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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1987)
Arts and Entertainment 'In the Mood' tells tale of 15-year-old who grew up fast In 1944 the world was black and white. In 1987 the world is in color, and it is nice to return to the days of newsreels and big bands "In the Mood" is a nostalgic film which acts as a time machine, transporting the viewer back to the past. Review by Craig Hoit ★ ★ V2 The film opens with a black and-white collage of 1940s newsreel images. During this sequence we are introduced to the main character. Ellsworth "Sonny" Wisecarver, as he nar rates the newsreel, telling us “. . the world was black and white." The joke works, and helps to establish the film's light sense of humor. Sonny continues, stating that life in 1944 was black and white — there was good and bad. right and wrong. The newsreel is made up of headlines telling of the exploits of the "woo-woo kid" — Sonny Wisecarver “In the Mood" is a true story' about a fifteen-year-old boy who marries an older woman, and who. when his marriage is an nulled. spends a weekend with another older woman His ex periences were played up with groat media hype, and the woo woo kid became a celebrity The exposure thrust upon Sonny is shown by the film's use of newsreel footage, radio com mentary. and the constant wash of attention he is bathed in. This cold and sensationalized presentation of the individual is contrasted by the film's sym pathetic view of Sonny and his circumstances. Sonny, played by Patrick Dempsey with endearing in nocence and optimism, is a boy who wants to be an adult. His family situation is one that he wishes to leave. In trying to grow up. Sonny marks the pro gress of his physical growth on a door frame, and when his father finds out. Sonny has to JB-A <4NirlMy photo Sonny Wisecarver (Patrick Dempsey) and Judy Cusimano (Talia Balsam) enjoy life after their marriage, which sparked a nationwide scandal. CAREER FAIR987 October 20 21,1987 10:00am-2:00pm 167 EMU (•(»•( Planning and Plat ament ter meat • 244 Hendrukt Hall *6(16 DRINKING AND DRIVING CAN KILL A FRIENDSHIP ! otiitrw A boy with a taste for older women, Sonny Wisecarver (Patrick Dempsey) actually meets a yirl his aye. Wendy (Kim Myers). lick the pencil marks clean. His mother enters the room, looks at the situation and exclaims, "this is not right ” She then proceeds to get Sonny a chair so that he won't strain his neck as he cleans the door frame Judy, played by Tilia Balsam, lives across the street from Son ny. She also is a prisoner of her circumstances. Her husband beats her. Her social life is made up of a collection of hollow friends who use her house to party. It is at one of these parties that |udy and Sonny meet. The two. both running from their respective black and white worlds, fall in love. The development of their relationship is somewhat lack ing. as it is presented in idealiz ed terms They LOVE each other in a matter of days — there is no room or time for conflict in this ride from being neighbors to lie ins newlyweds. However, the sincerity of Dempsey and Balsam, along with the innocence that the film's period decor evokes, tends to diminish the im probability of the perfect nature of the romance The romance is not perfect in the eyes of socie ty. and the lovers are torn apart by a judge, as the newspapers stand by to pic k up the pieces that fall Sonny is now famous. Women from all over the coun try idolize him, and he is mobb ed by women at his place of work. People deal with him as a persona, not as a person. He is the woo-woo kid. The landlady at his boarding house casts a judgemental eye upon Sonny and all of his actions. The oidy person who will relate to Sonny as Sonny is Francine (Beverly D' Angelo), a twenty-five-year old with a husband overseas Francinn and Sonny develop a warm and humorous relation ship in the restrictive and puritanical environment of the hoarding house. The two end up running away together to tire northern California town of Paradise. where they spend the night together. The wiki-wiki kid has struck once again This information is spread across the nation's headlines Sonny is sentenced to six years in the California Prison for Hoys. Me escapes, runs, and ends up resting in a movie house where “And So They Were Married" plays. At this theater he meets a girl (his age) who tells him he is a lot smaller than in the newsreels. The two go for coffee and as they are walking away. Sonny tells us. "and three weeks later Wendy and t were married... . " | “IT WILL BE WORTH YOUR TIME TO STOP” \ COCA COLA PRODUCTS GRIND YOUR OWN PEANUT BUTTER si45 IMPERIAL MARGARINE ELTON'S SPRING WATER SELTZER $1" ♦ Deposit S Flavors - 6-10 Oz. "GOLDEN TEMPLE" BULK GRANOLA 6 Varieties 17 COBURG ROAD HOURS 7AM 11PM 7 DAYS A WEEK AD EFFECTIVE 10 21 THRU 10-27 87 2175 W 7th AT THE BIG Y HOURS MON SAT 7 30 10 P M SUNDAY 9AM 9PM Get the word out with an ODE classified
