The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 19, 1994, Page 6, Image 6
In 'Brief': R?
case on Grish
By STEPHEN BROWN
Staff Writer
Although it might seem a gross
oversimplification of our society's
movie preferences, I think there
are two types of people in this
world: those who like Julia
Roberts and those
who don't. I happen
to like her, and I
have seen every one
of her films. The
real question concerning
this enig- jiw
matic Hollywood
heroine is whether
she is a film actress c ,
or just a movie star. otCpnCIl
Her two ?
Academy Award LIGHTS! c
nominations (the REAC
diabetic in "Steel
Magnolias" and the
high-priced prostitute in "Pretty
Woman") affirm the duality of her
existence as a modem-day legend
of the silver screen. Since her early
successes in dramas and comedies,
filmmakers have attempted
to find an appropriate genre for
her talents.
As bad a film as it is, "Dying
Young" gave Roberts the best
opportunity to show off her acting
ability, but that dismal film was
never as courageous as she was
and would not meet her halfway.
She was the best part of
"Flatliners," "Sleeping with the
Enemy" and "Hook," but when
would a film treat Julia's talent
with respect instead of just adoring
glamour shots?
Roberts' return to films after a
two-year break is Alan Pakula's
conspiracy film "The Pelican
Brief," based on the popular novel
by John Grisham. It's a decent
movie that is a box office hit, but
a classic it isn't.
Pakula has directed memorable
courtroom and political dramas
such as "Presumed Innocent" and
"All the President's Men," but
this time he seems more concerned
with showcasing Roberts'
Onsainting,
By College Press Service
The stories they tell horrify Davi
men and women on the battlefield of
wounded, the mortally stricken, the
the date survivors.
And Coleman isn't talking about i
ences here; he's talking about dee
blocked-from-your memory kind o
guy who went to a prom and watc
leave with another and take the c
woman whose partner's behavior c
ride left much to be desired.
CAROLU
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aberts closes
am tale
film talent than in creating a clear
and coherent narrative. In the
process, he forgets villains and
dimensions to the personalities of
our heroes, and he fails to gener- ^
ate more than two action
sequences that are even slightly
nrioinal ^
"' O kk
Roberts plays
Darby Shaw, a t
Wk Tulane law stu- <
dent who drafts a
brief speculating
^ why two Supreme
Court justices i
yjk. were mysteriously
murdered. Her
Brown t>rief sets pui in
?^^?_ the wrong hands,
:amerai and soon evefynoN,
body and his
?1- mother is out to
kill her. During
most of "The Pelican Brief," it
isn't Darby's cunning or complexity
that saves her life; it's Julia's
star power. Of course she's going
to survive; she's Julia Roberts!
Roberts and co-star Denzel
Washington are likable because
we have enjoyed their performances
in a number of films, but
their characters here are so onenote
that they provide little compelling
interest during a film that
spans two-and-a-quarter hours.
Both have charisma but don't get
to display it.
Like "The Firm," another
Grisham page turner, the book
"The Pelican Brief' loses a sense
of excitement and edge-of-yourseat
suspense in its translation to
film. At least "The Firm" had fantastic
supporting players to keep
interest during the dragging plot.
Here, only Tony Goldwyik.as the
president's chief of staff and
Hume Cronyn as a Supreme Court
justice offer any backup to the
struggling leads.
The film is no embarrassment
for Roberts, and it's doing boffo
box office. But it's less than the
sum of its parts. With all the talent
involved, it should have been
one of the year's best films.
hammering v
"Every time thej
over her," Colemar
d Coleman, those participant in one c
love, the walking to make dates more
painfully maimed, Coleman, direci
University in Ohio,
nere lousy experi- inars tell awful tal
ply bad, forever- hair-raising than th
'f dates. Like the At the request c
:hed his girlfriend ago, Coleman org;
ar. Or the young Xavier students.
>n a roller-coaster During that ser
tended to fall ba<
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I
Carolina!
\mateur bowlers
-? .
spend spare time
at local lanes j
By NANCY SALOMONSKY
Assistant Carolina! Editor I
t's time to break out the bright
I J pink league shirt, always stylish
Ej shoes and heavy bag. It's time to
/ \ go bowling.
/ \ Bowling isn't the typical group
f | of men sitting around smoking and ?9|
I 1 drinking that you might be thinking (MI
> w^ of. It's become a popular form of enter- * ijj
tainment for USC students. I
"Bowling is fun to do," said Bridget I
Smith, an AMF Major League Lanes
employee. "It is good recreation and a challenge
for students." ym
Bowling offers a safe atmosphere for an
evening of fun. Most students go Friday and
Saturday nights.
"We have a tuii house on Saturday," Smith said.
"Midnight (bowling) from 11:30 p.m. until 2 a.m.
for a set fee of $15 per lane, and that lets you bowl
all night."
"A bowling alley is a place where you don't care
what other people there think, so we tend to ham it
up when we go," junior Stephen Burritt said.
The Five Points alternative attracts about 50
USC students per weekend night, according
to Keith Kelly, an employee of
AMF Park Triangle Lanes. "We have
student specials, $1.50 with student H
ID." M
The cute shoes cost a little extra
but are well worth the price. It
would be embarrassing to slide down V
the alley in your socks rather than
releasing the ball and letting it do the
work
"Bowling is an escape from the normal,"
junior Rob Meglaughlin said. "It is something you
can do with all of your friends other than drink. You
can express yourself in your bowling style "
Make reservations in advance because the lanes fill
up quickly.
vith your loved one:
t went through a loop, he puked all restaurants, movie
i said, recounting the story told by a involve drinking 1
>f the seminars that he leads on how less than conducivi
; fun and less stressful. can you seriously
or of student activities at Xavier noisy bar or durin
, said participants in the dating sem- know someone bet
es about bad dates, each one more "My definition
e next. two people to sh
f an administrator about eight years "Anything that's fi
inized a creative dating session for munication.
Coleman said hi
ninar, he found that young people college campuses,
:k on old standbys such as bars, tion at the start of
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Marketing senior Claudine Joseph sends
Lanes in Columbia.
: seminars tell al
s and parties, situations that often in Febri
arge quantities of alcohol and are trained s
s to the mating ritual. After all, how nars hej(
talk with someone in a crowded, Colei
g a movie? And if you don't get to because
ter, what is the purpose of dating? ^
of dating is any event that allows ^ '.
are time together," Coleman said. a ltat
jn, as long as it allows greater com- talk ^
"Ever
is seminars have become popular on you've
especially during freshman orienta- don't ha
the school year and Valentine's Day after a b
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David Mandrell/The Gamecock
her ball down the lane at Park Triangle
1 about dating
jary. Business is brisk enough that he has
iix other people to act as presenters for semi1
at colleges throughout the country,
nan said he advocates "volunteer" dates
everyone wins to a certain extent. For exampeople
could volunteer to work on building a
for Humanity house. There's plenty of time to
even flirt while painting and hammering,
i if you realize that it's not going any further,
done something good," DeRosa said. "You
ive the sour feeling that people sometimes get
ad date."
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