ANGIE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 7.4
Date Released: 3/4/93 Running Length: 1:47 Rated: R (Language, brief nudity, mature themes)
Starring: Geena Davis, Aida Turturro, James Gandolfini, Philip Bosco, Stephen Rea, Jenny O'Hara Director: Martha Coolidge Producers: Larry Brezner and Patrick McCormick Screenplay: Todd Graff Music: Jerry Goldsmith Released by Hollywood Pictures
Martha Coolidge's ANGIE begins as a delightful, if somewhat familiar, romp through romantic comedy territory. Then, somewhere in the middle, it becomes something completely different. Depending on the individual, this shift may be seen as a welcome surprise or an unpleasant diversion. There are those who will find it to be both. One thing ANGIE is not, however, is typical.
Born in Bensonhurst in 1961, Angie (Geena Davis) grew up without her mother, who ran away when she was three. She spent her formative years living with her father (Philip Bosco) and stepmother (Jenny O'Hara), a woman whom she never liked. Now in her early thirties, Angie finds herself pregnant by her boyfriend Vinnie (James Gandolfini) who, upon learning of the happy event, promptly decides that they should get married. Angie reluctantly agrees, but it isn't until she meets a blarney-spewing Irishman named Noel (Stephen Rea) that she has the courage to face Vinnie with her doubts.
No one is going to find themselves in unfamiliar territory at the outset of ANGIE. For the first half, the storyline is pure romantic comedy, complete with the two boyfriends--each representing a different lifestyle--and the various subplots and complications. Then, following a hilarious birth scene that features profane renditions of Marvin Hamlisch songs, the tone and intent of ANGIE shifts to melodrama, and there aren't many more laughs to be had. This frothy motion picture turns serious in a hurry.
Some might find the abrupt shift in mood disconcerting or annoying and, to a degree, it is both. But it also represents a welcome change that the film is willing to break away from the expected norms and spring a series of surprises on the audience. There's nothing so bland as a movie whose next events can be predicted scenes in advance. ANGIE may be flawed in a number of ways, but this isn't one of them.
One of the reasons the movie survives the second-half melodrama is because the acting keeps things at a high level, even on those occasions when the dialogue turns stilted. Geena Davis is consistently strong, and Stephen Rea is a whirlwind of energy and charm. Together, the two work perfectly. The rest of the cast is adequate at worst, including Aida Turturro in a part that could have been written for Rosie O'Donnell.
Much has been made of ANGIE's appeal to the female audience, but I found the movie to be universally enjoyable. The character of Angie has enough depth and richness to attract the sympathy and undestanding of any viewer, whether that person is a man or a woman.
The key to enjoying ANGIE is to not anticipate the expected. What the film starts as is not what it becomes by the time that the final credits roll. Those that go in with an open mind--and a willingness to overlook a number of minor faults--are more likely to enjoy the picture than those who approach it with certain preconceived notions. The transformation may not be elegant or seamless, but it gives this movie a distinction of originality, a trait which has become increasingly scant in Hollywood productions.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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