Daytrippers, 1996
Seen on 26 July 1997 at the Cineplex Odeon Worldwide for $3 by myself.
Just after Thanksgiving, happy couple Louis (Stanley Tucci) and Eliza (Hope Davis) make love; the following day she discovers what appears to be a highly literate love note to her husband. How she deals with it and what ensues is not realistic, but if you let that slide, you will enjoy the film. What does she do? She immediately discusses the matter with the whole family, who, since they were going into New York anyway, pile into the station wagon and head for Louis' office.
The Malone family includes Rita (Anne Meara), Jim (Pat McNamara), younger daughter Jo (Parker Posey), and her boyfriend Carl (Liev Schreiber). Their journey is improbable and leads to some other implausible events a la After Hours. But, the guaranteed overheard dialog is still engaging and entertaining. First Eliza and Rita invade Louis publishing office. Later, when tracking Louis down to a Soho apartment, the entire group winds up invading the home of a young man who is hiding his deadbeat dad from the authorities. And yes, they eventually invade the book party Louis is supposed to be at later that night. All this in a car without a working heater.
The movie's strengths are the dialogue and the pacing. It is a low-budget independent feature, and the real-time telling of tales lends itself to the no-money-for-editing look of the film. There is a drabness and darkness (literally) that suits it well. A lot of the dialogue gems are in the side stories and overheards.
The Daytrippers sums up the very American characteristic of spilling ones guts to anyone and everyone: the publishing assistant recounting his latest sexcapade; Eliza walks into a party and a guest (Marcia Gay Harden) latches onto her for dear life. Rita, who is insufferable to everyone in her family, hold back nothing to Rob and Leon, just after taking over their kitchen. [Great line from her long-suffering husband: "For the love of God, don't let her make soup!"]
Early on, true to his student nature, Carl pontificates how the middle class is concerned with trivialities that keep them from meaningful interaction. What he, and everyone else, learns is that being on vacation is enough to make relationships buckle or unravel.
This is writer/director Greg Mottola's first feature-length effort. For what it is, it succeeds. The casting is good: Anne Meara dominates as the shrewish Rita; Liev Schreiber is as convincing as the novelist wannabe college boyfriend as he was as one of the kidnappers in Ransom; Parker Posey works well as the rebellious, quirky, and annoyed Jo. Campbell Scott (a co-producer) makes two appearances as a writer.
Also noteworthy is Richard Martinez's music, which makes a ride on the Long Island Expressway feel like some sort of dream or fairytale (believe me, it's not).
Copyright (c) 1997 Seth J. Bookey, New York, NY 10021, sethbook@panix.com.
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