The thing with American Quilt, which you will especially notice if you have already read the book, is that it has a lot of contents to deal with in the ranges of a feature film. But Jocelyn Moorehouse obviously wanted to pack all the magic of the small stories of the women into this film, she wanted an entire quilt, full of bits and parts. It is only when understanding this that one can fully appreciate this wonderful piece. Fynn, escaping her partner and the life (marriage) probably unfolding before her, stays with her grandmother and -aunt for the summer. The serious young eccentric, a worried, messed-up hippie girl, confronts her future, her past and her present (dealing with gorgeous Johnathon Schaech chasing her with smiles and strawberries), when she dives into the life- and love stories told to her by the women in her grandmother´s quilting circle. The rest is magic. See the torture of love, the journeys of women and the revelations of grief and new beginnings, see what they hold dear, what will always stay with them, and learn what Fynn eventually comes to terms with: That life is not about perfection, it´s about balance, about putting the small things together, just like a quilt. So, okay, mechanically, Moorhouse really doesn´t have enough time for subtlety, and some characters and developments literally just fly by without any diving in. This will lead people to saying it´s superficial, but it´s not: It´s a journey, like looking out of a car window in another country: Just peeks. Bits. Parts. Parts of a quilt the movie leaves you to put together. If you do, like I did, it´s so moving and inspiring. Warm. The music of THE one-and-only Thomas Newman, the beautiful Winona Ryder, the charismatic ladies, the land, full of secrets and peace. This is what makes it special. Fast, but special. And the final highpoint, a literal "storm" that blows everything apart yet puts everything together, is a cinematic masterpiece, proof of heartfelt, imaginative work of both the writer and the director. They´re actually dreaming an ending together - just take this lovely movie in and stop bickering about reality. If you ask me.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Primary Colors
(1998)
A glimpse of incredibly moving and enjoyable dramedy you won´t forget
1 September 2002
Obviously, there is this Hollywood marketing trend to leave out all the serious (and most definitely the sad) , maybe even the intelligent parts of a movie when promoting it. Just like in "Stepmom", where the trailer didn´t even tell about Susan Sarandon's cancer, a crucial point in the movie. And the exact same thing happened here, with Primary Colors. It´s been promoted as a kind of quirky take on Clinton and his pants bla-bla-bla. But only by viewing the incredible cast, one can already guess that this movie is more. A group of sympathetic, feeling, three-dimensional, dynamic, snappy, damn intelligent people, yet all the same weak and vulnerable, portrayed by some of the finest character actors working today, form teams in the presidential campaign, and politics in America, as the film qickly shows, are naturally based on tearing flesh when it comes to elections. So, this is a movie about people. About feelings. About belief. About America. And the comedy, the scandal, is only the wrapping paper on this gift of a movie. Tremendously enjoyable, thought-provoking, and really, really moving (which is the biggest secret of the film, nobody who has not read the great book by Anonymous will expect where the film goes in the end. It´s probably because some boss in the Universal lot is afraid all the bubbling emotions of Kathy Bates, and the intense, sexy and honest main character, will scare people away because it is depressing. Screw that! This world is to f**ing cold! I love this movie, i decide to love this movie. Please watch it and get a glimpse of dramedy you won´t forget.
Love Letters
(1999 TV Movie)
Much more innovative than your usual TV crap
27 August 2002
I saw this movie as a morning feature on private cable, and to inform myself I read the comments on IMDB, which do not serve the movie well. True, it is a bit quirky at times, which one can obviously trace back to it being made for cable, but all in all it was damn capturing and very innovative. The way the whole love- and life story of the two very different characters unfolds in the single room of a private office, is quite unusual and striking at times. Laura Linney, one of the best and most subtle actresses working at the moment, portrays all the guilt and shame and anger of a life gone awry, of pain drenched in alcohol, while Steven Weber, a little pale next to her boosting energy, does quite well in showing a man who has to keep his life in control, even though his heart cries out for his life-long best friend and the love of his life. I mean, this really is not a waste of time! And its not like watching a play on TV, its like watching a relationship, unfolding in all its little twists and turns and complications, changing and dwindling in time. Absolutely recommendable.
Tell Your Friends