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Entertainr Film 'brc By David Baker Film Critic As we all know by now, 1980 is not going to be remembered as one of Hollywood's better years. The great film of 1980 is yet to emerge, and of those films released so far this year, only a handful ("Fame," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Dressed to Kill" and "Ordinary People") have been tinged with greatness. I'm happy to report, however, that with "It's My Turn," a new addition to the category has arrived. In what is only her second feature film, director Claudia Weill has picked up where Woody Allen left off in "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan," creating what is unquestionably the breeziest, wittiest romance of the year. Indeed, "It's My Turn" is doubly welcome in the light that Allen's latest, "Stardust Memories," turned out to be little more than a poison pen-letter to Woody's legion of fans. "It's My Turn" tells the story of Kate Gunzinger (Jill Clayburgh), a mathematics professor who, as the film opens, thinks her life is beautiful. She's secure in her job (though she's weighing another offer), she loves living in Chicago and her live-in relationship with a divorced real estate man (Charles Grodin) is running smoothly. When she flies to New York to attend her father's wedding, however, Kate meets former-professional baseball star Ben Lewin (Michael Douglas) and falls headover-heels in love with him. In a matter of hours, Kate's "perfect" life is reduced to a shambles. On the surface, this doesn't sound like the best possible scenario from which to elicit laughter, but there's a brilliant script by Eleanor Bergstein at work here, full of Claudia We By David Baker t^an twQ yeaR FMm Critic to ?ac| One of the most talked- Weill close to a about success stuiies of the the $500,000 past decade is the one complete it. concerning motion picture additional m director Claudia Weill. In said, came t fV7C urru? A4! If ?If ? ? hciii ? me wiuet rictii grains, liens, of the Sky ? A China deferments and Memoir" was nominated for "I've never bet the Academy Award as Best my Master C Feature-length Documen- after 'Girl tary, and she is well charged so n respected for the short films Rent-a-Cars on she created for "Sesame "My credit r Street' and for New York wrecked foreve Public Television. For the p Bored with making months, Weill, documentaries, Weill began Charge, has be looking for a feature to in the creation < direct. Unfortunately, no one "It's My Tur was willing to take a chance romance on a director who had not mathematics I proved herself capable of falls in lov making a feature. Un- professional ath daunted, Weill applied to the The title of th American Film Institute and enough, doesn' received a $10,000 grant within the picti which became the genesis from the lyric for her film "Girl Friends," written by Mic one of the most critically and Carole Bay acclaimed films of 1978. inclusion in tli "Girl Friends" took more original title, 4 nHHHH - * ^iliitoSSitiSflil^S^B S ??' > >vft:.-: H ^ I fH IfM Claudia Weill, director of It's My Ti severance. She has not yet made plans h ?cziest, u snappy lines the likes of which we haven't heard in ages. The script also puts Kate and Ben into several hilarious situations that are all the funnier because of their believability. Chief among these is a wonderful scene that takes place in the gameroom of Kate's hotel. After bragging to Ben about her prowess at ping-pong, electronic games and the lifte, Kate becomes exasperated when Ben beats the hell out of her at every one of hem. In addition to her expert staging of this and virtually every other scene, Weill should be commended for her truly extraordinary work with her cast. Clayburgh is certain to receive her third straight Best Actress Oscar nomination and, given the lack of competition, she deserves to win this IT ?- - vmic. ncis ir> tin eccentric, inventive performance equal to any portrayal she previously has brought to the screen. The revelation of the film, however, is Douglas. Before seeing this film, I never would have thought Douglas capable of such a light-hearted, laid-back and altogether winning performance. The selfconsciousness that has plagued much of his previous work has vanished and, come February, he should be there alongside Clayburgh when the nominations are announced. One final comment concerns Clayburgh's walk. It's obvious the lady is not used to walking in high heels and it's mnst humorous to watch her hobble along as if she was born on pegs. Whether or not this was planned (Weill said it was not), it adds yet another layer of humanity to the already true-to-life goings-on. If you see only one movie this month, "It's My Turn" is the one to see. ill: a succes ? to produce, Circle," wac changed, Weill t that it took said, because it was too year to raise literary, too abstract, needed to "Also," she pointed out, Most of the "there have been a lot of rinovr * \A/*aill 11 * unvj, i tv.ciu nulla Willi UlC wora from other 'circle* in their titles and I loans, debts, didn't want it confused with I credit cards. any of them. Then there's in able to get the Russian book." Charge back Weill acknowledged that Friends.' I one of the most striking lany Budget differences between "It's it," she said. My Turn" and "Girl ating's been Friends" is the glossier look r." of the new film, a look which ast several has very little to do with the sans Master money involved in the en immersed making of each film. ("It's ?f a new film, My Turn" was budgeted at n," a witty $7 million, 14 times the cost about a of "Girl Friends.") teacher who "This was the appropriate re with a style for this film, that was ilete. the appropriate style for that ie film, oddly film," Weill explained. "The t come from look of 'Girl Friends' was ire itself, but gritty, but it was right : to a song, because it was a story about :hael Masser a girl, just out of college, er Sager, for trying to make do, living on ie film. The nothing. And the look kind of The Perfect reflected the texture and WHS Mk |9l W MB urn,' is a success through her own dei tr a new movie. S.W\*S 'j ^ t' of year /ittiesi jm e ; vlmm ' ;^p? :' Jill Clay burgh and Michi Turn.' i s story feeling of her life. " 'It's My Turn' is a film that, in a sense, is a little more sophisticated. It's about someone in her 30s, who's a little more together and who makes a lot more money. It's a different ambiance for a film. And I think the glossy look is appropriate to the milieu, to me people the movie is about. "If I were to make ] 'Cannery Row,' it certainly , wouldn't look like 'It's My < Turn.' The subject matter of I a film dictates the look of it." The thing about "It's My Turn" that perhaps made the deepest impression on Weill is the amount of pressure involved when making a film for a Hollywood studio. "It's not necessarily easier to make a film if there's a lot of money," she said, "because you don't see the money. But you feel the pressure of the money. See page 8 IfM '1 : :jj& 4 i < # i ?i ii^Wi fii:^iii?iM>Mii HL. y | If ermination and per '* i- > \:S?? ?s s , ' ^';'':x;:::.:"V V" _) : <j:^^y :' y']-<rVJ*"'-r-* ' -f ' >"_' " '' ISP *51 '-pPpPP^ ??/ Douglas portray two lovers in the film It's My Spotlights Pilohus Theater The Pilobus Dance Theater will present two 11:00 miniconcerts for children Oct. 28 and 29. The young Dance Theater consists of six athletes and performs its own style of dance, which is sometimes 'acrobatic, sometimes sculpture, sometimes humor. The price is $3.00 per child. There will also be an 8:00 adult performance on Oct. 29. All performances will be held at the Township. Ticket prices for the adult performance are $5, $7 and $9. Tickets are on sale at the Kitani Foundation office at 2711 Middleburg Dr. in the Kittrell building, suite 203. They will also ue on saie ai tne Township on Oct. 25. Nickelodeon films Milos Forman's "The Fireman's Ball" will play at the Nickelodeon Oct. 24 and 25 at 7 and 9 p.m. The film (funded by a grant from the S.C. Arts Commission) is about a disastrous ball given by the fireman of a small Czeck village in honor of their aged firechief. "Repulsion," Roman Polanski's chilling story of misnpn<ip anH cpynnl rpnrocciAn chnmc fWif oc n t\ , uu,.v.v. . wuivt! uuuno w\-i. M) at ? (1IIU 3 p.m. It is the story of a young woman (Catherine Deneuve) who is revolted, yet fascinated by men. A double feature is offered Oct. 27 and 28 by Tennessee Williams. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" concerns a young man's (Paul Newman) frustration with sex and greed. The second feature is "A Streetcar Named Desire," starring Marlon Brando and VivianLeigh. It is the story of a faded southern flower who is stripped of pretension by the brutish Stanley Kowalski. These films, sponsored by the S.C. Committee for the Humanities, will be introduced by Dr. John MacNicholas with a brief discussion following. "The Spider Strategem," based on a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, piays Oct. 29 and 30 at 7 and 9 p.m. It is a political whodunit and stars Alida Valli and Giulio Brogi. Robert Altman's "Nashville," will show Oct. 31 and Nov. i at / ana iu p.m. i\asnville is used as a metaphor for American life. Deadline for tickets Today is the deadline for reserving discount season ickets for the USC Cultural Series. The series is scheduled o begin Nov. 7 with jazz trumpeteer Maynard Ferguson. Tickets are $18 per reserved seat for USC faculty and ;taff, $12.50 for USC students and *9.4 for r*..hi;? ? T-? - v.?v/ n Call 7130 for reservations. i " 26 to >. * jSfJfei. .V :- > .4 Ivjf