The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 30, 1998, Page Page 4, Image 4
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Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger)is a
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are not the people she thought tl^e
LIGHTS!
REACTION!
ONE TRUE THING
(out of five stars)
"One True Thing" forces a woman into
her mother and father's private world
where she finds out everything she
thought she knew about her family is
about to be challenged. With her family's
future under threat, she must learn
to know her parents as adults. It is
based on Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist
Anna Quindlen's 1995 novel of
the same name.
'Cat on a H
staff writer CRYSTAL N DAVIS
The USC production of Tennessee
Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof set
the newly renovated Longstreet Theater
ablaze on an otherwise common
Sunday afternoon on the not-so-ordinary
Carolina campus.
While most of my friends were recovering
from their hangovers, I took
the opportunity to expose myself to a
unique dose of Southern hospitality,
care of guest director Susan Gregg and
a cast ofYiotable thespians.
As I was waiting for the play to
begin, I could faintly hear a sweet
melody. I recognized the tune from an
old music box my mother had. It was
one of those tunes from the '40s that
St. Thomas I
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i journalist living back at home with
Kate (Meryl Streep) finding out that
:y were.
Starring Meiyl Streep, Renee Zellweger,
and William Hurt. Screenplay by Karen
Croner. Directed by Carl Franklin.
gamecock critic JAMIE BOWMAN
This movie is absolutely amazing!
It engulfs the audience and forces them
to face an inevitable issue that no one
can escape-losing a loved one.
The story unfolds through a series
of flashbacks told by Ellen Hulden
(Kenee Zellweger). The flashbacks are
initiated by a district attorney's investigation
into the cause, of death of
Ellen's mother, Kate (Meryl Streep).
lot Tin Rool
would make your heart skip a beat. This
little piece, along with others, set the
mood for a play about love, failure,
crushed dreams, jealousy and rivalries
- all the elements of an everyday
soap opera.
Jennifer Larson, who plays Maggie
the cat, has all the sassiness and sexy
appeal of a true feline. Larson's confidence
as a femme fatale makes her perfect
for this role. She makes her character
quick and cunning, eager to claw
at the emotions of anyone who tries to
undermine the aspects of her personal
life. I can clearly see her as the Susan
Lucci of the new millennium.
Tyler Marchant's performance as
Brick, Maggie's hopeless drunk of a husband,
lived up to his exceptional list
Gol
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More Catholic Center
11:30 am, 6pm; Saturday 5pm
Newman Club
ppt. Tuesday 7pm
Tim Lijewski, Chaplain
3SU, Director of Christian Formation
jmssJfromi(theiSchooH)^hirsin^^^^
Universalists (U3)
ssell House room 304 (( ?j ))
;ion, affirming and promoting
in and our common interdependence.
2701 Hey ward Street, Columbia, SC. 29205
(803) 799-0845 Events (803) 799-1746
http://akamail.com/uucolumbia
JS MINISTRY
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m It seems apparent
: from Ellen's point of
;; view that the relationship
with her mother
was far from pleasant.
Rather than treating
her with respect, she degraded
her mother by
criticizing her lifestyle.
While Ellen was
busy with her highI
paced New York way of
life, Kate was content
with perfecting the art
of housekeeping and
decorating the town
square's Christmas
trees. Ellen demeans
her mother while she
praises her father,
George (William Hurt).
* y -< Ifs obvious that she
* thinks of him as the
?'strong one that holds
a gamecock everything together. But
her parents, she soon finds out how
her parents wrong her assumption
is.
It's not until her
mother is diagnosed with cancer and
Ellen moves back home to take care
of her that she realizes just how important
her mother's job is.
At this point, Ellen begins to understand
that her mother has the hardest
job of all - holding together a home
and ignoring the realities of life. With
an insensitive daughter and an unfaithful
husband-Kate reminds us that
life isn't fair, but you deal with what
you have.
The theme of the movie is apparent:
we shouldn't take those we love
for granted because one day they
may no longer be with us. It stresses
P serves So
of credentials. He made it seem like he
was reliving a relationship from his
past -- as if he had previously been in
a marriage where he would rather snuggle
up to his faithful dog than to his
wife. Marchant also makes Brick's love
for "the bottle" an unforgettable theme
in this play.
Big Daddy, played by Bob Hungerford,
is a true overseer when it comes
to his Mississippi plantation and his
family. His outright rudeness makes it
hard for his family to love him, even
with his $10 million fortune. Hungerford
makes Big Daddy more than a
crude-talking, 65-year-old geezer. He
gives him an air of superiority that can't
be touched with a 20-foot pole. As his
wife, Big Mama, Ann Dreher lives up
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that life and love are about sacrifice,
unselfishness and understanding.
The characters are well-developed
with each filling their role perfectly.
There is so much emotion in this
movie that you almost forget you're
in a theater. You feel as if the characters
are your family and you're an active
part of the story.
See this film with someone you love
and make sure you take along lots of
tissue.
gamecock critic EMIUE GREENE **
Sometimes in a movie it is OK to
have a protagonist the audience dislikes,
as long as the actor or actress is
adept enough to provoke some sympathy
or interest in the character. The
first problem in "One True Thing" is
that Renee Zellweger is not capable
enough to accomplish this.
Meiyl Streep and William Hurt are,
as usual, near-perfect in their portrayals,
which saves the film from extreme
tedium, but Renee Zellweger
cannot quite hold her own. Instead of
seeming assertive and driven, her character
seems whiny and shallow. Flashbacks
on her pressuresome childhood
are not enough to inspire compassion
from the audience, which results in a
difficult first half of the film. After caring
for her ill mother, Ellen becomes
much more human and agreeable, and
this type of role suits Zellweger much
better. Unfortunately, she is not sophisticated
enough to convince the audience
of her change.
Because Streep and Hurt are exceptional
and some moments are truly
touching, the second half of the movie
is more watchable. Still, the film as a
whole - mainly because of Zellweger's
uthern hos
to tne stereotype 01 a true ooutnern
wife. As Big Mama, Dreher is tough as
nails. She gives off an excellent sense
of authority, along with a good dose of
sensitivity, for her children and husband.
Mae and Gooper, played by Leslie
Grant and Ron Reach, are the perfect
rivals for Maggie and Brick. They don't
fail to hide their animosity toward the
not-so-perfect couple. They are memorable
as two overachievers who constantly
refer to their successes in finances
and raising a large family.
Darin "A. J." Dahms (Rev. Tooker)
and Mark Sharrock (Dr. Baughboth)
give "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof a muchwelcomed
comical element. Their performances
help turn the play away from
r o ph pic
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"Terms of Endearment" instead if
you want an entertaining tearjerker.
gamecock critic JENNIFER STANLEY
What I love about a good movie is
when anyone can relate to the plot.
Everyone has a mom, and these days,
everyone knows someone who had cancer.
Meryl Streep delivered what might
be another Academy Award winning
performance as a housewife who does
it all even after she gets cancer.
Renee Zellweger plays her daughter
who always tried to be just like her
father. But when she comes home to
take care of her mother, she realizes
it's harder being more like her mother.
She delivers an emotional and
thoughtful performance - a perfect follow-up
to her performance in "Jerry
Maguire."
The movie shows the gradual formation
of a friendship between mother
and daughter, and the difficulties
dealing with a parent's death.
The dialogue is so real that the audience
gets lost in the story. It is the
story of the '90s family, dealing with
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were perfect, but the audience does not
leave believing there was a bad guy.
I usually complain about bad endings.
But even this tear-jerking finish
left me feeling good. The cheesy commercials
are right - it makes you want
to call your mom.
ipitality
its intended serious atmosphere. Theirs
is a light comedy instead of the usual
slapstick.
The USC production of "Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof is truly a performance
worth seeing. Susan Gregg was able to
incorporate many of the various themes
that have been associated with this play.
From alcoholism to a dysfunctional father-son
relationship, she opens the audience's
eyes to many of life's travesties.
It appeals to anyone who has
suffered from unrequited love, hated
his sibling or had any family problems.
I can't guarantee this play has the answers
to these dilemmas, but it comes
pretty close to a lot of our realities.
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(5amecocfe and
Productions
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NatureSpace, throughout September,
South Carolina State Museum.
Admission fee required. For
more information, call (803) 8984921.
"Mexican Masks of the 20th Century:
A Living Tradition," through
Nov. 8, McKissick Museum. For
more information, call (803) 7777251.
Urban Grind, 12:30 p.m., Oct.
1, Elbow Room.
USC September Series (music of
Brahms, Cavalli and Infante), 3
p.m., Oct. 4, School of Music. For
ticket information, call (803) 2512222.
"Beethoven Sonatas with Commentary,"
Ian Hobson, pianist. 7:30
p.m., Oct. 5-6, Koger Center. For
ticket information, call (803) 7775112.
Marcy Playground (with Pete
Droge and Garrison Starr), 8 p.m.,
Oct. 5, Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte.
For ticket information, call
(704) 522-6500.
Columbia Lions Club 5K Run at
Riverbanks, 8 a.m., Oct. 3, Riverbanks
Zoo. For registration information,
call (803) 736-5549.
Medical Rounds (tour of the Animal
Health Center and rounds
with a staff veterinarian), 9:30 a.m.,
Oct. 3, Riverbanks Zoo. Registration
fee is $8.
"West Side Story," through Oct.
3, Town Theatre. For ticket information,
call (803) 799-2510.
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," through
Oct. 4, Longstreet Theatre. For
more information, call (803) 7772552.
Columbia Community Concert
Band, 3:30 p.m., Oct. 4, Riverbanks
Zoo. Free with Riverbanks Zoo admission.
For more information, call
(803) 779-8717.
Teachers' Astronomy Workshops,
3 p.m., Oct. 7, South Carolina State
Museum. $35 per person. For more
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Submissions for the concert I event
calendar can be sent to The Gamecock
in room 333 of the Russell
House. The Encore e-mail address
is gcketc@sc.edu.
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