CHANGING HABITS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
I saw CHANGING HABITS at its world premier and was fortunate the next day to be granted a personal interview with its talented director, Lynn Roth. This review includes the highlights of the interview as well as some of the comments she made at the premier. CHANGING HABITS was chosen to open San Jose's Cinequest film festival. Since the movie has a well known cast and crew, I predict the picture will quickly be picked up by a distributor.
Skillful young actress Moira Kelly (UNHOOK THE STARS, ENTERTAINING ANGELS, and CHAPLIN) plays Susan "Soosh" Teague. Soosh is a troubled woman in her early twenties. Her father, Theo (Christopher Lloyd from the BACK TO THE FUTURE series), is a famous, but alcoholic painter. She worships her mother, who died when Soosh was very young. As the title suggests, Soosh may be in the process of changing her habits.
Soosh, like her dad, is a painter, but she has not sold any of her paintings. She works with Connie, played with style by Teri Garr (MR. MOM among dozens of other good films), at a women's clothing boutique. Soosh has many bad habits, including lying and shoplifting. She has also lost faith in life and people.
In order to find a cheap place to live, she concocts a hard luck story and tells it to the Mother Superior of a local convent. The Mother Superior is played by Eileen Brennan, whom you probably remember from her Academy Award nominated role of Capt. Lewis in PRIVATE BENJAMIN. After Soosh is taken in, convent life, with its draconian schedules, proves a challenge for Soosh. She is not used to getting up early to help with breakfast nor being in by eleven when she has a hot date.
The convent is populated by a strange group of characters. Although they are played believably, they are each quite funny. The Mother Superior is addicted to her morning "ritual" of coffee and cigarettes and treats them quite religiously. Another nun plays the role of the convent's drill sergeant. Easily the most lovable nun is Sister Agatha (Shelley Duvall). She doesn't speak because she doesn't feel any need. She does end up saying exactly one word in the show, and that scene is precious. Also at the convent are a group of other young women with equally bogus stories. The best of these women is played by Marissa Ribisi (THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE).
The story is hard to categorize. It has an almost mystical aspect at times as when Soosh finds an old locked chapel in the basement of the convent. In the most hopeful part of the story, she falls in love with Felix (Dylan Walsh), the owner of a local artist supply store. She meets him while shoplifting at his store, and he tells her he will not prosecute if she will agree to have dinner with him. Even after they start dating she still pilfers his stores, just more openly. "I'd like to shoplift this please," she says plunking her loot down on the counter. This part is a quasi-romantic comedy.
The movie is both enchanting and wise. If forced to categorize it, I guess I would label it a coming-of-age story, but it is so much more. The performances are all good with one exception. I thought Christopher Lloyd took too long to get into character. Some shows are more than the some of its parts, and this is one. I attribute this to the talent of first-time director Lynn Roth.
Technically the show is highly polished. Most of this can be attributed to the choice of an accomplished cinematographer, Michael Mayers. You may have admired his work in SPANKING THE MONKEY and DENISE CALLS UP.
The only major problem I had with the movie was the surprising turn the show takes toward the end. I thought it was too abrupt and out of character for the rest of the film. I discussed this with the director. She told me she wanted this part isolated because she did not want the film to be too much of a downer. She thinks it is consistent with the earlier undertones of the story.
I found out more about the picture and Roth's career. She said that the film was made over a period of just 20 long days. She and producer Abra Edelman got almost every actor they wanted and got them to take reduced salaries so they could bring the picture in at just $1.2 million dollars.
The best story from the casting has to do with one of the actors who initially turned them down. The producer, whose background is in casting, wanted Dylan Walsh to play Felix, but he said no. After his starring role in CONGO, he wanted to play a more sexy part. Edelman hounded his agent to get Walsh to take a meeting with Roth. Knowing the only way to get Edelman to back off was to agree to the one meeting, the agent set it up. When Roth met Walsh, she told him she wasn't sure if he was right for the part of Felix since she needed a sexy actor, and she had "only seen him hugging monkeys." This was all it took, and he signed on.
I talked with Roth about her career and how she got to direct her first movie. She said that she started as the executive producer of the TV show "The Paper Chase." She said that I looked old enough to have seen it, which I was, and I did. From there she had a series of positions in writing, producing, and sometimes acting. She likes theatrical movies best because it gives you a freedom that television does not. She did say that some of the cable channels, she mentioned a couple, are beginning to encourage directors without putting the limitations on them that networks normally do.
CHANGING HABITS is a promising first start for a director. I hope the distributors form a good habit by picking up her work quickly. In a strong film festival, this was one of the best.
CHANGING HABITS runs just 1:35. It is not yet rated but will probably get a PG-13 for a little bad language. The show would be fine for kids say 10 and up. I recommend the show to you and give it ***.
**** = A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = Totally and painfully unbearable picture.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: January 30, 1997
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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