[3.0/4.0]
The nature of small town life in the American South is the topic of this film by established director, Robert Altman. This film follows a traditional narrative, rather than having a ensemble style of earlier Altman works, such as Nashville or Ready to Wear, but in typical Altman fashion, the characters are given surprising depth considering the number that are presented.
The oldest living member of the Orcutt family is Jewel Mae "Cookie" Orcutt (Patricia Neal). She is a widow living alone and missing her beloved husband. Her primary company is close friend Willis Richland (Charles Dutton), who acts as the caretaker of Cookie's estate, which mainly consists of a stately home and its possessions. Cookie's closest family in town are her two nieces, Camille Orcutt (Glenn Close) and Cora Duvall (Julianne Moore). The eccentric Camille is director of the Easter play that the small town in putting on, in which the dim-witted Cora is playing the lead. In the play as in real life, Cora always taking orders from her bossy sister Camille. Cora's daughter, Emma Duvall (Liv Tyler), has recently return to town. Although she has a strong attachment to her friend Willis and her lover, police officer Jason Brown (Chris O'Donnell), she does not get along with either her mother or her aunt, who disapprove of the spirited young woman's lifestyle and disregard for decorum. Life in the small town is quiet until Cookie's death. Although the frail old woman was longing to rejoin her departed husband, her departure resembles a murder scene.
Fishing a recurring theme, as it symbolizes the tranquillity of the small town and the camaraderie it fosters between people. When people fish together, the long quiet times together build a bond of trust. This is why one of the deputies, Lester (Ned Beatty), is sure his fishing buddy Willis is innocent, even though the circumstantial evidence initially makes him the prime suspect in Cookie's death.
The languid pace of southern life pervades even the murder investigation. Although all initial evidence incriminates Willis, no one really believes he is involved. In such a small, interconnected society, people understand the character and motivations of others. Indeed, even as he is being held in jail, Willis is surrounded by his friends and lives a comfortable existence until the investigation finally unravels the truth.
Altman extracts strong performances from the cast, except from Close, who goes too far. Camille is an exaggerated and exceedingly annoying character. Given the narrowness of her character, she is given too much screen time. Dutton and Tyler are strong as the other main characters who are given enough time to develop.
The narrative becomes weak when the uninspired theme of just desserts and racial politics is presented. This part of the story is annoying because it is unnecessary. The interesting components are the variety of characters and their relationships. The criminal act and investigation give a skeleton on which to build a story, but too much importance is given to this component alone.
Recommended. As usual, Robert Altman uses a composite of many characters to draw a larger picture, capturing the flavor of the locale. The writing is capable when it is developing the characters, but sags when it becomes somewhat preachy. The acting is generally strong and enjoyable except for one grating character and manic performance.
(c) 1999 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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