CORRINA, CORRINA
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 5.8
Date Released: 8/26/94 Running Length: 1:55 Rated: PG (Mature themes)
Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Ray Liotta, Tina Majorino, Jenifer Lewis,
Erica Yohn, Don Ameche
Director: Jessie Nelson
Producer: Jessie Nelson
Screenplay: Jessie Nelson
Cinematography: Bruce Surtees
Music: Rick Cox
Released by New Line Cinema
Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about CORRINA, CORRINA is that it's a rare mainstream Hollywood motion picture which has been produced, directed, and written by the same person. This happens a lot with smaller, independent productions and foreign films, but it's unusual for a major release. Unfortunately, Jessie Nelson's triple-duty is almost the only thing that's unique about this movie. Her tale of interracial and intergenerational bonding offers a series of images that we've seen before.
Following the death of her mother, seven year-old Molly (Tina Majorino) has gone into a virtually catatonic state. She won't talk, nor is she responsive to questions or requests. In the absence of his wife, Molly's father Manny (Ray Liotta) discovers that he needs a housekeeper who can help care for his daughter. After interviewing a slew of undesirable candidates, he eventually chooses a black woman named Corrina (Whoopi Goldberg), solely because his daughter responds to her. So Corrina enters the Singer household, and a predictable bond develops between her and Molly, as well as a romantic entanglement with Manny.
CORRINA, CORRINA takes place in the 1950s. The apparent reason for this is to add a little racial tension to the mix. "Little" is the operative word, since it's possible to count on one hand the number of times someone makes a nasty comment about Corrina or her relationship with Manny (and half of those are made by Corrina's sister).
This is as average as a motion picture gets. The storyline is a screenplay-by-the-numbers, following certain set formulas that should be familiar to anyone who sees more than a handful of movies a year. The script (which bears a resemblance to that of last year's little-seen HOUSE OF CARDS--the Kathleen Turner/Tommy Lee Jones feature, not the British miniseries) adequately tells the tale without trying anything daring or inventive.
Whoopi Goldberg, doing her umpteenth movie in the last twelve months, returns to familiar territory with Corrina. This is a similar sort of character to the ones she played in CLARA'S HEART and THE LONG WALK HOME. The actress doesn't bring anything new to a role crying out for something fresh. A similar criticism can be leveled at Ray Liotta, whose Manny often seems devoid of emotion. On the other hand, young actress Tina Majorino (who can also be seen in the current ANDRE) gives a winning--if sometimes too cute--performance.
CORRINA, CORRINA might have been a better movie had the obligatory romance been purged altogether. The most interesting person in the movie is Molly, and additional time spent examining her relationships with Corrina and Manny would have been welcome. Her reaction to racial bigotry is also carefully sidestepped--two scenes allude to it, but the issue is never confronted head-on.
Taken as a whole, CORRINA, CORRINA is a lackluster production. Its attempts at sincerity are stymied by cliched circumstances and stereotyped characters. The film suffers from the problem that afflicts all films traversing this familiar road: when viewers know the destination, and recognize the route being taken to reach it, there's not a lot to hold their interest.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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