[2.5/4.0]
Facing extraordinary challenges or circumstances can define a person's character. When an individual undergoes a trial by fire, they are either destroyed or else they gain the ability to view themselves from a pragmatic perspective. This film is an adaptation of a novel by Jane Hamilton in which a woman is forced to cope with potentially destructive challenges.
The story is primarily an examination of its main character, Alice Goodwin (Sigourney Weaver). Her husband Howard (David Strathairn) desires to be a farmer, so she has to deal with the many difficulties of being a farm wife. The elder of her two daughters is at an age where she is sometimes bratty and resentful of her mother. Her job as a school nurse can be a minefield of uncooperative children and negligent parents. Still, all these are merely minor inconveniences, and the couple manage to enjoy their life. They are especially close to their neighbors, Theresa (Julianne Moore) and Dan Collins (Ron Lea), who have two daughters of a similar age, that are ideal playmates for the Goodwins' girls.
The whole balance of life is disrupted when the younger Collins daughter accidentally drowns while visiting the Goodwins' farm. As to be expected, this wrenching tragedy unleashes a flood of emotions in all the people involved. Dan and Theresa are devastated at their loss, but Alice is even more debilitated by self-blame and grief.
At this point the film has a well constructed premise and it has salient issues to explore. A small mental lapse can lead to grave twist of fate. A web of smooth, established relationships can be shattered in an instant by unexpected complications. Tragedy and grief are sometimes unexpectedly injected into lives and those involved are thrust into an uphill battle to recover. Just when these themes are being addressed, the situation becomes even worse. Suddenly, sexual molestation charges are brought against Alice by a mother of a young school boy. Alice suddenly finds herself in jail and facing criminal charges.
The film then enters two more extended acts, one where Alice is isolated from her family and must deal with life behind bars, and then a courtroom drama as she must defend herself against the sensational claims. Although these additional developments may have been plausible in the source novel, it is simply not possible to force this much material into the restricted format of a feature film and expect all facets of the issues to be adequately addressed. The story continues to raise serious issues, such as the presumed guilt of people accused of violence against children, and the abuse a community can dump on the accused. However, each successive plague that is visited upon the main character only detracts from the meaningfulness of the story.
To its credit, the story does not attempt to resolve all issues with a saccharine ending. Clearly, the film is striving to present believable characters in engaging, thoughtful situations. The film could have done more emotionally if had done less narratively.
The screenplay is the only detriment to the film. Veteran actors Weaver, Strathairn, and Moore, breathe life into deep characters. Weaver is presented with the challenge of a prominent, charged character, and she manages to keep it subdued even when it is being inflated by the script.
Marginally recommended. This is an ambitious film that attempts to address many deep issues. However, by taking on such a broad scope, it fails to address each of its dimensions adequately. It encompasses more issues than can be accommodated within the limits of a feature film, and therefore can feel long and tedious. The acting is capable, and the direction makes the most of the flawed script, so the end result is a competent, but not completely successful, film.
(c) 2000 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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