I N E M A
Courtesy I
Tom Drake (Christopher Penn) makes a peace offering to his angry girlfriend, Eileen Phillips (fen
ny Wright) in “The Wild Life.”
Film traces teens' wild summer
One of the few
'80s film
trends that we
can be proud
of is the
development
and treatment
of teenagers as real characters.
Taps can be considered the
nominal forerunner, with such
features as The Outsiders, Fast
Times At Ridgemont High and,
in particular, Sixteen Candles
carrying on the trend.
The Wild Life attempts to
continue in this direction,
following the lives of four high
schoolers and one recent
graduate during the last week of
summer vacation.
The characters are varied and
all fairly interesting. Tom Drake
(Christopher Penn) is the most
interesting, a party animal who
convinces his co-worker,
graduate Bill Conrad (Eric
Stoltz), to take him on as a
roommate. Tom’s would-be
girlfriend Eileen (Jenny Wright)
is a fashion-concious young
woman looking for something
more mature than what the ir
responsible Tom can offer.
Anita (Lea Thompson),
Eileen's best friend and Bill's
ex-girlfriend, is currently enjoy
ing her first relationship with
an older man. The last promi
nent character. Bill’s younger
brother Jim (Ilan Mitchell
Smith) is a 15-year-old "Viet
nam nut,” walking around in
surplus fatigues and immersed
in the music of the '60s.
These characters interact
together for the last week of
summer vacation and explore
the outer limits of autonomy,
love, sex, and of course, party
ing. And, as cliched as it
sounds, the characters all do a
little growing and learning dur
ing this period.
Written by Fast Times author
Cameron Crowe and produced
and directed by Fast Times pro
ducer Art Linson, The Wild Life
makes obvious attempts to
repeat the success of its
inspiration.
Most of the elements are here:
a varied cast of characters, all
portrayed by up and coming
young performers: a loose com
munity of students whose lives
touch, often only marginally,
each others’; hip dialogue and a
popular soundtrack; and, of
course, fairly well-developed
characters.
Unfortunately this film
doesn't come together as well as
its predecessor. The characters
aren’t as fully developed as they
could be, although the cast is
marvelous and energetic; the
humor isn't as natural.
For example, one of the film’s
biggest gags involves three
drunk wrestlers breaking
through the wall of an apart
ment. much to the dismay of the
neighbors. Humor based on the
destruction and abuse of other
people's property gets less fun
ny with every movie.
There are some nice touche*,
though. )im is a fascinating
character and his hero worship
of Charlie, a burned-out vet
played by Randy Quaid, is
handled very forcefully. Both
Penn and Wright give solid
characterizations, as does
I
Mitchell-Smith, and the easy
going tone of the film highlights
these characters over the story.
Finally there are some very ef
fective, and very funny, small
gags scattered about the film.
The Wild Life isn’t going to
break box-office records or win
any Academy awards, but a lot
can be said for its treatment of
teenagers as individuals. While
not the tightest film of its genre,
it can be considered a qualified
success.
ALSO PLAYING: The campus
flick to see this weekend is the
outstanding MASH, an under
rated look at the insanity of war,
and the insanity a cadre of doc
tors indulge in to survive. I find
Robert Altman’s brilliant film
superior to the safer television
series it inspired because of the
issues it tackles, most impor
tantly the need for controlled
lunacy to protect one’s own
sanity. Although I personally
dislike the price hike Catalyst
has introduced (which none of
.the other film organizations
found necessary), it’s worth it to
see this fabulous film, a must
for those who have yet to ex
perience it. Plays Friday in 180
PLC.
Other recommendations are
Werner Herzog’s acclaimed
Every Man For Himself and
God Aganst All, playing Satur
day in 150 Geology, and the Bi
jou’s late night feature Altered
States, showing tonight and
tomorrow night. Check today’s
classifieds for complete listings
and showtimes.
Sean Axmaker
V
JADE PALACE
CANTONESE
SZECHUAN
CUISINE
■ $
Welcome U of O Faculty and Students!
The JADE PALACE wishes you an
outstanding school year.
344-9523
906 West 7th Ave., Eugene
Open for Lunch and Dinner
Nina's Submarine
Some Call Them
“Hoagies”
They Are Different!
510 E. Broadway • 343-6235
a<
849 E 13TH AVE
f WE OFFER SPEED, QUALI
TY AND ECONOMY IN
PHOTO PROCESSING'
-PICK ANY TWO j
10%
DISCOUNT
To U. of O. Students,
Faculty and Staff On
Service and Repairs
• No matter where you bought your cor,
we'd be happy to do your warranty
work or other customer service work.
• Lowest hourly labor rote of any authorized
Volkswagen dealer in Western Oregon.
• Lorgest ports inventory south of Portland.
• Service Deportment is open six full days
every week, Mon.-Fri.: 7:30-5:30,
Sot.: 8:00-5:00.
1570 South A, Springfield
746-8241
Third Annual Pacific Northwest
Computer Graphics
Conference
October 29-30, 1984
‘APPLICATIONS ON THE LEADING EDGE"
Eugene Conference Center &
Hult Center for the Performing Arts
University of Oregon Academic Credit
TLN 7298 Comp. Graph. Conf., 1 credit P/N, AAA 410G.
Register at 109 Lawrence Hall, no late fees to add this course.
For information, write or call
Conference Manager
Continuation Center/333 Oregon Hall
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
686-4231
rv«j.-‘rji.; ' n_...