moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (03/26/85)
Somewhere in the opening credits to this film, probably during the
delightful Bill Conti theme, you get the pervading feeling that this
is a picture which is heading in a distinct direction, knows it, and,
in fact, has planned it. While this is important in any movie, it is
especially critical in a work which has been adapted from the theater
and translated into film. So many adapted works tend to expect that
the acting and script will carry the narrative, and ignore the
inherent static nature of plays, much to the detriment of the
production. While MASS APPEAL may slip and slide a bit during it's
length, it reaches its destination intact, and displaying the majority
of the promise it began with.
This story is about two priests, an older, very popular man who is the
priest for an affluent neighborhood, and a young rebel who questions a
great majority of the Catholic church's doctrines; their effect on one
another is the thread the film follows. While the older priest, played
by Jack Lemmon, does change his younger protege somewhat during the
course of the film, the major shift is in Lemmon's character, and his
re-examination of himself and his position in the community. While I
usually find Lemmon's rather manic standup-comic Bob-Hope-in-Overdrive
style rather trying, it is his character who has these attributes, and
becomes increasingly self-conscious of them over the span of the film.
The course of this film could be compared to sculpting a statue out of
stone. During the first two-thirds of the film, many scenes seem to
have a unnatural, rather jarring feel to them; they seem jagged
compared to their preceding scenes. But as MASS APPEAL progresses, the
previous fumbles are supported and explained, and the picture finishes
with a complete, unified image. It is not an epic image, or one with
great impact, but it leaves one with a feeling of completeness; rather
like a good Mass...
"There they are! Dirty Towel-Heads! HEEEEEEY-OOOOH!"
"What are you doing? We're on your side! We're with the U.N.!"
"You-Win, huh? I'll show you what we think of you One-Worlders! Eat
Lead, Bedouin Thugs!"
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
UUCP:
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fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPAleeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) (09/19/85)
MASS APPEAL
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: Well-produced and acted, but ultimately
superficial story of a parish priest caught in the crossfire
between the Church establishment and a liberal young deacon.
Neither side really gets much chance to present its views.
Jack Lemmon is an actor best known for comedy, but for several years he
has been playing dramatic roles. In these, he has shown remarkable breadth
in his acting talent and has been able to impart a real intensity to the
characters he plays. He has given moving performances in TRIBUTE and SAVE
THE TIGER and to a lesser extent in CHINA SYNDROME and MISSING. He gives
one of these fine performances in MASS APPEAL, a film that could have been
much better, but was nonetheless well-acted and above average as a story.
Lemmon plays a parish priest comfortable in his ways, a little overly
fond of drinking, who is given a rebellious and free-thinking deacon to
train for the priesthood. At first he is appalled at the young man's
unconventional views, but not as appalled as the Monsignor (played by
Charles Durning) who wants the young man dismissed from the clergy. Lemmon
is caught in the middle of the ensuing battle and forced to take sides.
My big complaint with the film was that it had the potential to evolve
into a philosophical debate on the liberalization of the church. I am not
asking it to be another INHERIT THE WIND or WALK IN THE SHADOW--that is a
bit much to ask. But both sides have some valid reasons for their points of
view. The young liberal would-be priest's ideas are only sparsely presented
and the Church establishment is portrayed as being motivated only by Church
politics. Even INHERIT THE WIND is not sufficiently even-handed, but it is
miles better than MASS APPEAL, which just degenerates into a good guys
versus bad guys story, albeit well-acted. I'll take a good guys versus good
guys battle over a car chase for excitement any day.
Final rating for MASS APPEAL is a +1 (on the -4 to +4 scale). It could
have been better.
Mark R. Leeper
...ihnp4!mtgzz!leepermoriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (09/22/85)
In article <1182@mtgzz.UUCP> leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) writes: > My big complaint with the film was that it had the potential to evolve >into a philosophical debate on the liberalization of the church. Which is precisely why I liked this movie so much -- Between AGNES OF GOD, CONFESSIONS and other movies dealing with Growing Up and Being Catholic (as George Carlin says), I've had it up to here with two-hour long spiels on what to do about the church. I watched (and enjoyed) MASS APPEAL for it's acting and characters -- Jack Lemmon still lends that edge of believablity to his characters (especially if there's a good script behind it, which there is here), and when he (finally) trys a courageous act at the end of the film, you feel like he actually had to muster it up (as humans do), instead of having it built-in (as fictional heroes do). Admittedly, there is a bit of good-guy/bad-guy typecasting here (mainly in Charles Durning -- why don't they give him more musical comedy?), but it still is a very enjoyable film. "But like the Good Books says... There's BIGGER DEALS to come!" Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>
terryl@tekcrl.UUCP (09/23/85)
> In article <1182@mtgzz.UUCP> leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper) writes: > > My big complaint with the film was that it had the potential to evolve > >into a philosophical debate on the liberalization of the church. > > Which is precisely why I liked this movie so much -- Between AGNES OF GOD, > CONFESSIONS and other movies dealing with Growing Up and Being Catholic (as > George Carlin says), I've had it up to here with two-hour long spiels on > what to do about the church. Exactly!!! Back when "Silkwood" came out, a few critics were saying "It's a good thing Jane Fonda didn't get this role; otherwise, it would have just turned into a political movie, and made the movie less enjoyable", or words to that effect. Now "Agnes of God" comes out and THE SAME CRITICS are saying "Gee, the movie could have been much better if it had only dealt with the church in a much more political fashion, etc...". Seems to me a big double standard here: You can't touch big business in a movie unless you paint them in a positive fashion, but the church and organized religion is fair game for whatever view you wish to espouse!!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no lover of organized religion, but I really hate such a myopic view of right and wrong and who deserves our loyalty more.