Earlier this month, Dick King-Smith died. I read dozens of books by this prolific author, but it all started with The Sheep Pig, the book that inspired George Miller’s acclaimed 1995 movie Babe. I adored that movie but never saw the sequel until this year. While it’s not quite the classic that the original is, Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City is a sweet follow-up.
Babe
(E. G. Daily) is a champion sheep pig, but his glory is short-lived, as
he accidentally does something that leaves his beloved boss, Arthur
Hoggett (James Cromwell), incapacitated. The farmer doesn’t blame the
pig, but Babe feels terrible, especially since, with Hoggett unable to
work the farm, it is in danger of going into foreclosure. His boisterous
wife Esme (Magda Szubanski) decides to accept an offer to make an
appearance with Babe at a county fair, but a transportation kerfuffle
leaves her stranded in the city with the pig. And then the trouble
really begins…
The original Babe is such a quiet, simple
story, beautifully executed, and much of its charm lies in Cromwell’s
understated performance as the farmer of few words but deep thoughts.
Though Hoggett’s injury drives the plot, Cromwell’s role in this movie
is scarcely more than a cameo. Moreover, instead of the bucolic beauty
of Hoggett Farm, we’ve got a chaotic city to contend with, and there are
several scenes that go on much longer than necessary just for the sake
of slapstick. But Babe is still the same lovable pig he was in the first
film, and this movie is all about weathering mistakes and
disappointments for the sake of a noble goal.
The love and
respect that Babe has for Farmer Hoggett are never in question. At the
same time, as he gets to know a ragtag crew of dogs, cats and simians
hiding out in the hotel run by a kind-hearted animal lover (Mary Stein),
the considerate nature that made him so popular with the sheep serves
him yet again. Despite his determination to help his boss, he puts
himself at risk for the sake of others, even those that are unkind to
him. Meanwhile, Esme fights her own battle to reclaim her honor and her
husband’s pig. While her role is once again largely comical – and a
couple of her scenes are quite absurd – her determination to retrieve
Babe at any cost to her dignity is admirable, especially considering the
reluctance to look foolish that she displayed in the first movie.
While
I prefer the farm setting, the look of the film is still lovely, and
the Celtic-flavored score is stirring. The movie also boasts a
magnificent Oscar-nominated theme song. Written by Randy Newman and performed by Peter Gabriel, it extols the virtues of courage and kindness and incorporates Babe’s iconic concluding line: “That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.” If you’re looking for a pleasant family film, this movie will do.
Showing posts with label James Cromwell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Cromwell. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, November 16, 2007
When the Princess Dies, The Queen is Thrown Into Crisis
My parents grew up in the turbulent sixties, when tragedies such as the
deaths of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. seemed to occur
with alarming frequency, riveting a nation whenever they did. By the
time I came along in 1981, things had settled down somewhat, so there
are few single newsworthy events from the last two decades of the 20th
century that stand out in my memory. The death of Princess Diana is one
of those. I couldn't ever remember having seen so many people so
overwhelmed with anguish, and though I hadn't previously paid that much
attention to the affairs of the royals, I found myself very emotionally
involved. I suspect that was the case for many.
Now that a decade has passed, a film about the extraordinary events of that week can be viewed with some detachment, though I was flooded with memories as I watched The Queen, the drama about how stodgy Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) and freshly minted Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) dealt with the unprecedented outpouring of grief over the terrible accident. The movie utilizes clips of press coverage from the time but mostly focuses on what was happening behind the scenes.
Mirren gives a wonderfully understated performance as the queen who helped bring her country through World War II and has remained a dignified and intelligent figurehead all these decades later. Initially, she comes across as unreasonably stiff, but she soon becomes a laudable figure struggling to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. And she's not all starch and pomp, either; I was surprised to see her driving a sporty vehicle and tromping around in the countryside with her dogs. In the end, the portrait we get of the queen is a very sympathetic one, despite her sometimes frustrating degree of restraint.
Tony Blair comes off even better, and while Sheen doesn't look all that much like him, he captures his energy and optimism. We watch him try to come to terms with the monarchy's lack of interest in engaging with the public during what he increasingly perceives as a national crisis. Though he desperately wants the queen to acknowledge the mood of the country, he is disgusted by the way the people have turned on their monarch, slamming her in all of the papers. Even his wife (Helen McCrory) rarely has a kind word for her, speaking of her much like Mrs. Cratchit speaks of Ebenezer Scrooge. Indeed, of all the characters featured in prominence, she came across as the least likable, always sniping about something. It was not a flattering portrayal.
Prince Philip (James Cromwell), meanwhile, was presented as a cantankerous old grump, but one can hardly blame him; if the queen feels like an anachronism, poor Prince Philip must feel downright invisible most of the time. While I merely found Cherie Blair obnoxious, the prince was somehow endearing in the midst of all his grumbling, partly because I've loved Cromwell ever since Babe, partly because it's obvious that he cares deeply about his family, even if he has a hard time openly displaying his emotions.
Prince Charles (Alex Jennings), deeply bereaved despite the dissolution of his marriage to Diana a year earlier, seems like a lost little boy attempting, in the midst of his own sorrow, to address the needs of his people and to assert himself to his authoritarian mother, while the queen's advisor, Robert Janvrin (Roger Allam), gradually comes to understand that on this matter, the queen's instincts may not serve her as well as they usually do. Meanwhile, the feisty Queen Mum (Sylvia Sims) observes all the goings-on, and as she complains that no one ever lets her know what's happening, she completes the family dynamic and it's easy to see the Windsors are not so different from the rest of us after all.
This is a beautiful film that offers an intimate look at a private family in the public eye. Long live The Queen!
Now that a decade has passed, a film about the extraordinary events of that week can be viewed with some detachment, though I was flooded with memories as I watched The Queen, the drama about how stodgy Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) and freshly minted Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) dealt with the unprecedented outpouring of grief over the terrible accident. The movie utilizes clips of press coverage from the time but mostly focuses on what was happening behind the scenes.
Mirren gives a wonderfully understated performance as the queen who helped bring her country through World War II and has remained a dignified and intelligent figurehead all these decades later. Initially, she comes across as unreasonably stiff, but she soon becomes a laudable figure struggling to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. And she's not all starch and pomp, either; I was surprised to see her driving a sporty vehicle and tromping around in the countryside with her dogs. In the end, the portrait we get of the queen is a very sympathetic one, despite her sometimes frustrating degree of restraint.
Tony Blair comes off even better, and while Sheen doesn't look all that much like him, he captures his energy and optimism. We watch him try to come to terms with the monarchy's lack of interest in engaging with the public during what he increasingly perceives as a national crisis. Though he desperately wants the queen to acknowledge the mood of the country, he is disgusted by the way the people have turned on their monarch, slamming her in all of the papers. Even his wife (Helen McCrory) rarely has a kind word for her, speaking of her much like Mrs. Cratchit speaks of Ebenezer Scrooge. Indeed, of all the characters featured in prominence, she came across as the least likable, always sniping about something. It was not a flattering portrayal.
Prince Philip (James Cromwell), meanwhile, was presented as a cantankerous old grump, but one can hardly blame him; if the queen feels like an anachronism, poor Prince Philip must feel downright invisible most of the time. While I merely found Cherie Blair obnoxious, the prince was somehow endearing in the midst of all his grumbling, partly because I've loved Cromwell ever since Babe, partly because it's obvious that he cares deeply about his family, even if he has a hard time openly displaying his emotions.
Prince Charles (Alex Jennings), deeply bereaved despite the dissolution of his marriage to Diana a year earlier, seems like a lost little boy attempting, in the midst of his own sorrow, to address the needs of his people and to assert himself to his authoritarian mother, while the queen's advisor, Robert Janvrin (Roger Allam), gradually comes to understand that on this matter, the queen's instincts may not serve her as well as they usually do. Meanwhile, the feisty Queen Mum (Sylvia Sims) observes all the goings-on, and as she complains that no one ever lets her know what's happening, she completes the family dynamic and it's easy to see the Windsors are not so different from the rest of us after all.
This is a beautiful film that offers an intimate look at a private family in the public eye. Long live The Queen!
Friday, April 11, 2003
The Green Mile Is a Journey Worth Making
One movie that has intrigued me since I first heard of it is The Green Mile.
A couple years ago, my aunt gave me a copy of it, but we never got
around to watching it because of its length and its probably gruesome
(because of the author) and depressing (because of the subject matter)
nature. Last week, we finally decided to watch it. It was worth the
wait.
The movie is adapted from Steven King’s best-selling serial novel about an old man and his memories of an extraordinary experience as a Death Row prison guard. I have not read the book yet, so I cannot personally comment on how well it translated to the screen, but my dad, who has read it, says it stays remarkably true to the book. Steven King himself said that most movies are not as good as the book but that this one is. I have seen snippets of many Steven King movies, and The Green Mile strikes me as much better cinema than most I have seen. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is one of the best movies, period, I have ever seen.
The film is framed by the recollections of Paul Edgecomb, an elderly gentleman with a penchant for taking long walks into the forest beyond the nursing home where he resides. After one such walk, Paul returns to the common room, where a Fred Estaire movie sparks the memory of a story he has kept untold for 60 years.
The bulk of the movie is set in the past, where Paul (Tom Hanks) is in charge of a ward of inmates on Death Row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Along with his fellow prison guards, most notably Brutus (David Morse), a gentle man known by the ironic nickname Brutal, Paul runs his ward with care, treating the prisoners with dignity and keeping the peace. So many prison movies feature cruel and corrupt prison officials, and it is refreshing in this film to see a group of genuinely good people running this penitentiary. The one exception to the stellar staff is Percy (Doug Hutchinson), a sniveling sadist who job at the prison rests solely on his family connections. He is universally disliked, and rightly so. At the start of the film, with three prisoners on Death Row, he is by far the most vicious of the bunch.
The arrival of John Coffey (Michael Clark Duncan) causes nervousness among the prison guards. The man is a giant, convicted of an especially brutal murder. As the film progresses, however, John’s guilt is called into question as Paul and the others bear witness to the man’s empathy, the intensity of which has the capacity to heal others while harming himself. By the film’s conclusion, no character who has encountered John is left unchanged, for better or for worse, and Paul feels John’s legacy in a particularly powerful and personal way.
The cast in this movie is absolutely outstanding. First, of course, is Tom Hanks, the main character. America’s favorite actor, the perennial nice guy, turns in what may be his most moving performance next to Forrest Gump. As Paul, he a consummate professional, dedicated to his work and unnerved by John’s effect on him. He is clearly a very moral man, a compassionate soul who derives no pleasure in the execution of his prisoners.
Morse puts forth a fine portrayal of Brutal, who is of similar disposition. He is perhaps governed more by his emotions than Paul; the executions seem especially difficult for him, and the only time he displays anything approaching brutality is when lashing out against Percy. His compassion brings extra potency to his passion when Percy does something especially malicious to someone he cares about.
Hutchinson turns in a truly vile performance as one of the most despicable characters to hit the big screen. Percy is pure malice coupled with cowardice. Whenever he is in a position to inflict pain on an individual who cannot fight back, he does so, but he shies away from any situation that might cause him harm. Percy is one of the film two true villains, and he asserts the depths of his sadism in two especially heartbreaking scenes.
James Cromwell plays the straightman warden whose wife is suffering from a brain tumor. He is unaware of much of what goes on in Paul’s ward, but when he witnesses the John’s mysterious powers in action, his response is especially moving.
Duncan rightly received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Green Mile. He looks as though the movie were written with him specifically in mind. He imbues John with an overwhelming sense of benevolence. A gentle giant with a dull mind but a golden heart, he views the world through childlike eyes and is always more concerned about the welfare of others than his own. Steven King often delineates clearly between good and evil, and in a film full of good characters, John is the personification of good.
Of all the characters, perhaps the one I enjoyed the most was inmate Eduard Delacroix, or Del (Michael Jeter). The movie does not go into much detail regarding the crime he committed, but there is no question that he is guilty. However, it is difficult to imagine the mild-mannered Cajun doing such a vile deed. It is as though all of the viciousness in him was concentrated into that one moment and after the murder left him almost entirely. He does take a certain delight in seeing Percy belittled, but this is because Percy is so consistently cruel to him. Through Del, one of the film’s most important characters is given voice. Mr. Jingles, a mouse living on the Mile, decides to take up residency with Del, bringing the man a joy he has not felt for many years. Although he is a murderer, Del is a very sympathetic character. His devotion to Mr. Jingles brings out the best in his character, and he is at the center of one of the most devastating sequences in the film. Incidentally, the day after watching this movie, I found out that Jeter had died over the weekend. Whether as the goofball Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street, the kindly math instructor on Sister Act , or the sympathetic murderer in this film, he brought a joy to his characters and will be missed.
The Green Mile is a beautiful and thought-provoking film. I happen to be against capital punishment, and seeing this movie only strengthened my opinion on that matter. It is a story of redemption and of compassion, bringing humanity to a place one might think more cold and uncaring than most. The film is rated R for good reason, as it contains liberal amounts of profanity and several violent scenes. Two segments of the movie are so prolonged and grotesque that I had to leave the room. Another is shockingly brief, a violent staccato that caught me completely off guard and left me bellowing at the television in anguish, but it sets up one of the most moving scenes in the film.
All told, The Green Mile is a brilliantly executed endeavor that is worth the three hours and ten minutes it takes to view it. I am sure it will be equally worth the time it will take to read the book. I certainly will be investing that time in the near future, and then I will be able to confirm the mastery of this adaptation. But book or no book, The Green Mile is a powerful film that should not be missed.
The movie is adapted from Steven King’s best-selling serial novel about an old man and his memories of an extraordinary experience as a Death Row prison guard. I have not read the book yet, so I cannot personally comment on how well it translated to the screen, but my dad, who has read it, says it stays remarkably true to the book. Steven King himself said that most movies are not as good as the book but that this one is. I have seen snippets of many Steven King movies, and The Green Mile strikes me as much better cinema than most I have seen. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is one of the best movies, period, I have ever seen.
The film is framed by the recollections of Paul Edgecomb, an elderly gentleman with a penchant for taking long walks into the forest beyond the nursing home where he resides. After one such walk, Paul returns to the common room, where a Fred Estaire movie sparks the memory of a story he has kept untold for 60 years.
The bulk of the movie is set in the past, where Paul (Tom Hanks) is in charge of a ward of inmates on Death Row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Along with his fellow prison guards, most notably Brutus (David Morse), a gentle man known by the ironic nickname Brutal, Paul runs his ward with care, treating the prisoners with dignity and keeping the peace. So many prison movies feature cruel and corrupt prison officials, and it is refreshing in this film to see a group of genuinely good people running this penitentiary. The one exception to the stellar staff is Percy (Doug Hutchinson), a sniveling sadist who job at the prison rests solely on his family connections. He is universally disliked, and rightly so. At the start of the film, with three prisoners on Death Row, he is by far the most vicious of the bunch.
The arrival of John Coffey (Michael Clark Duncan) causes nervousness among the prison guards. The man is a giant, convicted of an especially brutal murder. As the film progresses, however, John’s guilt is called into question as Paul and the others bear witness to the man’s empathy, the intensity of which has the capacity to heal others while harming himself. By the film’s conclusion, no character who has encountered John is left unchanged, for better or for worse, and Paul feels John’s legacy in a particularly powerful and personal way.
The cast in this movie is absolutely outstanding. First, of course, is Tom Hanks, the main character. America’s favorite actor, the perennial nice guy, turns in what may be his most moving performance next to Forrest Gump. As Paul, he a consummate professional, dedicated to his work and unnerved by John’s effect on him. He is clearly a very moral man, a compassionate soul who derives no pleasure in the execution of his prisoners.
Morse puts forth a fine portrayal of Brutal, who is of similar disposition. He is perhaps governed more by his emotions than Paul; the executions seem especially difficult for him, and the only time he displays anything approaching brutality is when lashing out against Percy. His compassion brings extra potency to his passion when Percy does something especially malicious to someone he cares about.
Hutchinson turns in a truly vile performance as one of the most despicable characters to hit the big screen. Percy is pure malice coupled with cowardice. Whenever he is in a position to inflict pain on an individual who cannot fight back, he does so, but he shies away from any situation that might cause him harm. Percy is one of the film two true villains, and he asserts the depths of his sadism in two especially heartbreaking scenes.
James Cromwell plays the straightman warden whose wife is suffering from a brain tumor. He is unaware of much of what goes on in Paul’s ward, but when he witnesses the John’s mysterious powers in action, his response is especially moving.
Duncan rightly received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Green Mile. He looks as though the movie were written with him specifically in mind. He imbues John with an overwhelming sense of benevolence. A gentle giant with a dull mind but a golden heart, he views the world through childlike eyes and is always more concerned about the welfare of others than his own. Steven King often delineates clearly between good and evil, and in a film full of good characters, John is the personification of good.
Of all the characters, perhaps the one I enjoyed the most was inmate Eduard Delacroix, or Del (Michael Jeter). The movie does not go into much detail regarding the crime he committed, but there is no question that he is guilty. However, it is difficult to imagine the mild-mannered Cajun doing such a vile deed. It is as though all of the viciousness in him was concentrated into that one moment and after the murder left him almost entirely. He does take a certain delight in seeing Percy belittled, but this is because Percy is so consistently cruel to him. Through Del, one of the film’s most important characters is given voice. Mr. Jingles, a mouse living on the Mile, decides to take up residency with Del, bringing the man a joy he has not felt for many years. Although he is a murderer, Del is a very sympathetic character. His devotion to Mr. Jingles brings out the best in his character, and he is at the center of one of the most devastating sequences in the film. Incidentally, the day after watching this movie, I found out that Jeter had died over the weekend. Whether as the goofball Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street, the kindly math instructor on Sister Act , or the sympathetic murderer in this film, he brought a joy to his characters and will be missed.
The Green Mile is a beautiful and thought-provoking film. I happen to be against capital punishment, and seeing this movie only strengthened my opinion on that matter. It is a story of redemption and of compassion, bringing humanity to a place one might think more cold and uncaring than most. The film is rated R for good reason, as it contains liberal amounts of profanity and several violent scenes. Two segments of the movie are so prolonged and grotesque that I had to leave the room. Another is shockingly brief, a violent staccato that caught me completely off guard and left me bellowing at the television in anguish, but it sets up one of the most moving scenes in the film.
All told, The Green Mile is a brilliantly executed endeavor that is worth the three hours and ten minutes it takes to view it. I am sure it will be equally worth the time it will take to read the book. I certainly will be investing that time in the near future, and then I will be able to confirm the mastery of this adaptation. But book or no book, The Green Mile is a powerful film that should not be missed.
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