The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 27, 1987, Page 2, Image 2
Features
^ 2 Friday, March 27, 1987
' GAMECOCKnHHHHMnHHWHHHHmMMMMWWl
Review
i
I L
David Byrne, who co-wrote and directed "Tru
'True Stories'
By ANDY BECHTEL
Assistant copy desk chlcf
David Byrne of the acclaimed band Talking
Heads is one of the few people who could cowrite,
direct and appear in the same movit
without coming off as arrogant or selfindulgent.
His film, "True Stories," while
not a complete triumph, is a charming look at
small-town America.
Byrne's film is set in the fictional town of
Virgil, Texas, which serves as a microcosm
for all American small towns. The town is
celebrating Texas' sesquicentennial with a
parade and talent show called "A Celebration
of Specialness." The bizarre characters that
populate Virgil make up the magic of the
movie.
First, there's the Culver couple, played by
Spalding Gray and Annie McEnroe, who
haven't spoken to each other directly in years
but are completely content. Then there's the
Lying Woman, played by Jo Harvey Allen,
who claims to have met the real Rambo and
I
"A DIVINE COMEDY FOR THE '80s
IT'S HARD NOT TO HAVE A LOT
OF FUN WATCHING THIS
MOVIE." <8
?TIME. Richard Corliss
"The year's most original movie!"
?NEWSWEEK Jack Kroll
JWU?mim r hit i
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1987-88 "Garnet & Black " ? Ath
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MORT/
Wishes To Congratuk
! Glonna Dean Ackerrnan
Cassandra Marie Atkinson
Christine Belissary
Lorj A Blakeman
S Maria Ivnne Blue
f James F. Brehm
; Susan Christina Burgess
Cathy Caldwell
Barbara Faile
; Susan Amelia Ferrara
Michael F. Gillen
| Tracey Colton Green
Suasn Helms
John Cabot Herron
T. Heather Herdman
Raphael E V. Ffer/
Amy lea Hoffman
ic Stories," also appears in the film as its oddbal
weird portrait <
been propositioned by Mike Wallace of 60
Minutes.
The Lazy Woman, played by Swoosie
Kurtz, never gets out of bed, because she's so
rich, she doesn't have to. And Ramon, played
by Humberto Larriva, is a factory worker
who can pick up radio broadcasts in his head.
But wait, the most interesting character
hncn't hppn mpntinnpH v/pf Up'c T mile
played by John Goodman. All Louis wants is
a wife, and he'll do anything to get one, including
advertising on television and placing a
big trailer-hitch sign in his front yard that
says, "Wife Wanted."
As the narrator, Byrne serves as a sort of
tour guide, driving around Texas in a shiny
Plymouth convertible and making observations
about the area. His deadpan commentary,
including a hilarious discourse on the
beauty of metal buildings, resembles the
weird liner notes on the Talking Heads'
album, Stop Making Sense.
Byrne could have easily fallen into smug
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Interview: Call Dale Davis
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Rosewood Drive - ROUNDHO
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: +
IR BOARD
ite The Following New Members
Michael Woodrow Hogue
Bonnie Jaffe
Katherine Lewis
Nicole lewis
Jeanne Marie Mason
Mary Ann Pinner
Susan Rawls
Cynthia Lee R/epkowski
Sara L. Spell
Elizabeth C. Strickland
Cindy Sutton
Michael R. Thigpen
Christopher Thompson
Susan L. Tindall
TaIK/
v/1 v^\. v y i v/ i i j i 11 i jv/i ?
Tracey D Wotkms
Melaino A. Willtams
Christine I YatoJ
I
I
- <K *
I narrator.
of small town
cynicism in characterizing Virgil's strange
denizens, but instead, he treats his characters
with good humor and tenderness. He draws
highly detailed portraits of them, making
their ludicrous personalities believable. Byrne
admires these people, and "True Stories" is,
l?l^r? t Kn tll/imn /A C #Uai*> r\ n r n <-1 /\ n
urvv nil. lllLlllv. Ul 111CII |JdlilUt, it LtlDUl ttl IUI1
of their specialness.
Byrne has previously worked on music
videos, which by definition arc high on images
and low on transitions. Byrne's one gaffe
in "True Stories" is lack of continuity. The
movie often jumps roughly from scene to
scene, but the choppiness never detracts from
the charm of individual scenes.
"True Stories" shows Byrne to have the
potential for directorial greatness. He has a
fine eye for visuals and draws great performances
from his cast; in fact, Goodman's
performance is one of the best by an unknown
in years. Once Byrne masters the gentle art of
continuity, he could be one of America's best
directors.
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^ For Paralegt
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Over $10,000 in scholars)
First Place: One full scho
Second Place: Seven $1,1
Students are to write a 2.0C
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continuing through the 1981
Deadline for entry is April
official entry forms can be (
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Longstreet pla
By KATHRYN JEFFRIES t
Senior reporter
A controversial German
play involving teenage reform
school, abortion, suicide,
homosexuality and masturbation
opens at 8 p.m. today at
Longstreet Theatre.
Spring A wakening was written
in 1891, but director Ann
Drcher said it is relevant to today's
society.
'i think it will appeal to college
students, because they're
not that far removed from
adolescence, and some of the :
problems are still the same," 1
she said. I
"It's about the hypocrisy of
adults in dealing with teenage 1
sexuality." :
The play was written by
Franz Wedekind and 1
translated by Edward Bond. ;
The main characters are two i
teenage boys and a girl in the <
German school system. 1
Theatre and speech junior
Gene Aimone plays Melchior |
Gabor, and Jimmy Flannery, <
a theatre and speech senior, i
plays Moritz Stiefel. Graduate I
student Sally Groth plays the <
girl, Wcndla Bergmann. :
Flannery said he considers i
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ieorgin) (404)266-1060
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suicide, sex:
y has it all
he play healthfully offensive.
'It's a mirror of our society.
People are going to be offend:d,
but they usually are if they
fiave to look at themselves."
Paul Hinson, an Airport
High School senior, plays
Robert. He said he also
believes the play's plot has
timely interest. "I think people
who are against sex education
in school should come see
this and reconsider their position,"
he said.
Journalism/theatre and
speech sophomore Bruce Littlefield
plays Otto. "Youth are
the same today as they were in
19th century Germany ? they ^
have sex on their minds," he
said.
"This play confronts the
tragedies sex can cause and,
yes, even the positive things it
:an lead to. Or, come to think
of it, are there any positive
things?"
Spring Awakening,
presented by the department
of theatre and speech, runs
through Sunday and April 1
through 5 at 8 p.m., with Sunday
matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets
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aic ctvctiutuic iui vdiiuui puica wfp I]
at the box office.
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3-28-87 #
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