THE PAPER
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 7.3
Date Released: 3/25/93 Running Length: 1:51 Rated: R (Language, mature themes)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid, Jason Alexander, Spalding Gray Director: Ron Howard Producers: Brian Grazer and Frederick Zollo Screenplay: Stephen and David Koepp Music: Randy Newman Released by Universal Pictures
Ron Howard has a history of making entertaining films that tend towards weak conclusions (one could call this the "happy endings" syndrome). Joining PARENTHOOD and FAR AND AWAY in this category is Mr. Howard's newest release, THE PAPER. For something that starts out as a boisterous, amusing, potentially-incisive look at the newspaper business and the people who run it, this motion picture finishes with a relative whimper.
Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is at a watershed, and the next twenty-four hours are going to determine a lot--perhaps more than he could imagine. Caught in a dilemma between two jobs--his current one at the tabloid-like NEW YORK SUN and an offer from the prestigious NEW YORK SENTINEL--Henry must make a decision. On one hand there are factors that argue for the career change: his pregnant wife Martha (Marisa Tomei) wants security and his bitter feud with his boss Alicia Clark (Glenn Close) is getting nastier by the moment. On the other hand, Henry doesn't want to leave the friendly chaos of THE SUN and the friends he has made while there.
No viewer is likely to be bored during THE PAPER. The film moves along quickly, using mobile cameras and rapid cuts to keep the energy level high and the pacing crisp. This is especially true in the newsroom scenes, as director Ron Howard attempts to convey the spirit and atmosphere of the disorganized-but-productive work environment. His eye for detail is evident.
Away from the paper's offices, the movie is less successful. The personal lives of Henry and his co-workers aren't all that interesting, and seem scripted rather than real. This is especially true during the drawn-out melodrama that characterizes the last fifteen minutes. There are also several out-of-place scenes with Robert Duvall and Jason Alexander commiserating at a bar. The contrivance used to incorporate these into the overall plot is a little too obvious.
One scene within THE SUN's building that rings false takes place in the middle of a crucial press run. The climactic struggle that ensues between two of the main characters looks like it belongs more in a Three Stooges movie than a pseudo-real look at the behind-the-scenes newspaper business.
But there's a lot in THE PAPER that works. Although most of the characters are types, the actors play them with sympathy and understanding. Three-dimensionality may not be achieved, but attempts are made to give the men and women in this film some depth, and the freshness of the performances helps a great deal.
The main performers--Keaton, Close, and Duvall--do the kinds of solid jobs expected from them, but it's a pair of less prominent figures that steal their share of scenes. Randy Quaid is magnificent as the gun- toting, paranoid McDougal. Although not a developed character in any sense, McDougal has some of the best one-liners. Then there's Spalding Gray who, in two appearances, sends up to perfection a stuffy NEW YORK TIMES-type editor.
The dialogue is frequently snappy--presumably the product of screenwriters with ears for the way people actually talk. There's a fair amount of natural humor, and only a few occasions when the laughs are forced.
THE PAPER is a crowd pleaser and, regardless of any viewer's experience (or lack thereof) with the behind-the-scenes wrangling that goes on in newspaper offices, the story is compelling enough to be affable and entertaining. While there are no startling revelations here, the film's atmosphere contains enough strength of realism that more than one viewer may momentarily think of the goings-on at THE SUN as they sit down with their morning cup of coffee and look at the day's headlines.
- James Berardinelli (new e-mail address at blake7@itc.cc.bellcore.com)
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