John Denver Flies High in Higher Ground

When it comes to individual singers, I don’t think there’s anybody who holds a more exalted place in my musical hierarchy than John Denver. So when I was browsing around YouTube the other day looking for a recording of Alaska and Me, I was startled to come across a version of the song from a movie I never knew existed. The title: Higher Ground, which is also the title of my favorite John Denver album, the album on which Alaska and Me is found. I didn’t care what the movie was about; I immediately put it in my Netflix queue.

I figured, though, that there would be an inspirational bent to it. After all, this was John Denver, and the movie shares its name with a song whose chorus is “Maybe it’s just the dream in me, maybe it’s just my style, maybe it’s just the freedom that I’ve found, but given the possibility of living up to the dream in me, you know that I’ll be reachin’ for higher ground.” It looks as though the song may have been written specifically for the movie; certainly it’s integrated into the score to an almost excessive extent, with the keyboard picking up the theme with various emotional shadings at key moments in the movie.

Knowing that at least one other song from the album was featured in the movie, I had hopes that it might be a showcase for several of the tracks, but Alaska and Me and Higher Ground are the only songs included, with the exception of a song at a sing-along whose words I can’t make out. If it’s a John Denver song, it’s one I’ve never heard before. Granted, looking over the songs on the album, several of them seem completely inappropriate, particularly Sing Australia and Country Girl in Paris. But there are a couple of scenes in which All This Joy would have fit in very nicely, and there could have been a place for For You or Never a Doubt.

Music isn’t a huge part of this movie, though. Denver’s character is Jim Clayton, an FBI agent in Los Angeles who becomes disillusioned with his job after his boss makes a choice that costs someone his life. He decides to take his buddy Rick up on his offer to come to Alaska and fly for his struggling airline, which primarily shuttles fishing supplies. Rick is played by Martin Kove, previously known to me only as El Creepo Supremo John Kreese in the Karate Kid movies. I recognized him immediately and was curious to see him in this much more sympathetic role. While Rick is a bit of a hothead, he’s indisputably a good guy, and I especially like the camaraderie between him and Jim.

Rick is a husband and a father. His wife Ginny (Meg Wittner) ends up having a larger role than he does, as does his son Tommy, played by Brandon Marsh, whose single acting credit is for this movie. That doesn’t surprise me, since I found his performance very over-the-top and borderline abrasive. On the whole, though, I was fine with the acting, especially by Richard Masur, who is nicely understated as villainous booze runner McClain, and John Rhys-Davies, whose Lieutenant Smight is a robust Scotsman determined to see justice served.

This movie was written by Michael Eric Stein, directed by Robert Day and produced in part by John Denver. It feels like a pet project for him, and I can’t help thinking he had input into the general direction of the screenplay. For his fans, that’s pretty good news, though there’s something very unsettling now about seeing scene after scene of John Denver flying a small airplane over a large expanse of water. The scenery is gorgeous, however, and the emphasis on nature, clean living and diplomacy all seem right in line with the messages he presented through his music. Some of the dialogue is a little cheesy, especially Jim’s habit of calling everybody he meets “pal,” but that’s about what I would expect from a made-for-TV flick.

Yes, this movie was aired on television and then largely forgotten. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. But for a lifelong John Denver fan, it is a hidden treasure. If you count yourself in that category and are just as unaware of this film as I was, do yourself a favor and reach for Higher Ground.

Jessica Tandy Works Simple Enchantment in The Story Lady

With so many other entertainment options available, many people suspect that good old-fashioned books are going out of style. The Story Lady, a 1991 made-for-TV movie starring Jessica Tandy, posits that the thirst for good stories is as strong as ever. In this charming film, Tandy portrays Grace McQueen, a widow who has just moved in with her daughter Meg (Tandy Cronyn) and son-in-law Norm (Richard Masur). Uninterested in the senior center Meg suggests she attend, Grace seeks out volunteer opportunities but is rejected at every turn until she discovers public access television and decides to broadcast her own show reading classic tales like Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid.

Just a silver-haired lady in a rocking chair reading a picture book. It doesn't seem like the formula for thrilling television, but with a little help from Scott (Christopher Gartin), the fresh-out-of-college producer immediately enchanted by her unassuming manner, her weekly show becomes a staple for hundreds of children and their parents. One child especially taken with the series is lonely Alexandra Pollard (Lisa Jakub), who lives with her workaholic mother, Julie (Stephanie Zimbalist). When Julie sees Alex watching Story Lady, she detects an opportunity. It's time to take Grace to the big time. Julie invites Grace to stay with her and Alex in New York City for a week while she films the pilot of a new, amped-up version of her little show. But how will this humble woman hold up under the bright lights of network television?

The film concludes toward the end of December, making this a movie that could be classified as a Christmas special. Key elements of the ending include an elementary school presentation of A Christmas Carol and a special Christmas delivery courtesy of Grace. But most of the movie isn't particularly tied to the holiday. It's an any-time-of-year story of families learning to respect and make time for one another, whether that means cutting back on work hours or simply making a date to enjoy a story together. It's about a mother and daughter reconnecting and a disheartened woman reclaiming a sense of joy by spreading happiness to others.

Tandy leads a strong cast, creating a character who is warm and witty, a bit bewildered by certain aspects of modern life but too savvy to be taken advantage of. Her rapport with young Jakub and the endearing Gartin is especially good, and she shares a great scene with Charles Durning as a judge late in the movie. While the movie is more sappy than comical, there are plenty of funny moments, particularly when Grace gets to the big city and learns what is expected of her. The Story Lady is a feel-good film that families can enjoy together, and its emphasis on quality time and excellent literature is just as refreshing today as when it was made.