UNSTRUNG HEROES
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.8
United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: 9/22/95 (wide) Running Length: 1:33 MPAA Classification: PG (Mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Andie MacDowell, John Turturro, Nathan Watt, Michael Richards, Maury Chaykin, Kendra Krull Director: Diane Keaton Producers: Susan Arnold, Donna Roth, and Bill Badalato Screenplay: Richard LaGravenese based on the book by Franz Lidz Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael Music: Thomas Newman U.S. Distributor: Hollywood Pictures
For Andie MacDowell, it's been a while since sEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE--the last time her work was worthy of positive notice. Despite being wooed by a host of notable directors, including Robert Altman (who cast her in SHORT CUTS) and Krzysztof Kieslowski (who wanted her for the title role in THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE), MacDowell's acting has been largely lackluster since her appearance in Steven Soderbergh's debut feature. In fact, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL succeeded almost in spite of her. With UNSTRUNG HEROES, however, the actress delivers a strong performance likely to impress (and perhaps surprise) both fans and detractors.
MacDowell, playing dying wife/mother Selma Lidz, isn't the only one who does a solid job. John Turturro, whose only career misstep was BRAIN DONORS, fills the role of Selma's husband, scientist/experimenter Sid Lidz, with his usual aptitude. As Selma fades away, Turturro's face expresses Sid's unspeakable loss with heart-breaking poignancy. Also effective is young Nathan Watt as Steven, the Lidz' young son, who is forced to cope with death before he really understands what living is. On hand to teach him life's lessons are two eccentric, "black sheep" uncles: paranoid Danny (Michael Richards) and packrat Arthur (Mary Chaykin). As Steven's home life becomes increasingly unstable, Danny and Arthur are there for him, dispensing their own variety of wisdom, which includes advice never to throw away memories--like dreams, they're easily lost, and an effort must be made to preserve them.
UNSTRUNG HEROES opens as another coming of age story set in the early sixties. Steven and his sister Sandy (Kendra Krull) are the children of a happily married, if somewhat unusual, non-practicing Jewish couple. It's not long, however, before we learn that Selma is terminally ill. Sid doesn't handle the situation well, so when Steven asks to spend the summer with his two oddball uncles, there are only token objections. While living with Danny and Arthur, Steven changes his name to Franz and learns the importance of his Jewish faith--something Sid has always dismissed as "a crutch."
Director Diane Keaton is on certain ground chronicling the tragedy of Selma's illness and its inevitable conclusion. While the emotional impact of UNSTRUNG HEROES isn't as potent as that of Richard Attenborough's similarly-themed SHADOWLANDS, the scenes showing Selma, Sid, and their children coping with impending death are well-written and effectively conveyed. Thankfully, most of this is handled with refreshing subtlety--there is no obvious audience manipulation.
Less successful is the presentation of Uncles Danny and Arthur. There's a sense that these two exist simply to populate UNSTRUNG HEROES with a pair of eccentrics, and they seem more like scripted characters than real people. Their ultimate function within the context of the story--life's castoffs teaching an impressionable boy secrets of how to stay afloat--is more than a little cliched. It's in the sequences where Steven is cloistered with his uncles that the film wanders off- track. Fortunately, this is only a short detour. Most of the movie remains firmly focused on its stronger elements.
There's nothing especially original about UNSTRUNG HEROES, but the story is told with intelligence and sensitivity. In a time when so many movies are botching promising premises, it's refreshing to see something appealing done with a retreaded subject. This film isn't a masterpiece, but it offers another view of what makes family so important, and does so with an emotional honesty that many other movies don't approach.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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