SAFE PASSAGE
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1994 Ben Hoffman
Susan Sarandon, as Mag, turns in another of her many wonderful screen portrayals. Directors and producers cannot go wrong when they choose Sarandon. Here, in SAFE PASSAGE, she is the mother of seven grown sons. Her husband, Patrick (Sam Shepard) chooses to live at the office but that is okay; they are still very much in love. With all the sons now out of the house, except for fourteen-year-old Simon (Nick Stahl), Mag is thinking of being free at last of household duties.
Just as Mag wants to pursue her dreams of mingling in the working world outside of home, word comes that Percival (Matt Keeslar), who had joined the Marines to get away from family pressures, may have been among those blown up in a surprise attack of a barracks in the Middle East.
Now the family begins to come together to sweat out the vigil. There is the scientist, Izzy (Sean Astin), Alfred and his girlfriend Cynthia (Robert Sean Leonard and Marcia Gay Harden), athlete Gideon, (Jason London), twins Merle and Darren (Philip and Steve Ross) ... and, of course, the dad, Patrick. Although each has his own life, this is a time when they have to get together and listen to skimpy news. >From official reports they get nothing concrete.
News reports could mean Percival was among the dead or missing. And they talk. They talk about old times and about things they never before had revealed to each other and they talk about how their parents raised them and how the sons affected the parents as well. And all the time the tension escalates.
The acting by all the sons is faultless. The plight of the family gets you in its grip. And, again, Susan Sarandon, (much as in LORENZO'S OIL) is a mother fighting. A great performance. Let us not overlook Sam Shepard's role as the father. Fine acting all around.
Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman.
4 Bytes 4 Bytes = Absolutely must see. 3 Bytes = Too good to be missed. 2 Bytes = So so. 1 Byte = Save your money.
Ben Hoffman
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