-powered exec closing a deal, but she acts like a little girl who couldn't close the sale of a glass of lemonade Masterson doesn't even look like she fits in her over-decorated apartment. Slater's apartment isn't decorated at all (until Masterson fills his life with love, and his living room with Mission-style antiques). Slater is unflatteringly photographed, but he’s not bad. Still, there's something creepy about his character, “Two If By Sea” with screenwrit- er Mike Armstrong, he had an idea fora pretty decent movie. In fact, he seems to have had a whole raft of ideas, any one of which might have madean agreeable,if not inspired, picture But Leary and Armstrong didn’t abandonanyof those ideas, so they simply crammed them all msy framework of “Two If By Sea,” turning what might have been an affable picture into a thematic free-for-all It's not a disaster. But then,it's not really compelling, either The only bright spot is Sandra Bullock, that most likable of screen actresses, whose ever-pre- sent spontaneity regularly lifts hermovies to levels of enjoyment their scripts seldom warrant Bullock plays Roz, the putupon, gum-popping girlfriend of Frank (Leary), a terminally dim petty crook whofinds himself in a erisis-packed situation when he heists a $4 million painting As the movie begins. thepairis already on the lam. DirectorBill Bennett plays it all for exaggerat- ed action-comedy laughs; Frank outsmarts a phalanx of cop cars: Roz uses her wit to find a seaside ate for them to hide out; they bamboozle a small-town sheriff into believing they're family friends; a quartet of bumbling thugs hunt for the lovebirds. But suddenly, the story changes gears. Serious scenes explore the death throes of Roz and Frank’s dead-end, sevenr relation ship. Just as une: pectedly we're but Mother Nature had other plans Denverwasunableto leave because airports were closed “The planes weren't flying, of course, so we took him for a nice lunch and birthdaycake at Nirvana instead,’ Denver's agent, Steven Gerald, told the New York Post A call to Denver's agent in Los Angeles was not immediately returned, Roz; a brattyrich kid bemoans his lonely life as he harasses Frank Andthen there's Leary himself who never manages to figure out if Frank is a pratfalling goofball or a tough-guy lover whojust doesn't get it Director Bennett doesn’t do muchto sort it out — he just hurls it all upon thescreenand lets the material fendforitself And when the dust settles, the only one who managesto keep her focusing on an FBI agent (Ya head aboveit all is Bullock. It’s to capture a crook who has faked his own death. There’s more, as not her finest performance, by any means. But she has an uncanny ability to conjure up some sem- Kotto) ina soul-searching cruse well: a dashing neighbor woos blance of reality even when the material she’s surrounded by seems determined to self-destruct It’s a performance we've seen hergivebefore, though she does manage to creep through some slightly more serious territory her interested with a tearful confession and then smothers her with neediness. There's no plot in “Bed of Roses,’ but there are three montages of Masterson and Slater staring dreamily at the Brooklyn Bridge while a pop song tries to make an emotional connection with us on the soundtrack. Writer/director Michael Goldenberg also gives the movie a grossly insensitive sensitivity, like when Masterson's best friend, an arts social worker, talks about teaching kidsself-esteem: “We put little girl who maybeisn't so pretty in as Beauty in ‘Beauty and the Beast." Gee, seems to me they tried that with the title character in ‘Carrie’ and it didn't turn out so well. On Manhattan Isle This Time *eGnly this time it wasn’t a tropical storm but a snowstorm that marooned Bob Denver, one-time star of the campy ‘60s TVshow illigan's Island,” on Manhattan islaiee Denver, in New York for some ersonal appearances at the NaFonal Boat Show, planned to be in Princeton, W.Va., for his birthday By David Lyman Knight-Ridder Newspapers When comic actor Denis Leary sat down to write the script for who stalks Masterson, keeps Gilligan Stranded Again... NEWYORK (AP) — It seems Scee little buddyis at it Huck.” than she's trodden before. But what makes it all work is that Bullock, unlike the rest of the cast, understands that the secret of an affecting performance is in searching for a character. searching for shtick not Ete. ' Aly sup Newspaper per South Ma Street, Salt Lake Managing Editor Cynthia M Cook Editor: Amy K. Stewart Production Supervisor M ProduetionAssistant Kath tthe Denis Leary and Sandra Bullock star in MorganCreek's romantic comedy “Two If By Sea.” Seeing ‘TwoIf By Sea’ Worse than Being Seasick ByPhilip Wuntch D a Morning News Two If by Sea’ makes no waves. It’s just 95 minutes of moderate pleasantness that never breaks over into unadorned charm, The movie, starring "95 golden girl Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary, is co-written by the usually acidic Leary in an unusuallysoft and fuzzy mood. Unfortunately this guy's not meantto bea softie he’s best when being sharp, sarcastic and snide Thescreenplay has some unex pected plot twists and a coupleof fast-moving vehicle andstill find time to deliver a saucy oneliner, Frank can’t run across a manicured lawn without tripping The two make off with a $4 mil- ture debut, is fine at small, chuck: ly moments, but the big ones escape him that’s vacated for the weekend. A neighbor, buying their story that vites them to a cocktail party but without any loss of likability Leary, on the other hand, sim- they're friends of the owners, in- whereFrank successfully tries to alienate everyone. It's supposed to be the movie's big laugh-riot scene, but it never accumulates enoughgusto to get a true guffaw Australian director Bill nett, making his American fea- To discontinue delivery of Ete. oF to report delivery problems, please call 1-800-662-9076, It's refreshing to see Bullock in a role where she’s nc t circumstance. Roz tongue, a kind but unsap) by heart and a can-do attitude. Bullock plays aggression with precision lion Matisse and find refuge in a RhodeIsland bayside mansion 0m ply tries too hard to belikable Screenwriter Leary even allows Frank to become a pseudo-father figure to a lone! ly poor littl ways aware ofa certain effort nice throwaway lines. But it lacks any sense of momentumandcon- tinuity. “Two If by Sea” is just coasting. Bullock plays Roz, a New Jer sey bookstore cashier complete with a semi-Fran Drescher accent. At 30, she is getting im tient in her seven-year relati ship with Frank (Leary), an thief who's never read a book or appreciated a painting. Frankis kinda sweet and more than kinda dumb. During his heists, Roz must supply the brains Gilligan (Bob Denver) was stranded on anisland . ~ again! andthe brawn. Shecan leap from Crile Closeouts EXECUTIVE CARPET CLEANING ALL WORK PROFESSIONALLY GUARANTEED — (801) 484-1029 ‘ANY5 ROOMS @ PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIAN | 1ST 2 ROOMS | PLUS 12 STEPS | ® SAME DAY SERVICE @ INSURED @ BONDED $45.00 isnt aos ga95 |ioe, @ LICENSED © FREE ESTIMATE maces" MEMBEYOFsaoGEPOWT| LOVE SEAT $29.95 BERT:SERVICECOMMUNITY DINING CHAIR $42.95 | PROGRAM OSSoon CHAR m0 ANING. SANTIZING R REPAIRS 20%, OFF THESE SERVICES MuteAL ..@ Factory Seconds C Delmartats neo a see LU 3 oc RS oe Ceenn LR) Oe kaail 296-2424 CIEELKS * |
