COOKIE'S FORTUNE
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Capsule: A gentle crime story set in a sleepy
Mississippi town has more than its share of
eccentric but likeable characters. Robert Altman
has given us his most relaxing and pleasant film.
For once we do not care if all the plot strands are
going to come together or not, this is just an
interesting set of people. Rating: 8 (0 to 10),
high +2 (-4 to +4)
The South is frequently represented negatively in film and television, particularly since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. While few even from the South would claim that reputation is entirely unearned, like anywhere else there is good and bad in that part of the country. Most frequently, "Mayberry, RFD" notwithstanding, the views of the southeastern part of the country have been the unpleasant images one sees in NORMA RAE and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT. Some of the negative stereotypes met and were defeated by a more positive and even sentimental view in MY COUSIN VINNEY. MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL took things a step further and actually portrayed the fancy section of Savannah as having dignity, charm, and appealing people. COOKIE'S FORTUNE goes even another step to spread the charm to the middle and lower middle class. Holly Spring, Mississippi, the setting of Robert Altman's new film, seems to have only one unpleasant person. These people are just a pleasure to watch. In fact, Altman has finally mastered a problem that he has had with his films for years. Altman makes films in which a lot of individual strands come together in the final reel. Too frequently there seems to be no obvious reason for the audience to follow a strand other than faith that it will become relevant eventually. In COOKIE'S FORTUNE his characters are eccentric and interesting enough, that they would worth watching even if the strands did not tie together. This is an amiable film to watch, one with rich characters and one with frequent chuckles. We would not feel cheated even if the various plotlines did not come together. For that reason it may be Altman's film best coordinated with his style. Even without the important messages of NASHVILLE or THE PLAYER, it may be Altman's most successful piece of art.
Holly Spring, Mississippi is one of those sleepy towns where the sun takes three days to come up and five to go down. The only thing that is complex about Holly Spring is the leading family's family tree. The leading citizen is Cookie, legally known as Jewel Mae Orcutt (hey, Patricia Neal is still acting). Cookie has a modest fortune, but her close companion Willis Richland (a show-stealing Charles Dutton) is afraid that she might be getting a little *too* eccentric. One of the most touching things about this film is the platonic, cross-racial love that these two have for each other. Then there are Camille Orcutt (Glenn Close) and her pet human Cora Duvall (Julianne Moore)--sisters, and nieces to Cookie. Camille absolutely dominates the dim Cora, though Cora was married once (hence the different surname) and had one child, the town's scandal, Emma Duvall (Liv Tyler). Emma has had a checkered past and is also the town's leading criminal--flagrantly disregarding parking laws as she delivers fresh catfish to local restaurants. This makes things difficult for her current boyfriend and lover Jason Brown (Chris O'Donnell), the only young policeman in town. All the rest of the police seem old enough to be his grandfather. When Cookie decides it is time to move on and commits suicide, Camille sees this as her chance to get her fair share of Cookie's fortune. She also wants to avoid the stigma of having a suicide in the family, so tampers with the crime scene to make the suicide look like a burglary and murder.
In the end, the plot of COOKIE'S FORTUNE seems a little contrived. But at the same time it is beguiling. In what are generally considered to be Altman's best films he nevertheless talks down to his audience. There are frequently laughs in an Altman film, but in THE PLAYER the laughs are cynical and cold. Here they are richer and not at all mean-spirited. It is the old distinction between laughing with someone and laughing at him. For once Altman's message is simply "kick off your shoes and enjoy people." That might make this the best and ironically the most important film he has ever made. I give it an 8 on the 0 to 10 scale and a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1999 Mark R. Leeper
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