FOXFIRE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.5 Alternative Scale: ** out of ****
United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 8/23/96 (wide) Running Length: 1:40 MPAA Classification: R (Language, nudity, violence, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Hedy Burress, Angeline Jolie, Jenny Lewis, Sarah Rosenberg, Jenny Shimizu, John Diehl, Richard Beymer, Peter Facinelli, Cathy Moriarty Director: Annette Haywood-Carter Producers: Jeffrey Lurie, John Bard Manulis, and John P. Marsh Screenplay: Elizabeth White based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oats Cinematography: Tom Sigel Music: Michael Columbier U.S. Distributor: The Samuel Goldwyn Company
There have been so many male bonding films over the years that it seems only fair that we're finally being exposed to the female versions. Unfortunately, like their other-gender counterparts, these tend towards cliched melodrama rather than something more insightful and character- driven. FOXFIRE, which is about five teenage girls taking a walk on the wild side, has its share of incisive, intelligent moments, but the film as a whole is undermined by a silly plot and the bland characterization of secondary players. Therefore, what could have been a younger version of last year's little-seen LIVE NUDE GIRLS devolves into something just a little loftier than an exploitation flick.
In '80s and '90s male bonding movies (there are so many out there, you can take your pick), the guys usually get together, have a few beers, and talk about girls. If the director has been influenced by Quentin Tarantino, maybe they go on a crime spree, but, mostly, they just sort of pal around, doing "guy things." If we're to believe FOXFIRE, when gals congregate, they engage in slightly more esoteric rituals, like taking their shirts off and tattooing their breasts.
It has been said that every same-sex bonding picture has a homoerotic undercurrent. This may not always be true, but there's no doubt about the lesbian leanings in FOXFIRE. The film never crosses the line from the unspoken to the acted-upon, but there are enough longing looks and pregnant pauses to make the reality of the situation apparent to even the most oblivious viewer. However, the issue of lesbianism in never confronted head-on, so we aren't given the opportunity to judge whether its inclusion would have made FOXFIRE a better motion picture.
FOXFIRE, which is based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oats, has undergone significant modernization to change the setting from the '50s to the '90s, but the theme of female empowerment is still at the forefront. The movie opens in a Portland, Oregon high school, where a nasty biology teacher (John Diehl) is tormenting a young female student, Rita (Jenny Lewis), because she won't dissect her frog. He assigns her to detention, where, as it's known, he sexually molests girls. Later that day, when Rita shows up for her after-school punishment, she's not alone. With her are four others: Maddy (Hedy Burress), a "good" student with a promising future; Violet (Sarah Rosenberg), one of the teacher's past victims; Goldie (Jenny Shimizu), an exotic-looking girl with a drug problem; and Legs (Angeline Jolie), a mysterious drifter who has just arrived in town. Led by Legs, the girls make sure the teacher won't be engaging in any more sexual harassment -- they leave him beaten and bloody. The next day, as a group, they are called into the principal's office and suspended. That's when the fun -- which includes a variety of criminal acts -- begins.
The best scenes in FOXFIRE are those where the five protagonists sit together and talk. There's a ring of truth to some of their conversations, and, during these moments, the Foxfire girls attain a multi-dimensional level that they don't have for much of the rest of the film. There are a number of weak plot developments, including the opening stuff with the biology teacher, and the climactic sequence, which involves guns and a kidnapping. Had FOXFIRE eliminated some of the melodrama and remained low-key, it would have been a more enjoyable experience.
Angeline Jolie's Legs is a rebel with a cause. With her wild nature and troubled past, she provides the spark that impels her four friends to turn their backs on conventions. As in HACKERS, Jolie's combination of sensuality and toughness makes for a beguiling portrayal. The other members of the quintet are variations of familiar types. Maddy, from whose point-of-view the story is told, is the girl-next-door with the supportive mother. Rita is the ineffectual virgin. Violet is the sexually promiscuous one. And Goldie is the pot-head with the dysfunctional family. The young actresses do solid, if unspectacular, jobs. With few exceptions, the supporting characters are unpleasant and one-dimensional -- unsympathetic adults and bullying boys.
With its themes of revenge and empowerment, FOXFIRE is big on payback; unfortunately, there's not quite enough here to recompense those who sit in the audience for its hundred-minute running time. It's not as bad as some of the other drek being released on this sad weekend, but even such faint praise doesn't earn it a recommendation.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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