Quick takes on 5 films based on books

Desert Hearts, released in 1985 but set in Reno in 1959, is based on the book Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule. Vivian is a 35-year-old in search of a quick divorce from her husband, so she’s come to Reno to establish residency, by staying for 6 weeks, after which divorces are easy to get in the 50’s. She’s staying at a ranch with other women awaiting the same thing, a ranch run by Frances. While there, Vivian meets 20-something Cay, who’s been raised by Frances (Cay’s father’s previous mistress). Whereas Cay is a free spirit, Vivian is an English professor at Columbia University and has run in high society circles because of her profession (and admits even her marriage was a “professional” marriage). They are immediately attracted to each other, but this is a dangerous feeling for Vivian. In the 1950’s, lesbianism was more than frowned upon, it could get you ostracized, something Cay is fine with, but Vivian is afraid to accept. The acting is so-so, but the story is good, about a woman overcoming fears to live the life she wants. The film was ahead of its time too. Even in the 80’s when it was being made, director Donna Deitch had a hard time securing funding to make such a risqué film, much less actresses willing to play lesbians on camera. ★★★

Watership Down is an animated film based on the famous children’s book by Richard Adams. It tells of a group of rabbits who leave their home (warren) together, after one of their own, a young rabbit named Fiver, sees a vision of their home being torn up. Fiver’s older brother Hazel leads them away, past the human signs talking about a future development for new homes, in search of a safe, new warren. The group faces trials along the way, including deaths, farmers, and hunters. When they finally find a picturesque hill away from other predators, you think their adventure is over, but they find that a cruel rabbit leader nearby keeps his clan on a tight leash in a totalitarian system. Hazel and his group want to free the rabbits from under this terrible rule, but it is a dangerous mission. For me, it was refreshing to see a truly hand-drawn animated picture, made me think about my childhood pictures. It is well done, though I think it is probably a little slow for today’s YouTube-era child. The violence is also very violent, with bloody battles, and the film doesn’t shy away from the dangerous and vicious world in which our rabbits live. The final confrontation at the the very end of the picture is as tense as you’ll see in a “kid’s movie.” ★★★½

Fail Safe comes from 1964, based on a recent book of the same name, and brings together again director Sidney Lument and actor Henry Fonda, who together had previously made one of my favorite movies. This one is nearly as thrilling as that courtroom drama, but brings the suspense to the cold war of the 60’s. The USA continually runs planes in the sky, loaded with nukes, ready at all times for the word to head straight for Moscow. An increasingly complex computer program cycles them in and out, but when a system fails one day, a group of 6 fighters get a message to proceed with the attack, rather than turn back. What follows is an hour of tense exchanges between our government and Russia. Our president is able to convince his counterpart that it was indeed an accident, and the two countries share classified information in an attempt to shoot down the bombers before they reach their target. Frightening because it is plausible, this is a suspenseful film that will keep your attention. Excellent performance by Fonda as the calm and collected president, with a cast of familiar faces including Walter Matthau and Dom DeLuise. ★★★★

Celebrated director Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm stuck with me. Released in 1997 and taking place in 1973, when the USA was at a crossroads, what with Vietnam and the Watergate scandal, it follows two neighboring families with a whole lot going on, over a long Thanksgiving weekend. Ben and Elena are on the rocks, and their kids Paul and Wendy are left to their devices. Next door, Jim and Janey, and kids Mikey and Sandy, are in much the same position. In a barely-kept secret, Ben and Janey are having an affair. Paul is the oldest of the kids and is at a boarding school, weaving his way through burgeoning sexuality, while his 14-year-old sister is doing the same while still at home. As the film plays out, we see that the parents are just as sexually confused as their kids, and maybe more so, since as adults, you’d think they’d have it all figured out. At least the kids’ endeavors have a certain innocence that comes from unknowing, but as the film points out, adults don’t always have the answers to important questions in life. The film has humor, love, loss, and longing, and even a sense of foreboding as the eponymous storm approaches. I was absolutely enchanted with this film from the opening minutes, loved every scene. It paints a beautiful picture of flawed people, but people made more beautiful because of their imperfections. A great cast too: the adults were established actors in 1997 (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Jamey Sheridan, and Sigourney Weaver), but the teenagers were mostly as-yet unknowns (Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes) with one exception (Christina Ricci). ★★★★★

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know my stance on Roman Polanski as a person, so I won’t delve into that again. But I enjoy his movies for the most part. I finally watched one of his most celebrated, 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby. This is a great psychological thriller, about a young woman and her husband moving into an old apartment in New York City. Guy and “Ro” (John Cassavetes and Mia Farrow) have a good marriage and are looking into starting a family. Rosemary meets a fellow young woman in the building named Terry, who has glowing things to say about Minnie and Roman, who took her in, but shortly thereafter, Terry kills herself when she jumps from the building. Rosemary then meets Minnie and Roman, an older couple. She doesn’t take to them, thinking they are kooky and nosy, but after a little reluctance, Guy takes to them pretty well. Rose starts having nightmares about Minnie and Roman and their older friends, but when she airs her feelings about the couple, Guy puts her off by agreeing to have a baby. Rosemary gets pregnant pretty quickly, but something is wrong from the getgo. She starts having pains, but the doctor (who was recommended by Minnie) doesn’t seem worried. A film which already had a sinister feel gets darker as it goes along. It is a deliciously grand thriller; I kept going back and forth on whether this was real, or all in Rosemary’s head. Say what you will about Polanski, but he’s made some great films. ★★★★