| Show I The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday January 15 1999 — Page 17 ONE BIG HAPPY PBS program explores America the rude Three-pa- rt LOS ANGELES (AP) — If you believe that America the beautiful hat become America the churlish you’ve got company PBS proA worthy three-pa- rt gram examinee what many observers see as society's growing incivility and coarseness at every level from daily life to politics to popular culture Some of the conclusions however may prompt Bronx cheers Part of PBS’ “National Desk" public affairs series the program opens tonight (check local listings) with “We the (rude) Pe- ople" in which political commentator and journalist Mor- ton Kondracke examines the roots of rudeness “Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Sleaze: Media and Politics” airs Friday lan 22 with Mara Liasson The National Public Radio BEETLE BAILEY cor- respondent looks at how the ambitions of journalists and politicians clash with the public's right to fairness and accuracy The concluding chapter is “The Popular Culture: Who's to Blame?" with comedian David Steinberg who dissects the Jerry Springer Era of trash entertainment and more worthy boundary-brfare It airs Friday eaking Jan 29 Although the first episode overreaches in its attempt to target the causes of America’s social deterioration the series offers a convincing portrait of a country confused at best about modern etiquette It’s not merely a drawing-rootopic: One 1996 study found 91 parent of Americans believe the decline of civility contributes to violent behavior A caution: The series makes points about changing standards of behavior with graphic examples of profanity nudity and violence Kondracke’s segment which takes on the thorny job of figur- HAGAR THE HORRIBLE m ing out why Americans seem PEANUTS increasingly inclined to cuss lean on car boras and slam doors itf each others’ faces is the most provocative ' The causes are varied the program suggests and include technological advancements like the Internet that depersonalize inter- action and value speed over politeness “Really elegant communica- - sub-scho- ur tion the assessment simplifies the changes in American society wrought by drat pivotal era what led up to it and what followed for good and ill Social commentators including Alan Ehrenhalt further blame foe “Balkanization” of America into — ive Move to Annette Bening an accomplished actress with a distinctive screen presence Bringing up the rear are supporting actors Steven Rea a fine Irish actor and Aldan Quinn who has done good urak as welL In short the movie's credentials are in order We Initesd anticipate thriltor of intelli jwina —ill we grt a typical January release one for which high expectations must be put to sleep This routine fright factory employs the usual horror movie tactics At times the movie recalls some of the effects Jordan achieved in “The Company of Wolves" a better and creepier movie The trouble with this one is that the script by Jordan and Bruce Robinson has no subtext Its mystery clings to the surface Bening plays a mother who has dreams that seem to be prescient She starts the' picture dreaming about a girl who has been abducted She believes someone is leading the girl through an apple orchard and that she's in terrible danger Her husband an airline pilot played by Quinn has difficulty believing her Eventually the violence touches home Bening’s life is thrown into disarray when her daughter is murdered by a psychopath a madman with the power to invade mams After that this psychic marauder begins inhabit- - muit CLOSE TO HOME REAL LIFE ADVENTURES LG7s AAtD seeH HO&k yti YtWA mng CLOSE TO HOME we ra john m'pherson Win at bridge Cordereau Dye as the young Johnson and Michael Jace as the adult athlete “Michael Jordan: An American Hero” is scheduled to premiere April 18 on the cable channel Movie review ing Bening's dreams with increasing force Her “symptoms" are mistaken for insanity and she’s put under the care of a psychiatrist (Rea) who institutionalizes her There are scenes that are so overwrought they border on comical One involves a couple of hundred apples and a garbage disposal Rotten to the care All you have to do is read the cast list to know that the psycho will be played by Robert Downey Jr The script which has a few jolts and no real surprises follows form Say this though: Jordan has command of his imagery “In Dreams” kicks off with an eerie exploration of a town that was covered by water to create a reservoir Some of the images have eerie clarity and at times Jordan moves his camera with a trancelike fluidity reminiscetit of Alfred Hitchcock Overall the story never computes The proceedings seem to be occurring in an isolated world that bears too little resemblance to our own When something supernatural inhabits a world that's familiar to us ("The Exorcist") it becomes truly terrifying “In Dreams" should have had that quality The idea that someone could invade our sleep and possess our heads has the potential to be pretty unsettling (Does the title “Nightmare On Elm Street” ring a bell?) As it stands “In Dreams” is a dreary mediocrity 1 wouldn’t hold it against its makers or stars though I suggest you do the same 4j Bv Philo Alder In some ways Boris Schapiro was the most noteworthy winner at last year's world championships At the age of 89 he won the Senior Pairs with Irving Got don a young Scot of only 58 Schapiro became die oldest world 1962 In this deal Schapiro's (South) imaginative bidding lulled West into a false sense of security The auction is weird East's two hearts showed a minimum opening with at least five hearts and four cuds in either minor Three clubs was presumably some sort of inquiry After that no one knew who could make what But note Schapiro did well to pull the double of four bouts because that contract is laydown After ruffing the heart lead in the dummy Schapiro played a ently701999 by NEA Inc trump to his queen and West's ace Now West mulled matters for many moments Eventually he exited with a spade Why? Well West thought declarer had e four spades for his bid and so had no discard coming (But wouldn't South sit for four-spad- four spades doubled?) West was also nervous that South had in diamonds Gratefully Schapiro won drew the missing trump ran the spades (discarding a diamond loser) and conceded a diamond He claimed the remainder on a crossruff for plus 550 and a shared top It is likely that Schapiro is the oldest work! champion in any sport — or do you know differ-jack-doublet- VI I Jl Ernie Hudson Robin Givens and ! 'V bridge champion breaking the record of Wnldemar von Zedtwitz who won the 1970 World Mixed Tfeams at the age of 74 Schapiro has won two other world tides the Bermuda Bowl in 1955 and the Mixed Teams in Party NnfcQoovar your guMl W NgMgMtha cfcimoy and prepare tor Vwm Hero” will star Debbie Allen movie s over (’’Interview with The Vampire”) has been less KMiaMim group doesn't necessarily give speed” would be the year's top thriller The movie involves the work of some awfully good people Start with Neil Jordan The Irish-bor- n director has given us movies such as “The Crying Game” and “The Butcher Boy” although his Hollywood work WNCAMbOWT? cusTSoMinr self-respe- ct and If talent alone made for excellence “In Dreams” wuff respect as well as “The fact you identify with a sexual preference or an ethnic a By Robert DunwvMn Scrtppe Howard Newsservice USTlUHftNTlblD Mi MNff IMS PRsMB miner obmimy or identity the basis for mutual you what residence in a neighborhood or community gave you 40 years ago” Ehrenhalt says “Really elegant comJust a polite suggestion but it munication takes some could be argued that community without social and economthought thought is spirit ic equality rings hollow and that lost commodity the two aren't necessarily antiwhere we’re driven by thetical Other observers in the program cite substandard education a lack of religious emphasis and the dis—Rap Henry J Hyde solution of families as reasons for our frayed manners not to mention spirit tion takes some thought and City dwellers might add overthought is a lost commodity crowding to the list where we’re driven by speed’ Despite the extent of the probsays Rep Henry J Hyde R-lem Kondracke says there is reawho may currently be concerned son for hope As Walter Williams about supersonic impeachment of George Mason University sees hearings it civility really is as simple as But the program stretches furthe golden rule: Treat others as ther finding extensive roots of you would like to be treated today’s social rancor in the “National Desk” even found upheaval of the ’60s and its blunt small signs of change protest tactics adapted from the One educator tells how overcivil rights movement coming the anonymity of a large Painting with a broad brush Kondracke contends that Vietnam school by breaking it up into four gave students more War protesters lacked the moral in stake of a behaving properly righteousness of those fighting for Mack equality “Everybody knows every“This was the first glimpse of body’s name" he says Not a return to the days of sir the ’me generation’ in which ami and ma’am But it's a start were not of civility duty part everyday life but simply a personal choice to be made when it Elsewhere in television suited them” says Kondracke MICHAEL THE MOVIE: Fox The uncivil 1990s he argues Family Channel plans a two-hoare the selfish 1960s come home film on the life of Michael Jorto roost dan who announced his retireBeg your pardon Mr Konment from basketball and the dracke Besides disparaging the Chicago Bulls this week motivations of an entire genera“Michael Jordan: An American US FOXTROT special interest groups that they say have undermined our shared Swth Q 9 5 V I I IS all QJIS Vulnerable: East-We- st Dealer East Opening lead: v 5 |
