By: debbie lynn elias
Opening December 21, “The Majestic” is a magical and loving Capra-esque look at Americana at is finest, a time of small town innocence and the hope and belief in miracles and the human spirit. Set in the early 1950’s in the days of McCarthyism and Hollywood blacklisting, Peter Appleton is a B-movie screenwriter suspected of being a Communist. Having just seen his first script make it to the big screen, Peter is convinced that his next work, “Ashes to Ashes”, will be the equivalent of a “Grapes of Wrath” and solidify his place in Hollywood history. Unfortunately, Appleton comes under the scrutiny of the Senate committee created to seek and destroy the Commies among us. He loses his job, he loses his girl and production of his masterpiece is halted by the studio.
After drowning his sorrows at a local beach bar with his trusty stuffed monkey, Peter decides to take a drive up the coast to clear his head. In a George Bailey-esque twist of fate, Appleton’s car plummets off a bridge into a rushing river, where he strikes his head, washing up on a beach the following day with total amnesia – a blank page of a life just waiting to be scripted. And scripted it becomes.
Aided by the kindly Stan Keller, Peter is taken into the seaside community of Lawson for food and medical aid. Once there, he is recognized as being Luke Trimble, one of 67 young men from Lawson believed to have given their lives in World War II. Seemingly back from the dead, Luke becomes every man’s son and sparks a hope and rebirth in a town that suffered such loss so as to merit condolences from the President of the United States. However, no one’s joy is greater than that of Harry Trimble, Luke’s father, who always believed his son was alive. As Peter, now known as Luke, has no memory, the blank pages of his life are expertly filled in by writer Michael Sloane who makes the audience feel that they too are part of the Lawson community, having lived their entire lives there, knowing each resident, each childish prank pulled, suffering each loss and now, reveling in each joy.
Using the backdrop of The Majestic movie theater which is owned by the Trimbles and which has fallen into disrepair since the war, the town comes to life, restoring and rejuvenating not only the theater, but their hearts as well. Unfortunately, while Peter/Luke and Lawson have been creating life, the studio and Senate investigators have been searching for the missing screenwriter, intent on causing the death of yet another innocent. What unfolds when Peter/Luke regains his memory is movie making at its finest.
In what is undisputably the finest performance of his career, Jim Carrey shines as Peter/Luke, and as has been said by many a critic already, brings a Jimmy Stewart affability and “every man” quality to the role that just warms your heart. As outstanding as Carrey is, however, it is the supporting cast that add the color to the fabric of this film. With the Oscars just around the corner, the Academy will be hard pressed to find anyone more deserving of another Best Supporting Actor nod than Martin Landau with his heartfelt, and at times, heartwrenching, performance as Luke’s father, Harry. Fresh off his winning performance in “Curse of the Jade Scorpion”, David Ogden Stiers, who always seems at home in a small town picture (think “Doc Hollywood”), fits comfortably into his role here as “Doc” Stanton. James Whitmore is, as always, a delight as Stan Keller while Hal Holbrook once again brings an unmitigated fervor and passion to his role as Senate committee head Johnston Doyle. And of course, Allen Garfield, is perfect with his obnoxious portrayal of Peter’s agent Leo Kubelsky. Not to be outdone by their male counterparts, Laurie Holden, known best for her recurring role on the “X-Files, is breathtaking here as Luke’s girlfriend, Adele Stanton, and Catherine Dent gives an understated and elegant performance as the diner owner, Mabel. Adding a nice touch of comic relief are some hilarious cameo performances in off screen discussions by studio execs who naturally think they know more than the screenwriter.
However, no matter how excellent the actors’ performances, none would be the caliber that they are here were it not for the finely crafted script by Michael Sloane. Clearly the best script of the year, the plot is simple and the story clean and smooth, drawing the audience into the film, seemingly as characters themselves. Shot on location in Ferndale, California, quaint, picturesque and breathtaking, although all appropriate terms to describe this hidden California treasure, somehow seem inadequate as you watch this film unfold and see how integral the town itself is to the very essence of the story, all of which is exquisitely captured by cinematographer David Tattersall (“Green Mile”, “Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones”). But, it is the masterful direction of Frank Darabont that pulls everything together, one frame at a time, giving us a rare glimpse into what we have all come to know as the movie magic of Hollywood.
Produced by Jim Behnke and Frank Darabont (who team up again for “The Salton Sea”), “The Majestic” is sure to be at the forefront for Oscar consideration. “The Majestic” – it will make your heart, and your soul, smile. Enjoy the show!
