JACK
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.5 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
United States, 1996 Release date: 8/9/96 (wide) Running Length: 1:53 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Robin Williams, Diane Lane, Brian Kerwin, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Zolotin, Bill Cosby, Fran Drescher Director: Francis Ford Coppola Producers: Ricardo Mestres, Fred Fuchs, and Francis Ford Coppola Screenplay: James DeMonaco & Gary Nadeau Cinematography: John Toll Music: Michael Kamen U.S. Distributor: Hollywood Pictures
It strikes me that there are certain similarities between JACK and PHENOMENON. Both use relative innocents as their central characters. Both attempt to attract a mature audience. And, most importantly, both offer drama-based alternatives to the relentless action films that have come to characterize the summer of 1996. However, while PHENOMENON failed because of poor scripting, JACK is an unqualified success. If there's going to be a sleeper hit this summer, JACK is a reasonable candidate. This feel-good motion picture is intelligently written and expertly directed -- qualities which many similar movies cannot boast. Cross BIG with FORREST GUMP, and you get an idea of where JACK's appeal lies.
The premise for JACK, although seemingly simple, is riddled with potential problems -- nearly all of which the script not only addresses, but answers without a whiff of condescension. Jack is born when his mother is only ten weeks pregnant. The doctors are immediately aware that something strange is going on. Eventually, they arrive at an explanation. The child has an internal clock that's ticking four times faster than usual. So, by the time Jack turns ten, he appears like a 40-year old man (Robin Williams).
Until the fall of his eleventh year, Jack has been taught by a tutor (Bill Cosby). But, after careful consideration, his mother (Diane Lane) and father (Brian Kerwin) agree that he should give public school a try, despite children's' propensity for name-calling and finger- pointing. So, one morning, Jack ventures into Nathaniel Hawthorne Elementary School to meet his fifth grade teacher, Miss Marquez (Jennifer Lopez), and his classmates.
The script for JACK, credited to James DeMonaco and Gary Nadeau, is a well-balanced mix of drama and comedy. It's rarely maudlin, and manages to be affecting without heavy-handed manipulation. The film has an excellent grasp of what it's like to be in fifth grade. Jack endures all the painful isolation of a "different" child, but, gradually, as he makes friends (by dominating schoolground basketball games and offering to buy PENTHOUSE magazines), he begins to fit in. It's perhaps an idealized vision of elementary school, but there are enough aspects of reality not to jolt our suspension of disbelief.
One of the most difficult issues JACK has to deal with is the title character's rapid aging. If he looks like he's forty at ten, that means he'll be lucky to live past twenty. When his teacher asks him what he wants to be when he grows up, Jack's answer is succinct and poignant: "Alive." Mr. Woodruff, Jack's tutor, describes him this way: "You're a shooting star amongst ordinary stars... A shooting star passes quickly, but, while it's here, it's the most beautiful thing you'll ever want to see." The movie never shies away from confronting Jack's mortality.
Robin Williams is entirely believable as a ten-year old. He has all the mannerisms and vocal inflections perfected -- whining when he doesn't get his way, pulling at his shirts, adjusting his pants, and so forth. It's almost as if he regressed back into childhood for the duration of filming. (Then again, has Williams ever really grown up?) The only recent movie where an adult so perfectly emulated a child was BIG, and, indeed, JACK has much in common with the Tom Hanks feature, both in terms of subject matter and broad audience appeal. Williams brings a lot of humor to his portrayal, but, with Francis Ford Coppola in control, the comic's eccentricities are kept carefully under reign, and this results in a near-perfect performance.
The supporting cast is surprisingly solid. Diane Lane, Brian Kerwin, and Fran Drescher are not known as strong actors, but each is equal to their secondary roles here. Bill Cosby, playing a fifty- something man with a lot of child inside, steals several scenes. Jennifer Lopez has a touching moment where she is forced to turn down Jack's offer to accompany him to a school dance. And Adam Zolotin is good as Louis, Jack's best friend.
JACK has something to offer just about everyone. It's good- natured, funny, heartwarming, and capable of being viewed on more than one level. Children will relate to JACK differently than their parents, although, with its "soft" PG-13, the film isn't for the very young. With the release of COURAGE UNDER FIRE a few weeks ago, and now JACK, this summer's theatrical options are brightening. For Robin Williams, don't be surprised if his name is mentioned early next year when Academy Award Nominations are given out. JACK deserves that sort of recognition.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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