The Music Man

Around Indianapolis, we can take our marching bands pretty seriously.  For the past ten years my family has had a kid in the band, starting with me. Through the years we’ve been to countless competitions, a few parades, won and lost some big titles.  Sometimes I forget what a sweet and honest thing a marching band can be.  They can bring a town together through both sight and sound, they seem to be a perfect staple in Midwest Americana.  Nearly every small town brings theirs out and down main street for Fourth of July parades and other special occasions, whether it’s the local high school or the American Legion.

In The Music Man, Professor Harold Hill (Robert Preston) is a notorious traveling salesman who makes a fortune swindling small towns into creating a marching band.  He orders the equipment and uniforms, then leaves town with the money, since he has no musical wits.  When he arrives in River City, Iowa, everyone is very unfriendly and hardly says two words to him or each other.  In order to unite the people, he plants the idea that the new pool table is a game of sin that could turn their young boys into ruffians.  In order to keep the boys “moral after school” he proposes a marching band.

To cover his tail, Harold seeks out the town piano teacher and librarian, Marian Paroo (Shirley Jones).  She seems to always be weary of Harold and doesn’t believe his credentials.  His plan is to charm her so she does not see that he knows nothing about music.  When the two strike up a romance, leaving town won’t be so easy.

This is one of the most enjoyable musicals I’ve ever seen.  Personally, I can become annoyed when characters just start to sing in a whim, but The Music Man puts some interesting leads into their songs.  Elements within the setting can help springboard a song, like in the very beginning where the salesmen speak in the rhythm of the train or how Marian and her mother carry on a conversation while little Amaryllis is practicing her scales.  Explaining it could sound cheesy, but I assure you, it’s great fun.

Throughout the film, we see River City become more and more excited about their new found musical talent.  When men from the school board (The Buffalo Bills Quartet) confront Harold about his credentials, he distracts them, multiple times by nudging them into a song.  Harold also turns Tommy (Timmy Everett) the town bad-boy into a more productive young man, inventing a music holder for flute players.  But best of all, all this excitement moves cute little Withrop (Ron Howard) to sing, even though the boy is ashamed of his lisp and hardly says a word.

The Music Man would make for a wonderful family film night.  It’s very sweet, colorful and wholesome, but not so much that it could make your teenagers eyes roll.  You don’t need to have kids, history lessons or any musical inclinations to enjoy The Music Man.  Just kick back and let it surprise you.

“Seventy-six trombones led the big parade.  With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand.”

Frost/Nixon

To enjoy Frost/Nixon you don’t need to be an old hippie itching to watch Nixon squirm or have lived though Watergate.  You don’t even need to know of enjoy politics.  The beauty of this film is that it simply comes down to a one on one duel and the way Ron Howard sets it up, fills everyone in and gets them all rooting for Frost.

In one corner, we have David Frost (Michael Sheen) a British television talk show host.  He did have a show in America, but now he’s most successful in Australia.  Interviewing Nixon is all his idea, a great way to gain acceptance back into American households and give Nixon the trial he never had.  But as he gets deeper into preparation for the interview, Frost is putting more and more at stake.  He can’t get major TV networks interested in his interview and ends up having to syndicate it himself and foot a hefty bill.  Even more important is can he get Nixon to admit to any wrongdoing, or will the crafty president just drone on and sound presidential throughout the entire interview?

In the opposite corner, we have former President Richard M. Nixon (Frank Langalla) fresh off his pardon from President Ford.   With the advice of his chief of staff, Jack Brennan (Kevin Bacon), he agrees to the interview for the money and because he does not think a British talk show host will put up any tough questions.  We easily see that Nixon looks down on Frost and does not consider him a adversary worth worrying about.  But Frost realizes the power of television.

Langalla channels a spectacular performance into portraying Nixon.  He makes the former president very human and nearly frail with emotions, faults, but extremely cunning with crafty mind games.  Langalla devotes most of his talents to live theater and does only a few movies.  In 2007 he won a Tony for his performance in the stage production of Frost/Nixon, but was beat out for his nomination at the Oscars.  What a shame, I really believe Langalla deserved the award that night.  Perhaps Sean Penn’s speech really summed up what happened in the final vote.

The crucial piece of film making that makes this movie work so well is the editing.  Throughout the film, we’re constantly filled in with back-story and details from present day interviews as the story progresses.  The individual interviews seem to chime in at perfect times, helping the viewer gain a larger perspective of what just happened in the scene.  In the beginning of the film, where we’re filled in with bits of old news shows and historical television to fill everyone in on what exactly happened toward the end of Nixon’s presidency, the present day interviews nearly make the film feel like a documentary, but soon the narrative takes hold.  I don’t know how, or if that idea was conveyed on stage, but on film it works perfectly.

Frost/Nixon is not a breezy film to veg out to, but it’s not so hard-nosed that it becomes a chore to watch.  Howard makes the film engaging and accessible to most audiences while keeping it very smart, political and fast paced.  Even if you have no real interest in Richard Nixon or never heard of David Frost, you can enjoy the film while learning a lot.  It could also be a great tool for students, but with an R rating for language, it becomes a judgement call.

“You could see it in Frost’s face. If he didn’t know the caliber of the man that he was up against before the interview started, he certainly knew it halfway through the President’s first answer.”

 

American Graffiti

My parents have always been fans of classic cars, drive-in movies and restaurants where they’ll deliver a rootbeer float on roller-skates to your car.  But they were teenagers of the seventies, those were already long gone for them.  This movie feels like a time machine.  The neon lights, beautiful shined up classic cars and food delivered on roller skates.  It’s amazing.  I mean, what a great idea, to just cruise around real slow, picking up chicks.  It looks like a parade down Main street all night!  And to think, there was a time where it was cool to dance at the dance.  What a fantastic time to live in.

American Graffiti is a coming of age story set in 1962 filled with a variety of adventures in this little town.  Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steve (Ron Howard) are leaving for college in the morning; it’s their one chance to get out of that little town.  But Curt’s got cold feet, he’s very sentimental about his home, so he looks around for advice.  Steve is more willing to go, but he’s got some loose ends he needs to take care of before leaving.  He’s got to take care of his girlfriend Laurie (Cindy Williams) and make sure they can see other people while they’re apart.  “It would strengthen our relationship. Then we’d know for sure that we’re really in love. Not that there’s any doubt.”  And Steve gives his friend Terry (Charles Martin Smith) the responsibility of taking care of his car, which leads to Terry meeting a hot blonde chick and some adventures about teenagers trying to attain booze.

There’s also John Miller (Paul Le Mat) rolling around in his yellow Coupe, the fastest in town.  While he’s cruising for chicks, he gets stuck with a girl about twelve years old, but that might be the best way to have fun in this town.  John is being sought after by Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford), looking for a drag race.

The film seems to be in a world where nothing is more important than cars, cruising, chicks and rock and roll.  Even the prospect of going to college doesn’t seem to match cruising around town.  And when Curt sees a blonde beauty driving a white Thunderbird looking back at him, ah!  It’s like the sky parted and angels sang just for him.  How can he leave this place when that girl is out there?

When I watch this, it’s so sad to think that times like these are gone.  Kids today can’t get away from their hovering parents long enough to cruse the town without getting twenty texts asking when they’ll be home.  Besides, there’s no where to hang out anyway.  And if you look at the girls in car next to you, they think you’re a stalker and they’ll get out the mace.

Teenagers today might find the whole film completely-backwards.  Today, college is where you go to get booze, drugs and chicks and only losers stay around town after high school.    But back then it was only a choice few who left town for better things and made the idea of leaving home more daunting.

American Graffiti is not a film to easily dismiss.  This put George Lucas on the map but few Star Wars fans branch out of their galaxy to see this film.  The more I think about it, American Graffiti may be the most important film of the 1970’s.  Without it, there would have been no Star Wars, which completely changed the film industry.  Even if you don’t look to the future, by 1973 the innocence that American Graffiti portrays was completely gone.  And Lucas brought it back, as if to say, “Look at what we’ve lost.”  I recommend American Graffiti for everyone.

“You’re the most beautiful, exciting thing I’ve ever seen in my life and I don’t know anything about you.”

Apollo 13

On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 launched with the mission of landing on the moon.  The three men onboard Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred W. Haise, had trained their whole careers for this.  Everything was running according to plan when an oxygen tank ruptured.  Not knowing the full extent of the damage, but realizing how much oxygen had been lost, the mission to the moon was aborted.  For the next four days, the world watched as NASA worked around the clock to bring their men back to Earth.

The film does not deviate much from the history.  Not every little hiccup NASA encountered with Apollo 13 is in the film (it would’ve been way too long), but the major issues are present.  To fictionalize the story and make it more Hollywood, there is some focus on the men’s families left on Earth.  It’s all perfectly believable and shows the viewer what 1970 looked like.  Lovell’s teenage daughter being upset about The Beatles breaking up always made me smile.  It also reminds us that as NASA was frantically trying to help their men, all their loved ones could do was wait by a radio or television.

The dangers of space travel are a burden for the entire family.  One of the most heartfelt scenes is where Lovell (Hanks) is explaining to his young son how his mission is going work.  The boy asks about what happened with a previous mission, where two astronauts where killed.  With Mrs. Lovell listening at the door, Jim explains to his son that the door wouldn’t open and concludes with, but they fixed those problems.  When the boy is first informed that “something broke on his daddy’s ship” he immediately asks, “Was it the door?”

The family aspect may be what the average viewer is most interested in, but the real meat of the story is exactly what is happening on Apollo 13.  The danger is onboard 13 but the drama happens in mission control.  When Lovell and his men radio with a problem, it is their job to solve it and time is a matter of life and death.

This is the most intense case of “engineering to the rescue” I’ve ever seen, and I know way too many engineers from my time at Purdue.  The astronauts double check their calculations with mission control, men on Earth need to invent something that the men in space can build before their air becomes poisonous and every second counts.  The first few big problems solved and averted are intense and leave all viewers taking a deep breath of relief, but as more situations are piled on and on and the engineering is cranked up it becomes muddled.  Viewers without a scientific degree may find some things going right over their head, or even worse: be bored.

The big climax boarders on cliché.  The music rises and falls, we see all the family members faces, mission control is standing and the world holds their breath for way too long.  The viewer may check their watch at this point and as soon as they roll their eyes and stand up to go make a sandwich the climax is released.

That being said, I still enjoy Apollo 13.  It is my favorite film by Ron Howard.  There’s no excessive slow motion (anti-gravity is cool though), nothing is over-the-top and everything is firmly rooted in reality.  It’s a prestigious honor to direct the first film made with the cooperation of NASA and the story of Apollo 13 is not one to just throw together.  Howard treats it with the same meticulous care shown by every step in mission control.

Looking back, I’m not sure how Apollo 13 lost the visual effects award to Babe.  Yes, those talking animals are done perfectly, but did they miss the whole launch sequence?  It was done so well that NASA actually asked to use it for their own videos.  Just check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf5yLuyCTag

Apollo 13 is a film that everyone should see.  It may be a little too much science for some, but the story is enough to keep everyone involved.  The best part is the spirit of courage and heart for exploration that must be in every astronaut is present.  So many people dream of space travel and look to pioneers like Neil Armstrong, why not Jim Lovell?

“So long, Earth. Catch you on the flip side.”

A Beautiful Mind

The story of real life Nobel Prize winner, John Nash could have been either very boring or distasteful.  Only Ron Howard can make a world of numbers and complex calculations feel like magic.  And only Russell Crowe can turn a socially inept human calculator into an endearing sweet character.  Any other director/actor combination could have turned this film into a flop to forget about.

We meet John (Crowe) as he begins classes at Princeton University.  Immediately, he’s an odd ball, not very good with social situations and not likely to make many friends.  When it comes to women, his pickup line includes the term “fluid exchange.”  Instead of going to classes, he charts the movement patterns of the pigeons, usually on windows.  It’s only by a stroke of his unique genius that he’s even allowed to continue his studies at Princeton and receive his degree.

Once out of school, he’s a professor at MIT and called upon occasionally to break codes at the Pentagon.  Sounds pretty prestigious, but he’s secretly yearning for more.  He gets that by taking a classified job, finding hidden codes in magazines like Time and Life.  But when he marries and starts a family, his top secret work could jeopardize his life, in more ways than he realizes.

Alright, for those of you who’ve seen this movie, you know the big spoiler I’m trying to tip-toe around.  I hate to ruin a good twist for a first-timer, so… you can read between the lines.

John’s Princeton roommate, Charles (Paul Bettany), and his wife Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) are the two most important people in his life.  They both have qualities John doesn’t have (and probably wishes he did), like being social, bold and spontaneous.  Without these friends (and his classified work) John’s life wouldn’t have as much meaning and all we would see is a lonely man obsessively breaking codes.

One of the strangest and most fascinating things about this film is the way the viewer is visually shown how John’s mind works.  A problem is shown to him, he murmurs and whispers to himself (maybe only in his head), the numbers light up and an answer just presents itself.  I don’t know if that’s accurate to how John Nash really solves problems, but it’s a great visual way to show the viewer his process rather than have it explained to them.  Wish I could do math like that.

A Beautiful Mind is a film for nearly everyone.  There’s drama, romance, intelligence, action and psychological twists.  With a PG-13 rating, it’s not too strong a brew for most either.   Then again, Premiere included it in their “The 20 Most Overrated Movies Of All Time.”  It’s good, but not Best Picture great.

I’ll end with a bit of truth I only wished some of my professors gave me: “This class will be a waste of your – and what is infinitely worse – my time.”