WIDOWS' PEAK
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Directed by John Irvin
Written by Hugh Leonard, from his original story
Cast Mia Farrow, Joan Plowright, Natasha Richardson, Adrian Dunbar, and
Jim Broadbent
MPAA Rating PG
Running Time 102 minutes
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"That woman is a mockery of her s-e-x."
- Plowright on Richardson
WIDOW'S PEAK is a shoddy comedy cum drama about a glamorous English war widow (Richardson) who wreaks havoc in the humble hamlet of Kilshannon, a small Irish resort town in the mid 1920's. Her home is on a hill--a minor mount called Widows' Peak, where all the residents are childless and manless. This maiden mafia is ruled by the blustery Mrs. Counihan (Plowright), whose son (Dunbar) is also the pride of the Peak. When the war widow sets her sights on the son, she also draws the attention of the Peaks' strangest spinster, Miss O'Hare (Farrow). Needless to say, the two commence a-feudin'.
WIDOW'S PEAK is shoddy. The dialogue is muted, the direction is limp, and the music is way too-intrusive. (For a contrast, look at the clean direction and smooth execution of SPEED. Different subjects; same medium.) The story--written over ten years ago with Mia's mom in mind--also has problems, notably in the late-in-the-film leap from comedy to drama.
The actors are fun, though, and help balance the boredom. Richardson is great and even manages an accurate American accent. Plowright is a gas, casually tossing off line after haughty line. "Enough's enough, we don't want to spoil them!" she tells her fellow widows, who are tending their husband's graves. Farrow is fine, but her character is underwritten. A loss. The two prominent males--Adrian Dunbar and Jim Broadbent--are both good.
Grade: C+
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