Ten Ways To Ease Into Autumn
Aug 23 '06
The Bottom Line HaplessChild's ten rentals to keep you occupied until the leaves turn red and brown.
It is an awkward time; those few weeks before the autumn weather hugs our arms, and we pull out the sweaters. In the last few weeks of August and early September, we are sending kids off to school and watching the retail chains switch over to Halloween candy and corduroy. We feel fall reaching out to us, but it is still too far away.
Late summer is also a terrible time for movie lovers. The big summer epics have come and gone. The dramas and thrillers are months away. Don’t even bother turning on the television.
How does one cope with the drought between seasons? I’ve taken the time to compile a little list for you. I chose films and shows that will transport you into fall without dragging you down, or burning you out on thriller, horror, or drama before their time comes. Some you may greet like an old friend, some you may have missed as years passed by.
Add these to your rental list, and exchange them for your normal television or movie time. Close all the windows, and forget the sun may still be shining proudly. Sneak in some caramel dip and apples when needed. Before you know it, the leaves will have thrown off their green, the beloved chill will have returned, and you will have made the transition from summer to fall.
♦ ♦ ♦ The Movies ♦ ♦ ♦
Rebecca
When was the last time you went back to Manderlay? Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 masterpiece, based off of the Daphne Du Maurier novel of the same name, begins my list as the perfect summer to fall transition piece.
Joan Fontaine plays the shy and inexperienced young woman without a first name, who is swept away by the rich Maxim De Winter (played by Laurence Olivier). She is taken to his estate, where she must walk in the shadow of the former Mrs. De Winter, and the housekeeper (played brilliantly by Judith Anderson) who will do anything to get the new Mrs. De Winter to go away. The movie begins in the bright Monte Carlo, and then descends into shadow and mystery. The gothic tale is rich with detailed sets, romance, plot twists, and a giant house and the memory which haunts it; a perfect step into the season.
Dangerous Liaisons
Nothing says fall like a period drama. Based on a French play and novel, the movie was filmed entirely on location in France. Glenn Close stars as the Marquise de Merteuil, a society woman who does as (and who) she pleases. John Malkovich is her friend with benefits, the Vicomte de Valmont. Valmont makes a wager with the Marquise that he can seduce Madame de Tourvel (played by Michelle Pfeiffer). A simple game of sport turns into an entirely complicated ordeal.
The costuming and art direction won Oscars, and the film generated eight nominations, including one for best picture, best actress, and best original score. There are several other adaptations of Les Liaisons dangereuses, however, this one is my favorite because Malkovich is Valmont. While other films such as Pride and Predjudence might come to mind for fall, I specifically chose this one for it’s beautiful dark tone and ending.
L.A. Confidential
With movies such as The Black Dahlia and Hollywoodland coming out this season, you need to brush up on your period crime noir! This Oscar-winning adaptation of James Ellroy’s novel follows two policemen (played by Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce) through the smoke-stained corruption, crime, and glamour of Hollywood in the 1950s.
The star packed cast includes Kevin Spacey, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, and Danny DeVito. The complex plot calls for close attention from first-time viewers, but the movie is filmed so elegantly that you won’t have a hard time becoming immersed in the world of good and bad cops, prostitutes that look like starlets, and quick-witted dialogue.
Lady In White
The clouds are not yet low enough for an all-out horror flick, but you may be yearning for some paranormal movies. Lady in White is a lighter tale about a young boy (Lukas Haas), and a ghost who holds clues to a murder that has plagued the picturesque town of Willow Falls. Told as a flashback, the movie takes place in 1962, and is innocent, enjoyable, and begins at Halloween.
While some of the special effects reveal the movie’s 1988 release date, the classroom scenes, the falling leaves, and of course, the little girl ghost will place you in a great mood and remind you of what ghost stories were before R.L. Stine.
The Gift
Cate Blanchett leads a cast that includes a wonderful Giovanni Ribisi, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves (actually acting!) and Katie Holmes, with a script written by Billy Bob Thornton and directed by Sam Raimi.
Cate plays Anne Wilson, a recently widowed mother who keeps her household afloat by giving psychic readings to various inhabitants of the small town of Brixtol, GA. When she has visions of a murder that comes to pass, she faces scrutiny from the townsfolk and conflict from within herself, as she struggles to get to the bottom of what really happened.
This scenery is drenched in Georgia ambiance. The paranormal elements, and colorful characters, coupled with melodrama, and first rate performances by the actors, make The Gift a good bet for your week night movie watching. It also goes especially well with some caramel popcorn.
The Merchant of Venice
Did you miss this summer’s Shakespeare festivals? The 2004 version of Merchant of Venice is a masterful telling of the bard’s comedy. Remember that comedy had a different meaning in the time which this was written; conflict and tragedy is still front and center.
Unlike some modern interpretations of Shakespeare, this Merchant is a period piece set in Venice. Al Pacino stars as Shylock, the Jewish lender who binds Christian merchant Antonio (played by Jeremy Irons) into a contract over borrowed money. The money in question was given to Bassanio (played by Joseph Fiennes), to travel to Belmont to woo a rich heiress named Portia. The story is really two stories; the romance between Portia and Bassanio, and the misfortunes and downfall of Shylock.
Those unfamiliar with this particular Shakespeare play will have little trouble getting into the hang of hearing Shakespearian lines recited. Great costuming, obligatory characters in disguise, and great soliloquies make this a first-rate adaptation. The critical court scene with Shylock is tense, emotional, and captivating. Merchant of Venice is a perfect film to end your days of viewing plays in the park, or a good alternate prize if you couldn’t make it to the theater this summer.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Clint Eastwood directed this film, based on the best-seller of the same name, in 1997. Both the movie and book were based on events that really happened, and some of the actual people described in the book play themselves in the film. Kevin Spacey stars as the rich, eccentric, antiques dealer, Jim Williams. Jim holds fabulous social gatherings at his Savannah estate, and reporter John Kelso (played by John Cusack) has been sent to cover the annual Christmas Party. After the party, however, the local hustler (played by Jude Law) is murdered in Jim’s home, and Jim asks for help from the reporter, and some of Savannah’s unconventional citizens.
Quirky characters, gorgeous Savannah locations, spells, murder, and ghosts fill Midnight to the brim with autumn goodness. While many have said the movie is not as thorough as the novel, I still find it highly entertaining, and one can easily escape the summer for a few hours while enjoying this film.
The Secret Of NIHM
This animated adaptation of a Newbery award-winning book was directed by Don Bluth (An American Tail, The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Go to Heaven) and features voices by Dom DeLuise, Wil Wheaton, and Shannen Doherty. I chose this movie because parents and children can enjoy it together. The story of Mrs. Brisby, a farm mouse who needs to relocate her home to escape the farmer’s plow, is animated beautifully.
The many characters are lively and entertaining, and there are no horrible songs to sit through! The subject matter is sometimes bit on the heavier side, and includes references to animal testing and the death of a father. In fact, because most of the movie takes place in caverns and deep within the grass, the film has a darker feel to it, which is why it belongs on this list.
♦ ♦ ♦ Two Television Series You Can Rent: ♦ ♦ ♦
Millennium
Created by Chris Carter in 1996, the series stars Lance Henriksen as investigator Frank Black. Frank is an ex-FBI profiler with a gift for seeing inside a killer’s mind. The series, which lasted three seasons, follows Frank and his family, and Frank’s involvement with the secretive Millennium Group.
Set in Seattle, in the Millenniumverse it is almost always raining and moody. Chris Carter wanted to give audiences a weekly dose of Seven in a television format, and for the most part he succeeded. Gritty and grainy editing effects, coupled with extremely dark subject matter make Millennium the perfect series to carry you into autumn.
American Gothic
Sam Raimi’s short lived CBS show about an orphaned boy (played by Lucas Black) and the evil sheriff (played by Gary Cole) who wants to be his father, is a supernatural drama that features just enough creepiness to keep you watching. The ensemble cast included Jake Weber (from Medium) and Sarah Paulson (Serenity).
American Gothic is set in a small southern town that seems to be in a permanent state of autumn. Add a tiny bit of horror, and a whole lot of character conflict and you have yourself a television show that you can watch all the way through until the new fall line up hits the airwaves. The storylines are engaging, but be advised that even on the DVD set, the episodes are out of order.
Wikipedia has the correct order in which to view American Gothic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gothic_%28TV_series%29
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