Paper Chase

Smart TV series finds way to DVD
Video Viper for May 1, 2009




JOHN HOUSEMAN in "The Paper Chase."

In some ways, television really hasn't changed much.
Back in 1978, CBS rolled out a new series, “The Paper Chase.” John Jay Osborn, Jr. finished Harvard Law School back in 1970 and promptly wrote a novel about his experiences called “The Paper Chase.”
In 1973 the book was made into a motion picture with Timothy Bottoms as James T. Hart, a first-year law student at a university that appears much like Harvard. The frightful, no-nonsense, powerful and respected Prof. Kingsfield was played by John Houseman.
The film was so respected it became the CBS series. Fortunately, Houseman reprised his role as Kingsfield, even though he was 76 at the time. James Stephens took over the role of Hart.
Unfortunately, the series was well written, well directed, with good characters and solid, varied plotlines. So of course, ratings were low.
And even in 1978, ratings ruled television, despite the lack of a myriad of cable rivals and only three commercial networks.
CBS said it would give the show a chance, but after one season and 22 episodes, it was gone. “Paper Chase” was dubbed “The series too good for television.”
But the series wouldn't die. PBS picked up the first season and ran the reruns for awhile, but didn't have the money to produce new episodes.
Eventually, in 1983, Showtime pay TV picked up the series, reran the first season and produced three more seasons, concluding with “Paper Chase the Graduation Year.”
Houseman was well into his 80s by the time series concluded. He owned the role for more than 10 years.
His crusty Kingsfield accepted no excuses. He was rigid in his methods. He expected perfection and would accept nothing less. Houseman was born to play the role and it is truly one of the most stunning roles ever on television.
The first episode introduces us to Hart, a boy who grew up on a farm and loved it, but yearned to become a lawyer. He ends up at an Ivy League school surrounded by legacy would-be attorneys who wear sweaters and bowties.
It is a TV series about who makes Law Review and scenes taking place in study groups.
It opens with Hart, late for school, because his new alarm clock fails to work. Like those who have nightmares about waking up and having to go to class for a big test unprepared, Hart doesn't realize he is supposed to know certain material for his first class.
Of course the gruff Kingsfield calls on Hart, mostly because he stumbles into class late and looks bewildered. When Hart admits he doesn't know the material, Kingsfield places a ceremonial shroud over him, declaring him dead in his class.
Hart eventually finds a way to make himself unshrouded, something never done before at Harvard, er, wherever this takes place. The little smirk on Houseman's face at end of Show 1 is priceless. What an actor!
If you want to sample a series about smart people talking about and doing smart things, that first season is out on DVD through SHOUT video.
It's worth researching.

PAPER CHASE
• Directed by Georg Stanford Brown, Mark Cullingham and others
• Written by John J. Osborn Jr. and many others
• Runtime: 57 episodes, 60 minutes each, the first season minus commercials
• Not rated. Good for children to watch to introduce them to academics and studying
• 5 stars out of 5

Stuck

‘Stuck’ takes off with bizarre, bloody plot




STEPHEN REA in "Stuck."

Stuart Gordon directed a bloody B-type horror picture called “Re-Animator” back in 1985.
It was so over the top and goofy, it turned out to be a lot of fun, once you got past the blood and gore.
It's sort of the same way a generation later with his film “Stuck.”
I didn't plan to like this picture, oh those of us with preconceived ideas.
But like “Re-Animator,” Gordon went over the top. But then he went down the next valley and to the top of the next hill and by then, by gosh, it started working.
It would probably make a great cult film, much like "Re-Animator." Even more interesting, it is grounded in fact. Bizarre fact, but fact just the same.
The film opens with two stories that soon converge. Mena Suvari is a young woman working in a nursing home who wants to advance. She doesn't mind handling the problems of senile-old men who can no longer control their bowels. When a supervisor asks her to work another Saturday with the promise of a possible promotion, she agrees.
Outside the nursing home, this seemingly dedicated and responsible young lady enters a different world.
She starts drinking heavily at a bar where she meets her drug-dealing boyfriend who pops a pill in her mouth, presumably to get her in the mood for some later bedroom activity.
Meanwhile, we have everyman Stephen Rea, who plays Thomas Bardo, a seemingly intelligent guy who had been downsized from his job and is about to be evicted by his nasty landlord from his crummy apartment.
It doesn't matter he has a job interview. Landlord won't let him take anything out of the apartment until the rent is paid. So the Bardo character grabs his clothes and runs out, with landlord in tow.
The poor guy goes to the interview carrying his clothing. He doesn't have anywhere to put them.
That night, he is homeless, walking the street. A bum gives him a spare shopping cart to push his meager belongs around in.
Suddenly the Suvari character careens down the street in a drunken stupor, trying to call druggie BF while Bardo is crossing the street. The two plots literally merge at that point.
Bardo flies into the windshield of the car while the drunken lady drives home, with Bardo's head bleeding onto her seat and his feet hanging out the front of the car.
You may recall a woman actually hit a man and like the Suvari character, drove home undetected to place the car and the wounded victim in her garage. The real story had the man begging the woman to call an ambulance because he was bleeding to death and she refused. In real life, the man died. It was also the topic of a "CSI" episode.
In this version, the victim tries every way imaginable to break free and get help while coping with pieces of jagged, bloody glass hanging from his body.
He seems to get a break when he finds a cell phone on the seat or when a young boy discovers him in the garage or when a young dog finds him and thinks he might make a nice meal. Yeah, it gets gross. But each time his hope for rescue is trounced.
Russell Hornsby plays the drug-dealing boyfriend who isn't as tough as he would like to be.
There are twists and turns and unexpected events. Nothing is too bizarre. Nothing is too crazy.
Just be warned. Don't watch this movie the night before you donate blood.

STUCK
• Directed by Stuart Gordon
• Written by John Strysik and Gordon
• Rated R for strong violence, disturbing content, sexuality/nudity, language and drug use
• Runtime: 85 minutes
• 3 stars out of 5

The Visitor

‘Visitor’ nice break from car chases, sex comedies

Overture Films 

RICHARD JENKINS and Haaz Sleiman in "The Visitor."

You may have heard about the film “The Visitor” because Richard Jenkins was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role as a depressed college professor.

It was a rare instance where you could watch an Oscar-nominated film being streamed to your computer via Netflix before the awards were held.

Jenkins didn't win but it was nevertheless an outstanding performance in a beautiful, thought-provoking film that deals with the complicated world of illegal aliens.

Jenkins plays Walter Vale, whose piano virtuoso wife has died. He tries to learn to play but just doesn't have the talent. In fact, one of his piano teachers tells him nicely that it doesn't always work out for untalented people and if he decides to give up, she'd like to buy his piano.

You can tell immediately what you need to know about Walter from Jenkins’ acting ability and the talent of director Thomas McCarthy.

Walter is a professor at a Connecticut college who has no love for the job. He's been teaching exactly the same way for 20 years. He is set in his ways. He is supposedly working on an “important” book so has a reduced teaching load.

We know instantly the book isn't important and he's not really working on it, but resists a request to take over some classes of a fellow teacher.

He has a Manhattan flat he hasn't visited in two months. When he does, he discovers a woman taking a bath there!

He remains unruffled and even apologetic that he has disturbed the woman, played by Danai Jekesai Gurira. Her character's husband, Tarek, (Haaz Sleiman) and herself had been duped into subleasing the apartment by a crook. Tarek is at first angry but when he learns they are in the wrong, agrees to quickly leave. But Walter takes pity and allows them to stay. Walter is very much the meek, mild, no-humor scholarly type, but takes an interest in Tarek's drum playing. He becomes fascinated by musicians who line up outside to play each day.

Ever so slowly, he loosens up. He and Tarek become unusual friends, although wife seems creeped-out by the middle-aged prof. 

When a misunderstanding results in Tarek being arrested, there is no easy solution. The couple are illegals and he is held in a detention center. There we learn people are abruptly moved from one place to another. Walter hires an attorney. Tarek's mother, wonderfully played by Hiam Abbass, comes from Michigan to stand vigil.

Walter comes to grips with his life. He learns what is truly important. He learns life is more than what he has done for the past 20 years. And Tarek's mother and wife learn about humanity and unselfishness from Walter. 

There are many outstanding performances in this warm, fluid drama.

It could well be a different type of film to watch with older children, too. Suitable for discussion afterward.

If you are ready for a break from car crashes and serial killers and grossout comedy, even for a bit, give "The Visitor" a try. It's worth the visit.

THE VISITOR

• Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy

• Rated PG-13 for strong language

• Runtime: 104 minutes

• 4.5 stars of out 5