4
H he CI ac U mas P rint
Wednesday, January 13, 1999
Falling head-over-heels for
Shakespeare in Love
JEREMY STALLWOOD
Feature Editor
The historical familiarity of is
sues surrounding Darwinism owes
much to Jerome Lawrence and
Robert E. Lee’s 1955 courtroom
drama Inherit the Wind.
“The play has become the his
tory,” said theater director David
Smith-English.
Inherit the Wind is a fictional
ized version of the events that took
place in Dayton, Tennessee dur
ing the Scopes Monkey Trial of
July 1925. A group of towns
people wanted to test a new law
which stated that it was illegal to
read Darwin in public schools.
ANGIE DASCHEL
Associate Editor
If you are a fan of William
Shakespeare, expect to be blown
away by the new romantic comedy
“Shakespeare in Love.” Even if
you find the Bard’s work to be bor
ing or dull, the wonderful story that
unfolds in this movie may even in
spire you to take up reading his
poetry and plays.
Gwyneth Paltrow (“A Perfect
Murder”) plays Viola De Lessups,
a wealthy girl with an extreme love
for Shakespeare’s plays and a de
sire to become an actress (women
were not allowed to act on stage in
Shakespeare’s day). William
Shakespeare is played by the deli
ciously gorgeous Joseph Fiennes
(Ralph “English Patient” Fiennes’
younger brother).
The movie begins with
Shakespeare agonizing over his
writer’s block. Shakespeare meets-
Viola, and the sparks start flying.
Their love affair inspires
Shakespeare to begin writing what
will become “Romeo and Juliet.”
Ben Affleck (“Armageddon”)
plays a surprisingly small role as
an arrogant actor in a theatrical
troupe.
The
main
delight
of
“Shakespeare in Love” is how the
affair between Viola and
Shakespeare parallels the plot of
“Romeo and Juliet.” By intertwin
ing the story of the two star-
Clackamas Inherits the Wind
Darwin was read in a class and
the case was taken to court.
As limited guest appearances,
College President John Keyser
and Dean of College Services Pe
ter Angstadt will appear in the
play as townspeople. Art Dept.
Chair Rick True will play the
judge.
“I want to create carnival atmo
sphere for the play,” said Smith-
English. The stage will be set up
as a 1925 town street. Smith-
English’s vision is to break down
the barriers between audience and
stage to make the people feel in
volved.
Performance dates are Feb. 25-
27 and March 4-6 at 8 p.m.; Feb.
28 and March 7 at 2:30 p.m.
Hanks and Ryan come together
again in comedy You've Got Mail
JANOS J. PLESKO
Staff Writer
crossed lovers with Viola and
Shakespeare’s romance, the writ
ers of this movie have success
fully put a new spin on the old
story. Although the affair is fic
tional, the possiblity of
Shakespeare having a tangible
inspiration for "Romeo and Juliet"
is quite appealing.
The sex scenes are tasteful and
extremely romantic, the plot is in
tricate and has a lively pace, and
the actors are about as good look
ing as they come. "Shakespeare
in Love" combines all the elements
of a good romantic comedy.
Although “Shakespeare in
Love” hasn’t enjoyed the media
frenzy that surrounded “Titanic,”
it is sure to become an instant clas
sic because of its fresh plot and
superb acting.
/I Mettdrea-öwMad Qittaticitd Goopatotioa
Clackamas Federal Credit Union
The romantic comedy, “You’ve
Got Mail,” is a modem, computer
age love story, starting and unfold
ing through E-mail. It is exciting
to watch the implied romance ripen
through the E-mail.
Tom Hanks is the son of a book
store magnate, while Meg Ryan
portrays the daughter of a small
bookstore widow. Rivalry begins
when Hanks opens a new, big
bookstore right across from Ryan’s
small, much-sought bookstore. In
the meantime, Hanks and Ryan
communicate through E-mail and
get along very well, without, of
course, knowing who the other is
in real life.
This movie has none of the usual
&
JOEL P. SHEMPERT
Copy Editor
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done.
In one of the best scenes of this
movie, Hanks’ father after getting
divorced from his latest wife, in
vites his son over to his house
boat. He then reminisces about his
life and his love affairs. Hanks asks
him, “Having so many women and
divorces in your life, how would
you know now which woman you
should choose?”
“My son,” replied the father,
“ask yourself this question: ‘Does
she bring joy to your heart?”’
Prince of Egypt murder,
miracles and mystery
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morbidity and graphic sexual en
counters; it is very refreshing. The
movie has a very relaxing rhythm,
and the scenes and events move
playfully. The story depicted by
this movie has an important, clear
message: Follow your heart! Of
course, this is easier said, than
J
Dreamworks has become some
thing of an “Anti-Disney,” and their
latest, Prince of Egypt, certainly sur
passes thematically any animated ef
fort Old Walt’s legacy has produced.
After all,how many Disney movies deal
with issues like genocide, guilt over
murder, or the conflict between a pan
theon of deities and Yahweh God?
Prince of Egypt, for those of you
who slept through Sunday School (or
never watched many Charlton Heston
flicks), is the animated story of Moses
(Vai Kilmer), the son of Hebrew slaves
who is adopted into the royal family of
Egypt, discovers his true heritage, flees
in the wake of the killing of an Egyp
tian guard, and later returns under the
orders of God to free the Israelites from
Pharaoh’s rule.
Pretty weighty stuff for a cartoon to
handle—but of course “cartoon” is too
trite a term to apply to this animated
epic. There is much to say for this
movie in all its facets: the animation is
fluid, vivid, and dazzling, the charac
terizations, aside from some scattered
quirks and anachronisms, are real and
compelling, and the spirit of the Bibli
cal text is preserved with respect
The music is a mixed bag. Some
songs, such as the opening “Deliver
us,” are appropriate, moving, and ring
ethnically true. Moses’ mother sings
in Hebrew to quiet her baby, and
Moses’ father-in-law Jethro and his
clan sing and dance around a bonfire
under the stars. Other offerings,
though, seem arbitrary, throw-in, and
half-baked, providing strong evidence
that just because you can insert a song
into a scene doesn’t mean you should.
Other difficulties arise as well. There
are slight alterations to the storyline
that leave those familiar with the Bibli
cal text asking, “why?” Moses’
brother Aaron (Jeff Goldblum), for in
stance, is relegated to a much smaller
and even antagonistic role. And there
are scenes which miss their potential,
as when two Priests of Ra confront
Moses in Pharaoh’s court, imposingly
invoking the Egyptian pantheon, then
lapsing into an annoying, trite song.
All said, though, the movie breathes
life into a classic story of the faith,
showing by his interactions between
his brother Aaron and sister Miriam
(Sandra Bullock), wife Tzipporah
(Michelle Pfeiffer), and adopted
brother, the Pharaoh Rameses (Ralph
Fiennes) the vivid, human side of
Moses. There are scenes, such as the
10 plagues of Yahweh upon Egypt
(each representing the defeat of a spe
cific Egyptian god), and the parting of
the Red Sea, that will stay with view
ers long after the theaters empty.