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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2005)
S • L A CKAMA April 13, 2005 Arts o^Entertainmen ‘Angels’ falls short of potentia little fogged up. The film opens with the three girls at their mother’s funeral, their father stumbling into the If one were to write a plot chapel in a drunken stupor, and synopsis for Canadian director then proceeds to go back in time Scott Smith’s 2003 film “Falling to tell the .story. Angels” it would appear as fol Following a loose plot and lit- lows: tle-to-no linear continuity (some “Three teenage girls come of thing which can lead to confusion age under the tyrannical rule of at times), Smith seemed more an anger-engulfed father, while focused on painting a portrait they care for their alcoholic shell- than telling a story. The charac of-her-former-self mother, all the ters can seem so cliché at times while experimenting with mind that they could have been created altering drugs and their own sex by Charles Dickens. uality. Oh yes, and there’s a dark There’s the broken-down secret.” mother, who throughout the Dubbed “'Little Women’ on movie is never seen without her acid” by some critics, the black bathrobe or coffee cup of whis comedy (half the time you’re key, staring despondently at the wondering if you should really artificial images on the prehis laugh at the situation) takes place toric television set. On the other in 1960s under the cloud of the side, there’s the alcoholic father, Cold War and the counterculture the patriarch (read: tyrant) of the movement. family, the sort of gent who gives Running at approximately tyvo his daughters socks and tool belts hours long, “Falling Angels” is, for Christmas, and instead of to say the least, a unique window going to Disneyland, forces them into a trying time for the world to spend two weeks in his under and the “all-American” family, ground bomb shelter in prepara although at times the window is a tion for “the big one.” Needless Ben Maras The Clackamas Print . Photo courtesy of trii Dubbed “‘Little Women’ on acid,” this film follows the coming-of-age of three teenageg who struggle under the tyranny of their father to overcome their alcoholic mother’s deat to say, he provides the catalyst for the disasters to come. The daughters follow simi lar clichés: the old, responsi ble daughter (a closet lesbian); the middle child who spends her every waking minute finding her father’s last nerve and suc cessfully riding it to the edge; and the young, sweet daughter who never did anything but love her family—until that is, she gets Photo courtesy of tribute.ca knocked up by Norma (Monte Gange), Sandy (Kristin Adams) and Lou (Katharine Isabelle) a 30-something- portray the sisters who live under the Cloud of the Cold War. year-old man. Remember what I said i beginning about a dark se They had a baby brother died in a tragic “accidei Niagara, Falls. Sounds lil important part to the plot, t Wrong. It feels as if that was duct-taped into the sen an attempt to give the audi something to chew on whili portrait of the family was pa before their very eyes. All in all, “Falling Angels good film for those who are ing to look beyond the peri laid out linear storylines » beginning middle and end in order; into Something a bit i abstract. It-gets a solid B being a new take on an oldr with good directing, but not living up to what it couli been. Despite the heavy sexual undertones of the film, kiddy- pom it is not, but be prepared for a bit of sexually explicit dialogue and mild nudity. Most obvious is Smith’s intentions of social commentary throughout the film. The repeat ing of the word “tyrant” at vari ous points throughout the film ties the father to what he fears the most during the Cold War era— the communist USSR, showing a unique perspective on how fear affects the human psyche. A statement is also to be seen in the stark contrast between the middle child, Lou—who experi ments with marijuana, LSD, and free-thinking, yet remains relatively normal—and thè all- American conservative parents, who are completely crippled by their alcoholism. Barrymore pitches perfect game, Fallon redeems himse Jeff Sorensen The Clackamas Print Whatever it was that made Drew Barrymore take a new direction with her career in 2004, her role in “Fever Pitch” opposite Jimmy Fallon proves it was prob ably file best decision she’s ever made. “Pitch” follows the story of Ben (Fallon), a Boston area school teacher who runs into Lindsey (Barrymore) during a field trip to the marketing firm where she makes a living. Ben asks Lindsey on a date, and after initial rejection and deliberation with her friends, decides to give Ben a chance. The pair gets along famously until Ben reveals the identity of his first true love: The Boston Red Sox. At first, Lindsey insists that it’s a blessing in disguise. She’s up for a big promotion and needs to focus on her job, so with Ben following his tradition of catch ing every Red Sox game since he was 11, she can focus on her work without Ben feeling rejected. But Ben loves Lindsey so much he wants her to share in his every experience with his favorite team. Quirkiness ensues and the couple experiences both love and loss within themselves and with the Sox. Looking at the trailers, the movie seems about as formulaic as romantic comedies get. Boy meets girl, a few cheap laughs, a happy ending, and everyone goes home with a fuzzy feel ing. The difference the trailers frustratmgly neglect is that this movie is directed by the Farrelly brothers (“Dumb and Dumber,” “Something About Mary,” “Shallow Hal”), a fact that makes this one worth the $5.50 matinee price (but not worth full price chemistry to go around, sho» off exactly what happens, the brothers Farrelly flex I directorial muscles. The movie “Fever Pitch” not be a must-see flick, bill a good way to spend an 1 noon. Fallon regains some ground for the aforementio failure, and following her pi ous successful performan« “50 First Dates,” BarryiM two-for-two and seems to fit give a damn about the respei Hollywood she’s never had for anyone still disappointed at Fallon for “Taxi”). Bitterness aside, Fallon and Barrymore compliment each other well, and with the help of the Farrellys, they are able to make an otherwise predictable movie actually funny and mostly fun to watch. Most of the character interac tion felt realistic and at times managed to convey the awkward ness of certain scenes equally as well as the comfortably laugh able ones with plenty of screen |>|> I Adverse reactions to pmscripf and over-the-counter medicines ' Explore alternative treatments f pittai Photo courtesy of Twentieth Centurty Fox Ben (Fallon) shares his obsession with the Rec^Sox with new girlfriend, Lindsey (Barrymore) who compromises with Ben by working on her laptop while cheering for the home team. Herbal remedies have safely treated health problems for thousands of years. Find out about a degree in Herbal Sciences. For the best natural health education in the -«-* * C v T v \7T? world, pleasevisitcolle2e28.bastyr.edu. -D/A a J J- r 7 UNIVERSIT'
