SUBURBIA
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.5 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: beginning 2/97 (limited) Running Length: 2:00 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, mature themes, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Giovanni Ribisi, Steve Zahn, Amie Carey, Nicky Katt, Jayce Bartok, Dina Spybey, Parker Posey, Ajay Naidu, Samia Shoaib Director: Richard Linklater Producer: Anne Walker-McBay Screenplay: Eric Bogosian based on his play Cinematography: Lee Daniel Music: Sonic Youth U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Richard Linklater's movies have always been talky affairs, and his latest, SUBURBIA, is no exception. Even though Linklater didn't write the script, it's easy to see what attracted him to the project (which was adapted by Eric Bogosian from his stage play). The characters here aren't all that different from those in Linklater's previous films, SLACKERS, DAZED AND CONFUSED, and BEFORE SUNRISE. They're post- adolescent pre-adults stuck in a state of inertia, rendered impotent by the lethargy that takes root in the absence of ambition.
Watching SUBURBIA, I was reminded of the immortal quote from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: "Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." The young men and women in Linklater's film seem forever stuck in the "try" mode. They talk about doing something with their lives, make plans for the future, but never seem to act on anything. Nestled in the safe suburban neighborhood of Anytown, U.S.A. (actually Burnfield, TX), they sit paralyzed on the side of the road while life rushes past at a frenzied pace. SUBURBIA presents an uncompromisingly grim picture of the members of a generation so turned off by the realities of "modern life" that they would rather waste their existences than join the rat race.
SUBURBIA is about 95% dialogue, some of which is clever, but much of which is pointless. Bogosian has a fondness for meaningless profundities -- characters saying things that, on the surface, sound deep, but, when you examine them, aren't backed up by much substance. In a way, the movie as a whole is like that -- it's somehow not as powerful or original as it initially seems to be. Watching this picture can be an exercise in both frustration and fascination. Frustration, because it's difficult to spend two hours in the company of individuals whose defining traits are ennui and inadequacy. Fascination, because, even though the storyline is a little too constraining, the characters are capable of holding our interest.
Although SUBURBIA is an ensemble piece, certain individuals have more screen time than others. The lead, if there is one, is Jeff (Giovanni Ribisi), a slacker in his late teens who lives in a pup tent in his parents' garage, has dropped out of college, and constantly questions the meaning of life. His girlfriend, Sooze (Amie Carey), is a performance artist who dreams of going to New York. His best friends are Buff (Steve Zahn), a would-be video maker with a flair for the absurd, and Tim (Nicky Katt), a disturbed ex-Air Force grunt who returned home after being honorably discharged. Together, in what has become a nightly ritual, these five gather outside a Circle A convenience store to drink beer and talk. They are joined by Bee-Bee (Dina Spybey), a shy, pretty blond; Pony (Jayce Bartok), a old high school classmate who has become a rock star with a video on MTV; and Erica (the omnipresent Parker Posey), Pony's publicist. Meanwhile, the Pakistani owners of the store, Nazeer (Ajay Naidu) and Pakeesa (Samia Shoaib), do everything they can to dissuade the loiterers from hanging around.
Aside from a ride in a limo, a rendezvous in an abandoned van, and a walk through the woods, SUBURBIA basically stays around the Circle A. Perhaps strangely, the film is at its strongest when little is happening. During the second hour, as Bogosian's script begins building to a climax of dubious effectiveness, we start to feel manipulated by several incidents. In the beginning, the storyline serves the characters; by the end, it's the other way around.
SUBURBIA's two strongest assets are its acting and its attention to detail. Linklater, as he has done in all three of his previous outings, conveys a sense of time and place. Anyone who has been in or around a suburban convenience store that doubles as a teen hangout will understand how skillfully the director has captured the setting and how ably the actors have adapted to their roles.
Singling out performers is hard, since all of them are effective, but Giovanni Ribisi and Steve Zahn (both of whom appeared in THAT THING YOU DO!) give memorable turns. Ribisi plays the most frustrated of all the characters -- a smart, insightful young man who wants to act, but is anesthetized by his conviction that he's a victim of life's natural unfairness. For one brief moment, in a drunken stupor, he believes himself to be empowered, but events quickly pull him back under. Zahn's Buff, on the other hand, is the kind of character a high school class might vote "least likely to succeed," and the actor fully understands how to develop this off-the-wall personality without going over-the-top.
If not for the manipulative ending, SUBURBIA could be viewed as more of a character study than a cautionary tale. Ultimately, however, Bogosian and Linklater want to make a point about the fruit that this lifestyle will bear. But, despite missteps along the way and an underwhelming final half-hour, the movie has enough compelling moments to get us through the rough patches. SUBURBIA is far from a perfect film, but, for viewers who can look past the unevenness, there is value in some of what is being said.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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