tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post6504596870417013602..comments2024-03-27T21:42:56.131-05:00Comments on 1001plus: On the LamSJHoneywellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-16411267502920126012015-10-11T22:14:55.959-05:002015-10-11T22:14:55.959-05:00It's good and worth a revisit if you get the c...It's good and worth a revisit if you get the chance. It could have very easily been a film that turned on chases and escaping from the FBI, but it's really nicely character driven. SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-86659194979357790142015-10-11T20:40:16.230-05:002015-10-11T20:40:16.230-05:00I haven't seen this since the late 80s. I rem...I haven't seen this since the late 80s. I remember the ending, but I can't honestly remember what I felt about it. <br /><br />I agree he was the lead actor, though.Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-2622308937399712902015-10-11T17:50:05.783-05:002015-10-11T17:50:05.783-05:00See, I think there's more that can be done wit...See, I think there's more that can be done with Judd Hirsch's character here. I'd have liked more with him, if only a couple of minutes. I get that he's an enigma; I'm just not satisfied with it.<br /><br />I also get the idea that their lives are essentially a series of jump cuts, but that doesn't change the fact that the ending feels shorted. I'm not saying I need another 15 minutes, but a couple more for closure would be helpful. I get that the family doesn't really "do" closure, but as a member of the audience, I still want it. <br /><br />I haven't seen all of the Best Actress nominations for this year, but of the ones I've seen, Lahti would be a good fit. I won't say where my vote would go at this point, but I can certainly see her over some on the list. <br /><br />And yes for the restaurant scene. I love that Steven Hill just barely keeps it together until she gets up from the table and then loses it completely. It sells the scene perfectly, and is a nice bit of foreshadowing for the ending that we get.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-33578712284717921412015-10-11T17:11:24.847-05:002015-10-11T17:11:24.847-05:00I love this movie, one of my favorites. Putting Ph...I love this movie, one of my favorites. Putting Phoenix in support was ridiculous especially since he didn't win. If he wasn't going to take the prize, as I recall Kevin Kline was the front-runner in Supporting Actor from the start, he at least lost in the proper category.<br /><br />Judd Hirsch's character does get shorted but in the time allotted to tell the story all the facets of the family dynamic couldn't possibly be examined and since he had the fewest outside connections to allow us to explore his issues he ended up remaining an enigma. <br /><br />Phoenix is brilliant but he is matched every step of the way by Christine Lahti. It still irks me how in a relatively weak performance year for actresses she was ignored at nomination time. She'd be my choice to win despite Glenn Close's brilliance in Dangerous Liasions.<br /><br />Glad you mentioned Steven Hill, that restaurant scene is a heart ripper!!!! It's a mini acting class in under ten minutes, both he and Lahti are SO amazing in it. I'm not vastly in favor of one scene nominations but this is one of the rare cases where one would have been justified.<br /><br />There's one detail that I think is a sharp piece of perception on either Lumet's part or the casting director or perhaps it was a tandem decision. At first glance it's a stretch to believe that River Phoenix could be Judd Hirsch's son. That is until you take a look at the other members of the family. Phoenix resembles Christine Lahti enough that she could be his mother, also a nice touch that his musical ability is handed down from her, and the young boy playing Harry favors Hirsch so all together they become a believable unit. <br /><br />The ending didn't bother me despite its abruptness. Right at the beginning we're shown that life for them is a series of sudden departures and decisions that have to be made on a dime. The one that is made at the end might be one that is regretted but for Danny and for the parents we've learned care for him as much as they do there could be no other. If it hadn't happened then it was imminent and at least at that moment there was a reasonably secure path for him to follow.joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.com