Feature Friday: Playing By Heart

This one's not as obscure as Alex, but it's still underrated. I first saw this with Roper and Mahon. Roper rented it solely because Connery was on the cover. We had never heard of it, so we went in with no expectations. It's nice to be pleasantly surprised from time to time.

Title: Playing By Heart
Year: 1998
Director: Willard Carroll
Staring: Angelina Jolie, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Sean Connery, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Anthony Edwards, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, Jon Stewart, Ryan Phillippe

"Talking about love is like dancing about architecture." Playing By Heart is the story of a dozen or so seemingly random people living in Los Angeles. We follow the threads of their stories as, over a week's time, they intertwine with each other. We stumble with Hugh (Quaid) as he quests from bar to bar, telling emotionally devastating stories to complete strangers. We ride the crest of attraction as Joan (Jolie) tries to get reluctant Keenan (Phillippe) to commit. We sit with Mildred (Burstyn) as she keeps vigil over Mark (Mohr)'s bed as he slowly dies of AIDS. We bicker with Hannah (Rowlands) and Paul (Connery) as their long marriage finally begins to take its toll. We lie with Gracie (Stowe) and Roger (Edwards) in their bed of adultery. And we brood with scorned Meredith (Anderson) as she dodges Trent (Stewart)'s advances.

Come on, look at that cast! This has got to be one of the greatest ensemble casts ever assembled. And the story is just spectacular. It's rare when a movie has that perfect mix of great acting and writing. Carroll, who also wrote the screenplay, does an amazing job at taking the helm and making a picture perfect movie.

After a decade or more, Connery is finally back to true form, reminding us why we used to love him before he started playing himself in every role. He's completely vulnerable on screen, and he breaks your heart more than once. Being paired with Rowlands is a master stoke. The two play off each other very well. There's so much chemistry between them, you think the sets will burst into flame at any moment.

Quaid steps up and shows us he still has what it takes. His Hugh is constantly fighting his inner demons and he shows remarkable restraint in his character where another actor could have gone over the top. It's nice to see him in a part that he's able to sink his teeth into.

Gillian Anderson and Jon Stewart had the most fun on the set, and it spills over onto the screen. They are both charming and this is the couple that you really want to see get together. The characters are very natural, and their relationship is the most believable.

Ellen Burstyn is a tour de force in this movie. She plays a mother who finds out her son is gay just as he is nearing the final stages of AIDS. Her performance is both breathtaking and inspiring. Woeful and Hopeful. There's magic in her acting. That rare kind of magic that only shows itself only once every two or three years. Jay Mohr does a complete 180 from his usual comedic roles in his portrayal of Mark. It's a role we've seen before, and Mohr does a fine job at making it seem fresh. There is a scene near the end of the film where Burstyn reads a passage from Goodnight, Moon, that I'd defy anyone not to get choked up over. Truly magical.

Stowe and Edwards play the least fleshed out of the characters of the film. Ironic, in that we usually only see them in the flesh. Their acting is fair, considering what they were given to work with, but I feel their Gracie and Roger needed a couple more re-writes to get their characters up to the same level as everyone else.

Now I come to the relationship that is the heart of the film. Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillippe. When I first saw it, this was the couple I most closely related to. They were my age and were dealing with the same issues as me. The power of being attracted to someone, and that hunger to have those feelings returned. This is a role that Jolie could only have played before she became as popular as she is today. This was an early film for her, and she had a shy, almost unsure demeanor about her that carried well into Joan. She shows a lack of confidence, hidden by a thin veil of bravado, that she just doesn't have anymore. Phillippe does his best, and I liked his performance at the time, but it tends to break down over repeated viewings. Still, he does some great work here, and acting against Jolie doesn't hurt.

All in all, this is one of those films that's better than we deserve. Great acting, great writing, and just a good, overall story. Don't be an angerball, go and watch it this weekend.


And I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain?.....Well, it looks like someone was a little upset about my comments yesterday. The heavens opened up this morning and a constant downpour is drenching Dallas as I write this. A chill is back in the air, and a cool front promises to keep it that way for the next week. Phil, I'm sorry. I had no idea you'd take me so seriously. What's that? No, I didn't call you a waste of fur and a glorified gerbil. I...uh...said... uh, brrr, it's cold and I'll need to take something...uh, herbal? Sigh. I just can't win.

Hell to the (Commander In) Chief....Yeah, DubYa is coming to Big D for a visit today.

This weekend promises to be productive. I've slated a few Everwood DVDs for watching and seeing how the screenplays break down. I plan to write a first draft, and see where it leads me. I hope to catch a couple of movies I still need to view for the MWA's and catch up on some down time.

Oh, and I hear there's some kind of sporting event taking place on Sunday.....

Have a great weekend. See you on the flip side.

-Jos

"You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip." ~Jonathan Carroll