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Let's Discuss It! Lone Star

Chris Cooper

The fourth film in the John Sayles Film Series.
February 23 – 6:30-9:00

They say “History is what we make it” but history is also what you know, made of your own memories, stories, and past. And everyone has their own idea of history. In Lone Star, John Sayles drops us into a Texas town full of division:  U.S./Mexico, corruption/honesty, parent/child, legend/truth. These lines prove to be less exact than expected and they flow to one edge and then the other as newfound knowledge changes our idea of the past. Sayles is very conscious of how cultures and people interact, how they affect each other, and in Lone Star he hits the ball out of the park.

How do these same topics play out today? Are we still defining ourselves by the lines we draw around us? How is our perception of the past altered by our current situation? Check out Lone Star from the library and figure out the mystery for yourself!

Let’s discuss it!  What do YOU think??

Posted on February 23, 2007 by Carrie at 04:52 PM | | Comments (1)

Let's Discuss It! Limbo

Limbo

Friday, February 16th brings the third installment of the John Sayles Film Series at TSCPL with 1999’s Limbo. 

Independent director John Sayles always bring his socially conscious perspective on regional cultures and values which is quite apparent in the film Limbo.  Alaska’s motto is North to the Future, yet it is a land of contradictions; huge expanses of wilderness with small islands of civilization sprinkled about.  Society is constantly pushing back nature to create tourism and industry while nature silently tries to creep back in. 

David Strathairn, an actor often cast in Sayles’ films, is amazingly adaptable and mysterious as Joe the fisherman who doesn’t fish. Mary Mastrantonio displays her lovely singing voice as Donna, the independent lounge singer who clings to her optimism. They are struggling to see the next step to take, even at the edge of limbo.

In a town whose economy is struggling, is tourism the only way out rather than continuing in their traditional practices?  The ending of Limbo is vital to the whole film, but you might hate it with a passion. How did you feel when the credits rolled?

Let’s talk about it! What do YOU think??

Posted on February 16, 2007 by Carrie at 03:23 PM | | Comments (0)

Let's Discuss It! The Secret of Roan Inish

Secret of Roan Inish

The second installment of the John Sayles film series will be shown on Friday, February 9 at 6:30 pm. Check it out here from the TSCPL Media Center if you can’t make it to the film!

Based on the charming Scottish tale Secret of Ron Mor Skerry by Rosalie K Fry, which unfortunately is an out-of-print and very hard to find little book. Director and writer John Sayles crafted the screenplay with his knowledge of a very similar Irish tale. His familiarity with Irish culture and folklore and has given both children and adults the gift of a timeless fable where you will hang on every lilted word, absorbed by the sights, sounds and smells of the sea. This is due in great part to the gifted cinematography by Haskell Wexler; see more of his work here. 

Is there a place for folktales in modern movie making? One criticism of this film might be its slow pacing, but it seems like Sayles made a conscious effort to sustain that speed of life, demonstrating the reality of rural Irish existence in contrast to the city life which Fiona’s grandparents are so strongly resisting. Producer Maggie Renzi originally brought the story to Sayles’ attention because “there were not enough intelligent films for children.” Can you suggest other quality films for children that are intelligent and appropriate?

What do YOU think?? Let’s discuss it!

Posted on February 09, 2007 by Carrie at 03:10 PM | | Comments (0)

Let's Discuss It! - Eight Men Out

poster 1b.jpgWriter and Director John Sayles never fails to capture the unique touches of each individual in his films, and in Eight Men Out, he had real life to recreate.  Indeed, he is a master and he takes his audience deep into 1919 culture and the excitement of baseball at the time.  The Chicago White Sox were the team to beat and no one could get near them.  Their path was paved for a big win at the World Series, and yet, in the end they lost … not because they didn’t run fast enough or pitch well enough, but because money got in the way of things.  But was it money they deserved?  Baseball players in 1919 were not rich and famous like sports players of today, only the owners lived a life of luxury.  Playing baseball was a job for these players, hard work, life on the road, and not a lot of pay.  Have things changed for the better with modern players making more money or has that just complicated the game even more?  What about the final jury verdict of innocent versus that of the baseball commissioner who bans these eight players from the game forever?  Does Sayles do justice to this dark moment in baseball history? 

What do YOU think??  Let’s discuss it!

Posted on February 02, 2007 by Carrie at 06:30 PM | | Comments (4)