Two Movies on DVD.

2010-9_16 Two new movies on DVD
“Temple Grandin” was a feature film on HBO now available on DVD. Temple is an autistic woman who made her mark despite being mentally challenged and odd. She is played masterfully by Claire Danes and Julie Ormond plays her long-suffering mother. Now, before I go any farther, I should state this notion: I believe ‘stunt acting’ is easier to do than portraying a normal person. Temple was extraordinary but you’d never call her normal. It is quite different to slip into the character of a normal person; it takes nuance, subtlety, and empathy; it’s the little things that have to carry so much. You have to stay within certain parameters that will validate and express your common humanity. Portraying the Rain Man or Ratzo Rizzo or Quasimodo was by definition doing an extreme characterization. They were outside the lines that mark and contain normality.

Temple was a load for most of her teachers; they dreaded having to deal with her because she was so intense, her eyes wide open, almost bulging, and usually talking a blue streak with little regard for communication. But she lucked out in High School due to the fact her Science teacher (David Strathairn) recognized her unique gifts and made her realize their value and potential. She had a photographic memory, an unusual ability to think visually, and skills at constructing things or at least designing things for others to build. “The Squeeze Box” was her first invention. She had noticed how cows calmed down inside a contraption that gently squeezed them. She built a gadget following that same principle and used it herself in her dorm. And she was agitated quite a bit of the time. For her the Squeeze Box was a substitute for a mother’s hug, as she didn’t like anybody touching her.

Then when she was a grad student at ASU in Tempe, Arizona, she noticed the cattle liked to move in circles, and when they went through the delousing pen they would always lose three or four cows by drowning. Out of those observations came first, curving pens which the cows accepted as the natural order of things, staying calm in the process; and secondly, she introduced a step-down platform into the water rather than a sudden step off into deep water and it stop the drowning. She designed a slaughter procedure that was more respectful of the animal and kept them calm rather than traumatized. Some cowboys refused to accept these new approaches but by now her ideas have had quite an impact. Progressive ranchers have gone to her designs.

So where is Temple today? She is a professor in the Agriculture Department at Colorado State University, proving once again that one person’s handicap is another’s person’s special gift.

Rarely do I choose a movie for its title, but I must say “The City of Your Final Destination” was one time I did. Of course the fact that Anthony Hopkins and Laura Linney were in it as well, was more incentive to see the film. Also helpful was the fact it was a Merchant Ivory film. That cinched the deal.

An Academic named Omar Razaghi, in an effort to save his position in a Literature Department decides to go to Uruguay to interview the family members of a famous author whose name is Jules Gund whose biography has never been written; he had been goaded on by his girl friend Deirdre despite the fact the family had said they would not agree to authorize a biography. Gund, the scion of a rich German family that had moved to South America in the thirties hit it big with his only novel and not long afterward killed himself because he could not finish a second book. When Omar arrives in Ocho Rios, the name of the Gund estate, he is gratified to hear that Adam (Hopkins), the older brother, an aging homosexual living with a Japanese man (Hiroyuki Sanada) who refinishes furniture, a relationship of twenty five years duration, he is gratified to hear Adam is on his side, quite in favor of a biography; which he thinks it would be a good thing. Caroline (Laura Linney), the widow of Jules Gund, a blond beauty I immediately called the “Ice Queen,” feels just the reverse; she gives Omar an absolute no deal. Nothing will change her mind. Gund’s mistress, Arden Langdon (Charlotte Gainsbourg), isn’t sure how she feels about the proposed biography. She has a daughter named Portia fathered by Jules. It is noticeable to all that Arden and Omar are attracted to each other, but they are busy denying it. Pete, the Japanese lover of Adam, wants to turn Ocho Rios into a business, but Caroline won’t buy that idea either.

She is a dilettante who dabbles in copying medieval images, although there is nothing at all about her that suggests spirituality of any sort. Unbeknownst to the others she has squirreled away Jules’ unfinished manuscript. In similar fashion Adam grabbed his mother’s entire diamond jewelry collection when she died. Caroline seems utterly discontent with her situation at Ocho Rios. She seems bored, hanging on with no purpose to her life. She gives other people a bad time because she has nothing else to entertain her.

Omar has an accident which brings his girl friend to Ocho Rios. He has an allergic reaction to some bee stings and fell off a ladder which put him in the hospital for several days. It is her arrival that pushes the moment to its crisis. Omar realizes he hates the pushy Deirdre and loves Arden, who is not as attractive, ambitious, or bright. But it doesn’t matter. She fits better than Deirdre did. Adam comes up with an alluring idea: he will offer Caroline the jewels or the money Pete can get for them, which should be considerable. There is short dialogue between Caroline and Adam. She asks him whether he’d prefer to stay at Ocho Rios or live in London or New York. His answer is classic for an outsider content with what he has: “Because you have to care about—or at least pretend to care about everything: politics, fashion, culture. It’s just too exhausting.” She in contrast would give anything to go to an opera. When Adam hears that he is certain they have a deal and they do. Her last act before leaving is burning her dead husband’s manuscript.

The story ends several years later at an opera in Europe with Deirdre running into Caroline. Deirdre is with a new man and so is Caroline. They chat for a few minutes. Caroline tells Deirdre that Arden has had another child; that means Omar is the father and is living in Ocho Rios, taking her place at the Gund table. He gave up not only on the book about Jules, but his whole academic career. He had found out that love was more important than a teaching career. Adam and Pete did go into business and were doing well. As for Deirdre she did not bat an eye hearing about Arden and Omar. She was teaching at Columbia and was dressed to the nines. She was much more interested in becoming friends with Caroline back in New York where they both lived.

One characteristic of the film, despite conflict situations, difficult choices to be made, and passions aroused, was its cool tone, its level-headedness, and even philosophical temper. No one got too excited and in the end everything got sorted out to the betterment of all concerned. I rather like that quality in the film—no muss, no fuss, things will work out for the best and everyone will go on with lives.