THE CURE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 4.8
U.S. Availability: wide release 4/21/95 Running Length: 1:38 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (AIDS themes, language)
Starring: Brad Renfro, Joseph Mazzello, Anabella Sciorra, Diana Scarwid,
Bruce Davison
Director: Peter Horton
Producers: Mark Burg and Eric Eisner
Screenplay: Robert Kuhn
Cinematography: Andrew Dintenfass
Music: Dave Grusin
Released by Universal Pictures
Forget cancer. That life-stealer, which has fueled tear-jerkers from TERMS OF ENDEARMENT to MY LIFE, is passe, its position usurped by AIDS. Apparently, PHILADELPHIA was just the tip of the iceberg, and, if THE CURE is any indication, the American movie-going population may be on the verge of a deluge. One problem immediately comes to mind, however--how the grueling ordeal of the victim can be made palatable for mass market audiences. THE CURE offers a possibility, and it's not a pleasant one, for, as presented in this film, the bane of AIDS offers a noble, sanitized death. The Hollywood portrait of suffering here is in stark contrast to the gut-wrenching reality of SILVERLAKE LIFE: THE VIEW FROM HERE, Peter Friedman and Tom Joslin's 1993 documentary about living with and dying from AIDS.
If you're looking for a watered-down AIDS movie that goes for the easy way out every time, THE CURE is perfect. It's the kind of production that would be at home as a TV after school special. In the most pedantic and obvious fashion possible, it ticks off all the appropriate truths: people shouldn't be reviled because they have AIDS, AIDS is not an airborne contagion, you don't have to be gay to get AIDS, and some gay people are even "nice." Of course, these are all valid messages for a motion picture to disseminate to a largely-ignorant public, but THE CURE presents them in a preachy and awkward manner. Good intentions combined with poor execution don't add up to much.
The story centers around two neighboring boys: Erik (Brad Renfro of THE CLIENT), a loner with a self-absorbed, often-drunk mother (Diana Scarwid), and Dexter (Joseph Mazzello of JURASSIC PARK and SHADOWLANDS), an AIDS victim whose only friend is his loving mom (Anabella Sciorra). After a few conversations through a fence, Erik and Dexter meet face-to- face, the former having to overcome a fear of getting physically close to someone in Dexter's condition. However, following this first meeting, it doesn't take long for the two to become pals, and their growing friendship leads Erik to help Dexter begin a search for a cure to rid him of the scourge threatening to claim his life.
In general, the script, which has a tendency to paint everything with broad strokes in black and white, is not well-written. While there are several scenes that are wonderfully insightful (such as an incident when Erik and Dexter covertly flip through an issue of PLAYBOY, then come into contact with two "real" women), these represent high points in a screenplay that often relies upon coincidence, contrivance, and manipulation. The ultimate goal of THE CURE is to wring a few tears from everyone in the audience, and it tries everything in pursuit of that aim.
Character development proceeds along predictable, and not especially deep, lines. These aren't real people; they've been lifted from stock. Does anyone doubt that Erik and Dexter are destined to be good friends? Can anyone not see that Dexter's mom will develop maternal feelings for her son's only buddy? Is there any doubt that Erik's mother, the personification of AIDS-paranoia, homophobia, and alcoholism all-in-one, is actually a reincarnation of the Wicked Witch? In fact, actress Diana Scarwid drips so much meanness that she comes across as laughably absurd.
I found one scene in THE CURE somewhat alarming, and possibly a little irresponsible. In an instance when Erik and Dexter are menaced by a knife-wielding bully, the AIDS-infected child calmly slices his own hand, brandishes the open wound, and intones, "My blood is like poison." This particular method of fighting back gets the job done--the man runs away--but it also potentially reinforces several negative stereotypes about AIDS and AIDS victims. Is the single camera shot of cuts on the attacker's arm enough to clue the audience in that blood-to-blood contact is necessary for a possible transmission? Or will the less-enlightened viewer come away thinking that a drop of HIV+ blood is deadly even if it touches only unbroken skin?
There were plenty of wet eyes at the screening of THE CURE I attended, which indicates that the movie was accomplishing something. It does this, however, through shameless and intrusive manipulation that is less concerned about emotional honesty than pulling strings. Had the characters been more than thinly-sketched types and had the story contained a few more of those "special" moments of bonding between the two children, THE CURE might have been a heartwarming, heartbreaking tale. As it is, this film left me longing for another viewing of SILVERLAKE LIFE or, failing that, PHILADELPHIA. Both present the same themes as THE CURE, but in a manner that is both poignant and effective.
-James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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