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Month: June 2007

Night and Day (1946)

Night and Day (1946)

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“Night and day, you are the one…”

Synopsis:
With the help of his devoted wife (Alexis Smith) and friend (Monty Woolley), Cole Porter (Cary Grant) rises from obscurity to worldwide fame.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alan Hale Film
  • Alexis Smith Films
  • Biopics
  • Cary Grant Films
  • Composers
  • Jane Wyman Films
  • Marital Problems
  • Michael Curtiz Films
  • Monty Woolley Films
  • Musicals

Review:
The plot of this notoriously fictionalized biopic (made while Porter was still alive) is, as noted in the DVD Verdict review (see link below), “little more than a clothesline on which the musical numbers hang.” Indeed, the narrative takes so many liberties with Porter’s life — incorrectly positing him as a war hero, and neglecting to mention his homosexuality — that one must choose simply to ignore the facts and enjoy the music. On the other hand, Grant — while still indubitably “Cary Grant” — does a fine job depicting Porter as someone who’s more interested in kissing his wife passionately on the cheek than on the lips, and who remains resolutely untempted by the bevy of adoring singers constantly surrounding him; if you read between the lines, hints are definitely there. Comparisons between this and the more recent “authentic” Porter biopic De-Lovely (starring Kevin Kline) are inevitable, but I must say I prefer the original — for my money, it’s much more effective at portraying the exuberance and joy Porter brought to the world through his inimitable, sophisticated musical style.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Many creatively staged renditions of Porter’s songs

Must See?
No, though it’s an enjoyable diversion.

Links:

Trip to Bountiful, The (1985)

Trip to Bountiful, The (1985)

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“I guess when you’ve lived longer than your house and your family, then you’ve lived long enough.”

Synopsis:
An elderly woman (Geraldine Page) living with her grown son (John Heard) and controlling daughter-in-law (Carlin Glynn) escapes on a road trip to her home town of Bountiful.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Elderly People
  • Geraldine Page Films
  • Grown Children
  • John Heard Films
  • Play Adaptation
  • Road Trip

Review:
Geraldine Page deservedly won an Oscar for her lead performance in this adaptation of Horton Foote’s stage play. Page’s Carrie Watts is sympathetic yet never cloying, often ornery but usually for good reason. Equally impressive is the cast of supporting actors, most notably Rebecca De Mornay in an atypical role as a kind young bride, and Richard Bradford’s unexpectedly nuanced performance as a local sheriff. As in Foote’s Tender Mercies (1983), The Trip to Bountiful is ultimately more concerned with character than action; however, there’s a definite arc to the narrative here, as Page moves (literally) from the stuffy confines of her Houston apartment to the open road, and then, finally, to Bountiful. The result is a gently paced story which nonetheless holds genuine suspense, as we wonder what will befall Page once she reaches her beloved destination.

Note: Bountiful is reminiscent of Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953) in its depiction of the difficulties facing elderly parents who live with their grown children.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Geraldine Page as Carrie Watts
  • Rebecca De Mornay as a young army bride Page meets at the bus station
  • Richard Bradford as a kindly sheriff
  • Horton Foote’s screenplay
  • Stirring use of the hymn “Softly and Tenderly”

Must See?
Yes, simply for Page’s Oscar-winning performance.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links: