Intermission

by Jim Wunderle

As the last reel of 1998 came to a close, something more than the season's first big storm hit me quite hard: No new movies opened this weekend. I hope this isn't a trend that we'll see carried over into 1999.

With the absence of fresh celluloid, I figured I'd do what every other critic does around this time of year, look back at some of the best and worst things that happened in the past 12 months.

Probably the most disturbing thing I discovered while researching this week's column is the fact that a very large number of films that made major critics' "best of" lists have never played in Springfield.

"Gods and Monsters," the biopic about Englishman James Whale who directed "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein" is a film that made virtually every critic's top 10 list but has yet to grace the screen in Springfield. The same goes for Sam Raimi's "A Simple Plan" and Todd Solondz's "Happiness."

"Rushmore" is gathering the latest critical buzz, but it's no wonder that it hasn't played here. It was released in December in Los Angeles and New York in order to qualify for the 1998 Oscars, but wide release won't be until February or March.

As for dollar figures, the year's highest grossing film was also one of its worst. "Armageddon" racked up $201 million at the box office and was truly one of the most annoying films I've ever endured.

What does it say about Hollywood when two rotten movies dealing with asteroids hitting the Earth rank in the top 10 money makers of the year? "Deep Impact," while not as bad as "Armageddon," ranked No. 6 with $140 million, followed closely by another true stinker, "Godzilla," which brought in a monster-size take of $136 million.

In the "everyone loved it but me department" is another top grosser, "There's Something About Mary." I'm not opposed to sophomoric, low-brow humor, but I really thought this film was awful. $171 million worth of ticket buyers tell me I'm wrong.

Also in this division is Peter Weir's "The Truman Show." Some critics have called it the movie of the decade, and it's brought in a sizeable chunk of change. It just didn't work for me.

As for my favorite films of 1998, I'll do the fair thing and limit my responses to movies I actually saw, and not include ones like "Mrs. Dalloway" or "Shakespeare in Love" that I've read about and know they have to be great.

Women played big roles in a lot of the best movies of 1998. First and foremost was Christina Ricci in "The Opposite of Sex." Ricci began her career as Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family" films and came into her own in 1997 with "The Ice Storm."

In "The Opposite of Sex," Ricci proves that she is an actress with a solid future. Her complex character is despicable, but the audience can't help but love her. It's available on video, and if you don't mind a rather black comedy, "The Opposite of Sex" is a great film.

I also loved Holly Hunter in "Living Out Loud." Hunter is always great, and she made this film her own. Danny DeVito was fine, as well, but I think the strongest points in the movie were from the female perspective.

Another outstanding performance by a female lead was given by Hope Davis in "Next Stop Wonderland," which also has the coolest soundtrack of the year. Davis plays a young woman, recently dumped by her boyfriend, who must deal with the fact that her mom has placed an ad for her in the personals of a local paper.

While it will never do the business that "You've Got Mail" has done, I'll vote "Next Stop Wonderland" as the best romantic comedy of 1998, and Hope Davis as the woman to keep an eye on.

"Smoke Signals" broke new ground inasmuch as it's the first film ever written and directed by a Native American. While portraying its main character in a noble light, no one will ever accuse this film of being a stereotypical "Indian" movie.

Low-budget and rather "quiet," this film left me with a really good feeling, and I found myself reflecting on it for several days. It's due out on video shortly, but it will probably be somewhat hard to find. It's worth the search.

The Coen brothers have been making great movies since "Blood Simple" was released in 1984. They got their rewards with "Fargo" in 1996, and as much as I loved that piece, I still think "Miller's Crossing" is their best film. This year they went back to their quirky side with "The Big Lebowski."

Jeff Bridges as "the Dude" gave an absolutely perfect performance. Fans and critics had mixed reactions to this film, but I laughed loud and long and loved every minute.

Besides "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz," two lesser-known films were re-released theatrically in '98. Orson Welles' masterpiece "Touch of Evil" is a definitive film noir, and Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria" is simply one of the finest movies ever made. Both are available on video, and anyone interested in film should seek them out.

Other tasty morsels from 1998, in no particular order, include: "Out of Sight," "Pi," "Elizabeth," "Pleasantville," "Henry Fool," "Your Friends and Neighbors" and "Slums of Beverly Hills."

Here's hoping that a lot of the films that passed us by in '98 will eventually show up and that the "little," but worthwhile, films of 1999 find a place on a screen somewhere in the vicinity of Springfield.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)

INSET CAPTION:

1998's top money-making films ranked low in quality while critics' favorite films never made it to southwest Missouri.[[In-content Ad]]