THE ICE STORM (1997) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge
Director: Ang Lee Writer: James Schamus (from the novel by Ron Moody) Starring: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen, Jamie Sheridan, Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, Adam Hann-Byrd, David Krumholtz, Katie Holmes, Henry Czerny, Michael Cumpsty, Glenn Fitzgerald
Sometimes in life, the role models we grow up with are as confused as we are. Such is the case in Ang Lee's newest film since "Sense and Sensibility:" "The Ice Storm." All the people in this film are immature, but that's just because even the parents have no one to rely on for help, what being the time of Watergate and the sexual revolution. "The Ice Storm" brings us an atmospheric, moody, and entertaining little morality play which never gets preachy or even boring.
"The Ice Storm" choses its time and place to be around Thanksgiving in 1973, and in suburban Connecticut. Here we meet two families: the Hoods and the Carvers. Ben Hood (Kevin Kline) is married to Elena (Joan Allen), but is having an affair with Janie Carver (Sigourney Weaver), though there is no passion except for that of sexual. It seems that Ben is ignoring his wife for Janie, who is ignoring and also being ignored by her workaholic husband, George (Jamie Sheridan, who played the devil in "The Stand" mini-series).
This all rubs off on the kids of each family, who are growing up being raised by confused parents, and of course, with Nixon lying out his ass on the television. Wendy Hood (Christina Ricci) is not only very anti-Nixon and very political in her thinking, but is very sexually precocious, as she is experimenting with the confused and near-silent Mikey Carver (none other than Elijah Wood, who made this after his performance in "Flipper," I think). Of course, Mikey's younger brother, Sandy (Adam Hann-Byrd, who was in Jodie Foster's "Little Man Tate"), lusts after Wendy in the worst way (staring at her butt crack in band practice, pitifully trying to talk to her, etc).
The other Hood kid is Paul (Tobey Maguire, who's in Woody Allen's next flick, "Deconstructing Harry"), who is enrolled at a classy prep school where he lusts after the intelligent Libbets (Katie Holmes). Paul is basically the protagonist, as everything is seen through his eyes, even if he is reminiscing about something which he was detached from. He's also a symbol of parental uncaring, as his parents have shipped him off to a far-away school, and never see him. His relationship with everyone but Wendy is damn near silent (he has an awkwardly hysterical scene with Ben in the car-ride from the train-ride towards the middle).
The film views the parents with a negative light, as they are often giant hypocrites, and totally immature. Everyone seems to want to live without any responsibilities, even Elena, who almost seems like a martyr, but her character is much deeper than that. She has a part where she re-enacts what her daughter does - riding a bike, and shoplifting. But the shoplifting, of course, is hardly as sucessful as it is when Wendy does it, thus the adults cannot be as wreckless as the kids are.
But in the same vein, the kids cannot be as immature as the parents are. Wendy is constantly fooling around with the two Carver kids, and sometimes with bad results. Her "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" game is caught by Janie (who gives a greatly hysterical and satirical speech to her), while she is later caught fooling around with Mikey by someone (in a great scene where she puts on a Nixon mask).
The film is highly satirical of both though. The parents are in a confusing time, therefore are not totally to blame. The film is intelligent enough to not pass all the blame onto them anyway, but contribute it to the way the world was at the time. Nixon is being investigated for Watergate, the sexual revolution is going on...it's just not a good time. Everyone is confused, and we see the result of all this with a tear-jerking tragedy at the end that almost had me weeping, if I wasn't in a theater.
Like "Boogie Nights," "The Ice Storm" feels exactly like the time it has chosen to take place in. We get the full feel of the 70s, with all the fashion, the waterbeds, the key parties, etc. Ang Lee choses very little actual 70s music (I heard some Jim Croce and Harry Nilsson), but the film feels exactly like the 70s were. So kudos to whomever did the research.
The acting is also amazing, with several people standing out for possible Oscar contenders. Kevin Kline is predictably brilliant, giving a wonderful dramatic performance with total human feeling. The scene in the car with his son is a prime example of him trying to be a good parent but failing because he's human and doesn't actually know his son anymore. Joan Allen, who might be seeing her third consecutive Oscar nomination, is also brilliant, creating a full person out of someone who could just be a shallow character. Sigourney Weaver also constructs a multi-layered performance, especially at a scene where she tells Ben why she ditched him one day when they were about to screw. Jamie Sheridan has a very little part, but he's still awesome, especially at the end, and in a scene which consists of what has to be the shortest sex scene in cinematic history...well, since that one in "Booty Call."
The kid actors are also amazing. Tobey Maguire has a very small part, but still rocks. Adam Hann-Byrd is just amazing as the younger brother, and Elijah Wood even gives a great performance. Hopefully his career will perk back up after this one (I'm talking about Elijah).
The best performance, though, goes to Christina Ricci, who finally gets a chance to shine in a role which is complex, and more human. Sure, she's always great (her Wednesday Addams is classic), but here she actually gets to do human drama. She has a kind of Lolita-esque draw to her, and she just gives a mesmerizing performance among everybody else. Of course, no one actor steals the show, which makes this one of the best ensemble films of the year.
Ang Lee has created a pure masterpiece here, and what may be the best film I've seen all year (along with "Boogie Nights"). If he doesn't get nominated for an Oscar this year, there's really something wrong, because "The Ice Storm" is a wonderful film, handled with the utmost delicacy to every human detail. Like "Boogie Nights," I was blown away by this film, but in far more different and emotional way.
MY RATING (out of 4): ****
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