A THOUSAND ACRES
RATING: *** (out of ****)
Touchstone / 1:44 / 1997 / R (language, incest, brief nudity) Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer; Jessica Lange; Jennifer Jason Leigh; Jason Robards; Colin Firth; Keith Carradine; Kevin Anderson; Pat Hingle; John Carroll Lynch Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse Screenplay: Laura Jones
Sibling rivalry. Terminal illness. Extramarital affairs. Mental sickness. Parental conflicts. Child abuse. What sounds like a full week of Oprah Winfrey episodes is actually the material that "A Thousand Acres" covers in less than two hours. And the similarities to talk shows don't end there -- like that particular one, "Acres" is stark, manipulative, quite watchable and easy to digest. It's nothing great, but at least rich performances make it worth its weight in acting gold.
The film opens with a gathering of the Cook clan: Patriarch Larry (Jason Robards) and his three daughters -- Ginny (Jessica Lange), Rose (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Caroline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) -- and their respective families. On a rather impulsive whim, Larry decides to divide his 1,000 acre Iowa farm -- his pride and joy -- between his offspring. While Ginny and Rose are agree, Caroline reacts with some trepidation. Larry responds by shutting her out of his life altogether.
His seemingly too-strong overacting gives way to a plethora of events straight out of so many TV movies-of-the-week. Long-buried secrets emerge and are confronted, leading to the questioning of his very mental health. Loyalties flip-flop, and before too long, the sisters are not only doubting their father but each other as well. In the middle of all this is an impromptu wedding for Caroline and marital woes for both Ginny and Rose, brought about by the resurfacing of an old friend played by "The English Patient"'s Colin Firth.
It didn't surprise me to learn that "A Thousand Acres" takes its source from a previously-published work, but I would have guessed its roots were of the stage variety rather than a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. In execution, it feels just like a play -- you're watching these people do things from a distance. The characters themselves are interesting, but it's hard to be involved in the unfolding events because you've seen them one too many a time already. Some subplots feel underdeveloped and some main characters end up forgotten in "Acres"' last third, and that's what keeps it from achieving a higher emotional reaction.
Still, "A Thousand Acres"' selling point seems to be a plethora of robust acting from its four main stars, and that's what carries it across the finish line. Pfeiffer plays Rose as a hard-nosed truth-sayer, which contrasts Lange's naive restraint. Their scenes together -- and there are many -- fondly recall the stellar work Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton did in the somewhat similarly-themed "Marvin's Room," and A Thousand Acres effectively becomes a showcase for their intense, beautiful vitality. Both Robards and Leigh offer fine support, but their roles seem to become less significant (especially Leigh's) as "Acres" nears its conclusion.
Shot attractively and with a potent undercurrent of tension, "A Thousand Acres" extends plenty of reasons (namely Lange and Pfeiffer) to not let it slip through the fall movie offerings cracks even as it isn't a standout of the season. "A Thousand Acres" would probably like to pluck a thousand heartstrings, and although it fails in that specific area because of an overall familiarity and an eventual lack of strong material, it ultimately passes the test.
© 1997 Jamie Peck E-mail: jpeck1@gl.umbc.edu Visit the Reel Deal Online: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~jpeck1/
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