MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Capsule: A leisurely told murder mystery and
courtroom drama, but the real interest value is in
the eccentric Savannah, Georgia gentry who form the
background and texture of the story. While not
primarily a comedy, the (intentionally) humorous
elements rank this among the funniest films of the
year. This is a film that deserved much better
treatment from the critics. Rating: 8 (0 to 10),
high +2 (-4 to +4)
New York Critics: 4 positive, 13 negative, 5 mixed
I saw this film well after most people saw it, and it still was nothing like what I expected. I knew it was a murder story dealing with the well-to-do in Savannah, Georgia, society. I expected it to be dark and very serious and dealing with festering family relationships. However, I do not remember a 1997 film that had me laughing so much. The comedy elements of this film are delightful, the characters I expected initially I would end up hating in this expose turn out to be likable and some even endearing. If anything the comic elements of this film reminded me of a more smartly written MY COUSIN VINNY or perhaps DOC HOLLYWOOD.
Town and Country Magazine has wanted for years to cover the annual Christmas party of society baron Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey) of Savannah. He finally has given permission and they have sent John Kelso (John Cusack). At least two surprises await Kelso. One is the number of eccentrics Kelso finds in one small space of Savannah. One man, for the best of reasons, gives a daily walk to an empty dog collar. Another has several real pets on tethers, but they are all horseflies. The other surprise Kelso finds is that he is the stand- offish one, and the upper crust of society are anxious to pull him into their circle and be friendly. The only sour note is a bitter scene he notes between Williams and a Billy, low-class apparent houseboy. After the party Kelso goes to bed with more writing material than he bargained for, and is awakened in the middle of the night to see a fleet of police cars at the Williams mansion. Billy had returned after the party and had a run-in with Williams that left Billy dead. Kelso quits Town and Country and decides to write a book about the trial and Savannah in general. He also becomes a de facto member of the Williams defense team. He gets embroiled in more local eccentrics, mostly friendly, and tries to unravel for himself what happened the night of the killing.
Director Clint Eastwood takes his time, and 155 minutes of ours, unraveling the story of the hidden secrets of modern Savannah society, many of which would have been shocking in the 1950s. Both the type of character Williams is and his being played by the usually sinister Kevin Spacey makes this smart, suave, affable, yet candid man a real pleasure to see on the screen. John Cusack is serviceable as the point-of-view character, but not the most watchable actor on the screen. The actor who surpasses expectations is Australian actor Jack Thompson as Williams's lawyer Sonny Seilor. Some may remember Thompson as the supportive father of a gay son in THE SUM OF US. Of a more comic turn is Savannah personality The Lady Chablis whose minor secret seemed obvious to me before the character even appeared on-screen. I strongly suspected just hearing Chablis's voice through a door. It is something of a false note when characters in the film are surprised.
After I was bored by THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, I was not expecting a lot from MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL. Now I am sorry I was not able to see the film until after I made my top ten list of last year. The film was a true unexpected pleasure. I rate it an8 on the 0 to 10 scale and a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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