THE THIRD ANNUAL FOOD FIND EDITION

Welcome to the third annual FOOD FIND edition. This year’s list is jam-packed with all kinds of new and exciting products, along with some well-loved favorites our readers felt were worthy of a second look. I've included a bunch of my own "FINDS" as well. So let's get started!
 

BREAKFAST:

 

Last summer, as I made my way around the various tables at one of the city's larger farmers markets, I found myself marveling at a beautiful display of DUCK EGGS.

A good bit larger than the average extra large chicken egg, they called to me. Before I knew it, I had purchased a carton of six, and was on my way to making a four-star breakfast.

The next morning, I cracked open an egg and fried it up in a bit of butter. The first thing I noticed was how large the yolk was, and how golden, and the  white of the egg was far glossier than a chicken egg's, and more gelatinous. As a result, it took a bit longer to cook than a chicken egg.

So incredibly beautiful was the finished product, with its snow-white rim, and perfectly formed golden dome, that it looked  for all the world like an artist's rendering. 

Setting it down on a freshly toasted and buttered English muffin, I eased my fork into the yoke, causing all of its golden goodness to spill over and into the muffin's nooks and crannies and onto the plate. Happily, it was every bit as rich and delicious as it looked, and a wonderful way to start the day.

Reading up on these glorious eggs, I found that many European bakeries use them to intensify the flavor of their sponge cakes. But as the average sponge cake would have used up my entire stash, I chose instead to enjoy them one-by-one, fried sunny-side, over-easy or scrambled. The next time you're in the market for something new and delicious take my advice, and go for the gold!
 

 

CEREAL:

Oh how I love the Bent and Dent section of the supermarket, where, on any given day, you’ll find a wide range of products you didn’t know existed, or weren’t ready to spend full- price for without sampling them first.

 

It wasn’t too long ago that such a FIND presented itself at my local market in the form of FOOD FOR LIFE’s EZEKIEL 4.9 GOLDEN FLAX CEREAL. This crunchy, tasty Grape Nut-like grind serves up healthful servings of sodium, potassium and dietary fiber, with no cholesterol,  trans fat or sugar. Punched up with a bit of cold milk and a scoopful of in-season blueberries or strawberries it is a filling, and fulfilling way to start the day.
 

BEVERAGES:
 

COFFEE:

Longtime readers may recall my recommending Duncan Donuts’ Turbo coffee: a wonderful, but pricey blend. Surely, I thought, there had to be something comparable at a more affordable price. And there was.

 

SPECIALLY SELECTED REGULAR ROASTED GROUND COFFEE is every bit as good as the high-priced spread, while costing about 40% less. I happen to like the medium blend, but Aldi’s also sells a milder version. Ground from100% Arabica premium beans, this German import is incredibly smooth and satisfyingly rich, with not a hint of bitterness. Having ground my coffee beans for years, I was nearly put-off by this vacuum-sealed brick, but thankfully, I gave it a try. It’s been my go-to blend ever since, and a major bargain at just $4.99 for close to a pound-and-a-half of coffee.

MOXIE

While this old-timey soft drink is apparently a New England favorite (it recently gained the distinction of being Maine’s official soft drink), this recommendation came from one of our southern readers, with a note that said simple, “Only the kind with sugar, no diet.”

What does MOXIE taste like? Well, Wikipedia describes its flavor as “unique” and “not as sweet as most modern soft drinks.” They go on to note that it is “described by some as ‘bitter’”. Hmmm. Flavored with gentian root extract (I never heard of it either), it was "reputed to possess medicinal properties” at one time. An acquired taste, MOXIE has won over generations of fans, including this native Mississippi reader.
 

FLAVOR ENHANCERS:

 

Another Bent and Dent FIND, KNORR HOMESTYLE VEGETABLE STOCK is a real winner. KNORR's tiny tubs are loaded with flavor, and made for those of us who enjoy making soups and stews from scratch. Each package contains four small plastic containers resembling the jelly or butter packs you get at your local fast food stop. One small tub can make a subtle but noticeable difference in the end product, adding body to homemade soups, stews and gravies. KNORR suggests adding it to rice, mashed potatoes and pasta dishes. So go ahead, indulge― it is low in fat and cholesterol-free, and contains no MSG, or cholesterol. I’ve used both the vegetable and beef varieties to enhance my slow cooker beef stew and stove-top vegetable soups with excellent results.  
 

A Melrose Park, PA reader found this next FIND on a recent South American vacation. After asking the inn’s chef what spices were used in a particularly delicious dish, he gifted her with several packets of SAZÓN GOYA CON CILANTRO YACHIOTO WITH CORIANDER & ANNATTO.

Back on home ground, she subsequently found the product at her local A&P. After receiving her email, I checked out the spice section of my neighborhood market, and found it there as well. Use this flavorful addition to enhance the flavor and color of meats, stews soups, poultry, pasta, rice, beans and veggies—particularly those with a South American flair.
 

CHEESE:
 

From Germantown, TN. comes a rave review for ISIGNY STE MÈRE (Sainte-Mère) is one of KIRKLAND’S SIGNATURE FRENCH BRIES, produced by a small cooperative in Normandy. Packaged in a wooden round box, you’ll find it at Costco.
 

A Dutch reader recommends OLD AMSTERDAM PREMIUM AGED GOUDA CHEESE. “It is so tasty” he enthuses. “Some cheeses are so mild – this one is stronger and so delicious. I remember buying it at the airport in Holland. I never saw it again until I saw at Sam’s.” After receiving his note, I happened upon a featured display of the cheese at my local Kroger store. Pass the cheese, please.  

TOASTS AND CRACKERS:
 

A toast to a Sarasota reader for sharing two of her favorite crackers with us. The first, WASA SOURDOUGH CRISPBREAD by Barilla America, the second, RYVITA DARK RYE CRISPBREAD. Each of these good-sized crackers serve  up 2 grams of fiber and 35 calories.  
 

A Murfreesboro, TN. reader, sticks with the standards, having a special place in his heart for NABISCO CHICKEN IN A BISKIT CRACKERS. introduced in 1964, these buttery biscuits are flavored with dehydrated cooked chicken – which makes sense, given their name.

Like Coca Cola and other international brands, Nabisco tweaks their crackers' formulas to suit each country's particular palate. As a result, the CHICKEN IN A BISKIT crackers you get in Australia, for example, may not taste exactly as they do here. In fact,  Wikipedia notes that "an independent chemistry lab detected "no protein from any meat species" in the Aussie version."   
 

Looking for a more exotic option?  Try ASTURI BRUSCHETTINI SNACK SIZE ITALIAN BLACK AND GREEN OLIVES BRUSCHETTA TOASTS.  Imported from Italy, they contain no preservatives or artificial flavors. These stamp-sized bites are crisp and dry with a real olive flavor, making them the perfect complement to savory spreads and toppings like Italian Dry Salami. Other Bruschettini varieties include Cracked black pepper, Rosemary and Olive Oil, Garlic and Parsley, and Classico Virgin Olive Oil. Our reader found them at T.J. MAXX.
 

BUTTER:

MINERVA DAIRY MENNONITE BUTTER has been around since 1894, and with good reason. It’s butter the way your remember butter from your childhood days: fresh and— well, buttery, with 4% butter fat. You’ll find it at Fresh Market and other specialty food stores. Read all about it at minervadairy.com. Take my word for it; a little pat can make a big difference. 
 

 

BEURRE GRAND CRU COW’S MILK BUTTER is a true FIND. I’ve tried them all, and while Minerva’s Mennonite butter is a daily treat, this imported French butter from a century-old dairy in Poitou-Charentes, France is, to my mind, the best commercial butter out there.
 

What makes it so special? Well, according to their website, their butter is  “produced in barrel-shaped drums, where the cream is matured for 24 hours to allow the full development of flavor, and then washed with clear water to obtain a very pure, raw and perfumed butter.” All I know is that it is insanely good, while more than a bit pricey. It too is available at Fresh Market and other specialty stores.
 

MARMALADE:

 

 

SMUCKER’S ORCHARD’S FINEST PACIFIC GROVE ORANGE MARMALADE MEDLEY puts the rest of the Smucker’s line to shame. While at 50 calories per tablespoon it’s not exactly a low-cal alternative, it is a good bit less sugary than the original blend, while having a far more natural and intense orange flavor. A tasty combination of Navel, Mandarin and Blood orange juices and peels, it is absolutely wonderful on a toasted, buttered English muffin, and the perfect counterpoint to a full-bodied cup of coffee. 
 

SOUPS:
 

I never thought I'd be recommending a prepackaged soup, but then again, Campbell’s new line of microwavable soups, known as CAMPBELL'S GO SOUPS are a far cry from the canned soups they are known for. They are both unusual and unusually good, averaging between 10 and 220 calories a serving.  
 

Packaged in plastic pouches bearing photographs of well-scrubbed faces of young men and women, the soups heat up in 2- to- 2 ½ minutes, and offer the adventurous eater highly seasoned  versions of classics, as well as those that are completely new-to most American pantries.

Among my favorites: CAMPBELL’S GO SOUP GOLDEN LENTIL WITH MADRAS CURRY. A vibrant blend of coconut milk and tomatoes, lentils and tomato juice, potatoes, poblano chilies, cilantro, garlic puree and madras curry seasonings, soy sauce, turmeric and other spices, it is a treat to the taste buds.

I’m also a major fan of their CREAMY RED PEPPER WITH SMOKY GOUDA GO SOUP. Oh boy oh boy oh boy – if you are a flavor craver, go for the GO soups.  
 
SALAD DRESSING:

CARDINI’S ALL NATURAL ORIGINAL CAESAR DRESSING is as close to the real deal as you can get without starting from scratch. And no wonder, it was Cardini who created the original dressing in his restaurant years ago. Two tablespoons will add 160 calories to your salad, but it really only takes one to get your attention. Among some (but not all) of the ingredients: soybean and olive oil, egg yolk, lemon juice concentrate, white wine and distilled vinegars, mustard seed, Parmesan cheese, garlic, onion, molasses, sugar and anchovies. MSG and preservative-free, it is a notch above the average bottled blend.
 

MEAT:
 

Tired of the same old same old? A Florida reader suggests you try GREAT RANGE BISON BURGERS. Just season with a bit of Worcestershire sauce and pop them in the broiler for seven minutes or so per side, and you’ve got one delicious burger.

“I always look forward to them" she writes, "and never get tired of them”. Naturally lean, bison— or buffalo (the terms are interchangeable according to GREAT RANGE) has less fat and calories and more protein and iron than beef, chicken and even some fish. Raised naturally without the use of hormones and antibiotics, they are a tasty treat. You’ll find them in the freezer section of your local market.  
 

SEAFOOD:

DOCKSIDE CLASSICS PREMIUM CRAB CAKES are absolutely delicious. Loaded with real crab meat, these incredibly tasty cakes come four-to-a-package. Fresh, not frozen, they are about as easy to prepare as you can get. Just turn the oven up to 400 degrees, and bake (not fry) them for a short sixteen minutes. Up until I tried these tasty cakes, I'd always eaten my crab cakes cold But these delicious rounds are wonderful right out of the oven—in fact, I like them better that way.

DOCKSIDE packs a two-ounce container of cocktail sauce in with the crab cakes. Far superior than "America's favorite" bottled cocktail sauce, it is the perfect complement to these tasty cakes. 

These American-made crab cakes make for an appetizing appetizer, although at just 150 calories per cake, you can enjoy two of them along with a fresh salad, for a deliciously light lunch.
 

Looking for a fast and fabulous meal?  A seaside reader suggests you pick up a can or two of COLE’S FARM-RAISED SMOKED RAINBOW TROUT.  “They’re great right out of the can” she writes. “Just remove the skin–which literally takes a second or two...They're good any time of day",  adding, "and a great thing to keep on hand. Should the electricity go out, you have a meal.” 
   

Finding this particular product may take some doing, as it is noticeably absent from the company’s website. Ever resourceful, our reader found a supplier on Amazon.com.
 

FROZEN DIET DINNERS:

 

Last year frozen entrees turned the corner with the introduction of LEAN CUISINE’S innovative line of microwavable pouch entrees. They also bumped up their boxed line-up, adding some very tasty dinners, along with their highly promoted (but in my opinion, underwhelming) Salad Additions line.

Picking up the gauntlet, ATKINS recently joined the list of reduced-calorie frozen entree contenders, with a hearty group of slightly pricier meals. They may not look as artful as Lean Cuisine’s , but they generally offer larger portions that are both filling and satisfying.

Among my favorites: ATKINS CHICKEN & BROCCOLI ALFREDO. The sauce is rich and relatively thick, and actually tastes like it’s made with real Parmesan and Romano cheese—which it is).  The chicken pieces are tender, tasty and generous in size, as are the still kelly-green broccoli florets. Served with a simple salad and oil and vinegar dressing, it makes for a tasty and satisfying meal, and is a great option for those counting both calories and carbs.

Among ATKINS’ other offerings: Roast Turkey Tenders with Herb Pan Gravy, Beef Merlot, Crustless Chicken Pot Pie and Meatloaf with Portobello Mushroom Gravy. There are some interesting breakfast entrees as well, including Farmhouse-Style Sausage Scramble and Tex-Mex Scramble.  Belly up to the breakfast bar, and give them a try. I expect a full report.

VEGGIES:

A Memphis reader and Mississippi native is high on TALK O’ TEXAS CRISP PICKLED OKRA. Based in San Angelo, Texas, the family-owned company’s first major order was to Neiman Marcus some sixty-three years ago. While our reader didn’t specify, Talk O’ Texas offers both hot and mild versions. If you can’t find them at your local grocery store, you can order a jar or two or three directly from the company by calling their toll-free hot line (1-800-749-6572).  While our reader apparently likes them straight from the jar, the company’s website features fans’ recipes for everything from warm pickled okra gumbo dip to tacos and tartar sauce.  

TRADER JOE’S CREAMY POLENTA WITH SPINACH AND CARROTS:

We have a lot of Trader Joe’s fans among our readers, and this year’s TJ FIND comes from the Gulf Coast. At 200 calories per serving, fooducate.com gives it a B+. Their readers echoed our reader’s feelings, with comments like “Super good!”, “Great for two”, “Just tried it this week. Yummy!”, “Very good. Wonderful side dish!” and “So good and healthy!”
 

ICE CREAM, SORBETS AND TOPPINGS:
 

CIAO BELLA has appeared on our list before in the form of one of their ice cream offerings CIAO BELLA BLACKBERRY CABERNET SORBET, which tastes a bit like a frozen version of Welch’s grape juice. Deep purple in color, it is a heady contradiction of dense and lite, and the perfect warm weather treat. At just 110 calories for ½ a cup, it is a far lighter choice than CIAO BELLA ice creams, which tend to weigh in at more than double the calories. And yes, the list of ingredients includes honest-to-goodness blackberry puree and a wine cabernet reduction. Cheers!

 

A Tennessee couple following the Weight Watcher’s diet, clued us in to the joys of WEIGHT WATCHERS COOKIES AND CREAM and DARK CHOCOLATE DULCHE DE LECHE ICE CREAM BARS (both just 120 calories per bar, with less than 5 grams of fat). “They’re yummy: seriously dark and chocolaty”  they write, adding that they’re also fans of WEIGHT WATCHERS STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE BARS, which, at just 60 calories, are a bit slimmer, but then again, so are they!

FELIX LINGONBERRIES top one reader's list of toppings. Delicious hot or cold, and straight out of the jar. this Danish is as versatile as it is delicious. “I like it on pancakes” she writes, but goes on to say that it’s also terrific on French toast, over brie, a bowl of ice cream or cereal, adding that “it would be great on a croissant.” Mais oui.
 

COOKIES:

Recently, a super-sized version of a Kroger Supermarket opened in Memphis. The widely expanded store includes a large and intriguing International section. Two Memphis readers, unknown to and independent of each other, sent in similar FINDS from the British section. 

Reader #1 finds McVITES DIGESTIVE PLAIN CHOCOLATE COOKIES downright irresistible. After passing on her FIND, she couldn't get them out of her mind, and headed for her local market for a 'fix.' Upon returning, she shot me an email that said it all: "Dark choc. Yum!!"
 

Reader #2 is a fan of McVITES as well, but prefers their HOBNOBS and FRUIT SHORTCAKE COOKIES. The Hob Nobs are covered in dark chocolate, while the Shortcake cookies, he says, are light and crispy, similar to Newton’s new fruit cookies.

 
SNACKS: 

I have been a die-hard fan of Paul Newman’s Medium Salsa for years. A moderately-priced, high quality product, it’s one of those delicious but happily low-cal foods that, when paired with a stalk of celery or chip, can take the bite out of hunger.

 

As I eat a good bit of it, I found myself looking for a less expensive, but equally tasty alternative to my brand of choice. After trying numerous versions of various brands, I found the answer, in, of all things, a store brand.

KROGER THICK AND CHUNKY MEDIUM SALSA is everything a salsa should be: chunky, flavorful and light, it has only 7 calories a teaspoon. Most prepackaged salsas add an intense amount of cilantro to the mix—an herb I tolerate in small portions. I tell you this because both the Newman and Kroger varieties contain little if any cilantro. If you can’t live without it, you might want to pass this FIND by, but it would be your loss

Like potato chips, once you’ve started eating Walmart’s GREAT VALUE TRAIL MIX, it’s hard to stop. The reader who sent in this FIND was looking for something else, and unable to find it, decided to take a chance on the store’s house brand—which, it turns out, was loaded with nuts, raisins and M&M’s. Sometimes you find something special when you least expect it!

KIND ALMOND & APRICOT BARS are the go-to snack for another reader.  A healthy but satisfying alternative to the all-American candy bar, these crunchable, munchable bars are “filled with apricots and nuts.”  
 

SNACK FACTORY GARLIC PARMESAN PRETZEL CRISPS are, according to one reader, flat like a chip, but with a definite pretzel bent. His wife adds, “They’re baked, and lighter and crispier than regular pretzels, but still fairly salty.” At just over ten calories per chip, you can eat a pretty good-sized handful without feeling guilty.  You’ll find them at, among other places, Walmart and Garden Ridge.
 
While rechecking the spelling of my coffee FIND on the Internet, I came across a page loaded with comments from foodies who adored another Aldi's import: CHOCEUR MILK CREME BARS. These European chocolates are heavenly, to say the least. Priced at just $1.99 for 7.05 ounces (11 individually wrapped bars), they are far superior to the higher priced chocolates found in specialty stores.  The 'creme' isn't cream, but "intensely rich" white chocolate, tucked inside a milk chocolate coating. Dipped into a hot cup of coffee, these rich and chocolately bars are astoundingly good!

 

P. S. If you're a fan of hazelnuts and raisins you'll want to try the CHOCEUR FRUIT & NUT BAR as well.  It comes in one large block of chocolate that you can break off into smaller blocks, and is loaded with whole hazelnuts. Truth be told, all of their chocolates, be they dark, light, white, nutty, crispy and/or fruity, are totally delicious.

Looking for something to stave off hunger without packing on the pounds?  A Mid-South foodie points to DAVID ALL NATURAL PUMPKIN SEEDS from CONAGRA FOODS. These all-natural, fresh-roasted nuts are incredibly edible, right down to and including their shells. Once on DAVID’s website, I was dazzled by a dizzying display of their products, including an amazing variety of sunflower seeds. Just as chips and pretzels have gone from straight to sassy, sunflower seeds, it seems have blossomed into Bar-B-Q, Ranch, Buffalo-style Ranch, Nacho Cheese, Dill Pickle, Jalapeno Hot salsa, Hot &Spicy and Reduced Sodium versions. It boggles the mind.  
 

Our last FIND comes from a North Carolina reader, who casts her vote for 350 CHEESE STRAWS.  If you’re from the South, you know all about cheese straws. If not, I can only tell you that they look a cross between a golden-colored French fry and a similarly-sized accordion, and, at their best, are cheddar cheesy, light and crispy. Produced in Beaufort, North Carolina, they're hand-baked in small batches, and available in selected shops in both North Carolina and Georgia. The rest of us can order them on-line at 350cheesestraw.com. Packed in an eye-catching tin, they are perfect for both giving— and getting!
 

And so ends THE THIRD ANNUAL FOOD FIND EDITION. Thanks to all of you who shared your FINDS with us. Next time around, I’ll be introducing you to PHYLLIS & HAROLD: a documentary that tries to uncover the reason one couple met, married and stayed married for nearly sixty years. This fascinating film was written and directed by the couple’s daughter: cinematographer Cindy Kleine and co-produced with her director/producer husband, Andre Gregory, best known for his on-screen turn as a cinematic version of himself in MY DINNER WITH ANDRE. 


Till the next time...

 

 

 

THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

Ever had one of those nights when you’re sound asleep and then you’re not? You toss, you turn, you punch and fluff your pillow. You pull the bed covers up. You kick the bed covers off. You lay there eyes closed. You lay there eyes opened. You turn on the light, and check the clock. It's two a. m. and sleep is a distant dream.

What to do, what to do? Well, I don’t know what you do, but I generally turn on the TV, find something that isn’t too scary or intellectually stimulating and watch it until my eyes close and I can get back to the business of sleeping—hopefully, in a matter of minutes.

I had one of those nights recently, and after what seemed like an eternity of tossing, turning, punching, fluffing and surfing, I landed on the Turner Classic Movie channel, where The Buddy Holly Story was twenty minutes or so into its hour-and-a-half run. 

If you are under the age of fifty, there’s a good chance you never heard of Buddy Holly, or know little-to-nothing about his music.  I can only tell you that he was an original. He didn’t have the looks to be a heart throb like Elvis Presley or other teen idols of the day, but his voice was unique. He was also one of the first rock artists to write, arrange, sing and produce  his own material. 

His career was brief, as was his life. He was just twenty-two when he died in a plane crash along with Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson (a. k. a. "the Big Bopper") and their eighteen-year-old pilot. Singer/songwriter Don McClean would later refer to it as “The day the music died” in 1971’s American Pie.    

Considering the fact that Holly’s time in the spotlight was brief—a mere two years from start to finish, he left behind an impressive list of songs that have turned into classics. His story of an American dream gone wrong, sounds like something straight out of Hollywood. Small wonder that over the years several of the country's biggest studios have attempted to bring more than six Holly-related film projects to the screen. Three made it as far as the production stage.

The film I saw on that sleepless night not so long ago was the last of the three, and the only one to make it into the theaters. The first― A Three-Sided Coin, was written by Jerry Allison, Holly’s bass player. He was part of the singer’s back-up group; a trio of boyhood pals known as “the Crickets". Interestingly enough, Gary Busey was chosen to play Allison in that film. But, without script approval from Holly’s widow, it never saw the light of day.  

The second project, which was green-lighted by 20^th Century Fox despite the fact that they had yet to procure the rights to the story, was forced to shut down production just two weeks into filming. 

Why all of these false starts?  Well, according to most sources, Holly’s widow felt that her husband’s story would be best told by a small, independent company, where Holly the man wouldn’t be overshadowed by the star chosen to portray him.

She got her wish when producers Fred Bauer and Ed Cohen, along with director Steve Rash came calling. The trio had produced several well-received music-related productions, and were keen on the Holly project. Their interest, expertise and promise to cast an unknown in the title role won the widow over. Hands were shaken, contracts were signed, and the process of finding that great unknown began.

But finding someone who could not only act but talk, sing, play the guitar and perform like Holly was to say the least, a bit daunting, and the producers realized that there was a good chance they were going to have to go with an actor who could lip-sync to Holly's tracks.

And then came Joyce Selznick, who, as casting director for one of the earlier Holly flicks, had seen, heard and championed a fellow named Gary Busey for the title role. Selznick turned them on to the native Texan, and with rights secured, money procured,and actor lured, success was―hopefully, assured, and the Buddy Holly Story was on its way.

Now, if you’re under the age of forty, there’s a good chance you only know Gary Busey as that lovable but crazy gray-haired guy on TV’s Celebrity Apprentice, this despite the fact that he has appeared in any number of films through the years, including Lethal Weapon and the Streisand/ Kristofferson version of A Star Is Born, and has appeared as himself in various episodes of Two and a Half Men, HBO’s Entourage and Celebrity ReHab with Doctor Drew.

I think the last thing I saw him in on the big screen was in 1992’s The Firm, where he played a burnt out PI who met his Maker while his secretary/girlfriend (Holly Hunter) huddled under his desk where she had been – well, that’s a story for another day.

The Firm aside, my most vivid memory of Gary Busey dates back to his public stance against wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, despite the fact that the lack of one had nearly cost him his life. Over the years various health professionals have speculated that the brain damage the actor suffered when his bike hit the asphalt in 1988, caused damage that basically took away his filter mechanism, causing him to “speak and act impulsively.”

While Busey’s antics on Mr. Trump’s reality show may make for good television, it is, at least in my opinion, a waste of the man’s considerable talent. I’d forgotten just how talented he was, until that sleepless night in my not-so-distant past. Even in my sleep-deprived state, I was mesmerized by his performance. When I finally turned the TV off at― gasp―4:00 a.m., I made a mental note to add the film to my NetFlix queue, and watch it again when I wasn’t half way between groggy and slumberland.

I would not be disappointed. 

Given the constraints of the film’s meager budget and Mrs. Holly’s wishes, the film’s cast was made up of less-than-familiar faces. Today, more than two decades after its release, viewers may recognize a few actors, but in 1979, even Gary Busey was a virtual unknown.

Busey fit comfortably into Holly’s shoes. Like Holly, he hailed from Texas, no need to affect an accent. What's more, he was a working musician, singing and playing guitar with the Leon Russell band under the name Teddy Jack Eddie. With some minor acting credits to his credit, and an infectious enthusiasm and energy, the actor/singer/musician was, as they say on TV’s talent competitions, 'the whole package', albeit a bit chunkier.

But not for long. By the time filming began, Busey had dropped thirty pounds from his one-hundred-and-seventy pound frame to more closely resemble the wafer-thin musician.  

Gary Busey was thirty-three when he took on the role that called for him to portray Holly from his nineteenth to twenty-second year, but, unlike Kevin Spacey, who appeared far too old to play Bobby Darin in 2005’s Beyond the Sea, I never even thought to question the age disparity. For me at least, he was Buddy Holly. The words he spoke didn’t sound like something he’d memorized; he owned them, his performance completely natural an unaffected. In short, he looked like Holly, talked like Holly, sang like Holly, and moved like Holly. It really is an incredible performance. 

And the music is incredible.   

Outside of some guitar overdubs by Busey’s friend, Jerry Zaremba, what you see on film is what you get. Aided by Don Stroud as the Cricket’s drummer, and Charlie Martin Smith on stand-up bass, Busey shows us why Holly’s music deserves to be remembered. You’ll be dancing in your seat to songs  like That’ll Be the Day,  It’s So Easy, Heartbeat, Peggy Sue, Every Day, Words of Love, Maybe Baby, Will Not Fade Away, Oh Boy!, It Doesn't Matter Anymore, and True Love Ways ―Holly’s only ballad. Based on the spiritual I Will Get By, it is quite something. I could not get it out of my mind for days.

Considering the fact that the entire film was made for somewhere around two million dollars (a minuscule budget, even in 1967), the producers got a lot of bang for their buck. Yes, they used the same concert venue for all of the various theater shots, altering its appearance with a change of curtains, lighting, and camera angles, and yes, the majority of sets are modest. Then again, so was Holly’s life.

What's more important is the quality of the musical sequences, be they in a studio or performance setting. A lot has been made of the fact that the sound track in 2012's Les Miserables was recorded on camera rather than having the actors lip-sinc to prerecorded tracks, as is the norm in movie musicals. But as good as it is, is was not the first.

As we learn on the Holly DVD’s commentary track, Busey and his fellow musicians sang and played on camera, giving these sequences an energy and realistic turn that sets them apart from other films in that genre. Budget and time restrictions made them feel even more spontaneous, as a tight three-day schedule for all of the concert sequences often precluded rehearsing the numbers before they were filmed.

As a result, they are a far more realistic. Lyrics are flubbed, and unscripted moments are caught on film, as when Busey’s mic chord gets tangled in a piece of equipment during one of the concert sequences. Like any seasoned musician, he keeps on going, making it through without falling down or stressing out.

That’s not to say that the movie doesn’t have its flaws. There are more than a few over-the-top moments, the worst of which takes place early-on, when a DJ goes a little crazy, playing Holly’s first record for hours on end. The resulting mayhem, as portrayed on screen, has everyone from the station manager to a couple of over-zealous policeman breaking down the studio door to stop him.

If such an event actually did take place (and I have my doubts) it was no doubt resolved with a turn of a key, as opposed to brute force. Farther into the film, shots of an all-black audience in Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater feel staged. But on-stage, where it counts, the action, music, and electricity are real.  

Some of the characters and situations are not. As with most bio pics, a good many liberties were taken in presenting Holly’s story. In this case, previous contractual agreements prevented the producers from using the Cricket’s real names. Time lines were rearranged, three Crickets morphed into two, and other characters were omitted, created or melded together in order to move the plot forward.

Understandably, some of those who knew Holly were more than a bit put out by these changes, but compared to, say, Night and Day, the 1946 film about Cole Porter that totally misrepresented his private life, The Buddy Holly Story is a fair representation of the singer's final years, and is—despite the knowledge that things will end badly, a joy to watch. 

You’ll also find the DVD’s commentary track to be a treasure trove of information. Recorded in 1998, a full twenty years after the film’s release, it features Busey and director Steve Rash chatting about everything from the singer to his family and music, to the way the production came together. Armed with all of this insightful information, you will no doubt want to go back and watch the  film yet again.
  
The Buddy Holly Story won two Oscars, one for Best Adapted Score, the other, for Best Sound (a triumph given the technology available to them in 1967). But while Busey was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, he lost the award to Jon Voight for his work in Coming Home. That said, he was in good company; other nominees in that category included Robert DeNiro (The Deer Hunter), Warren Beaty (Heaven Can Wait) and Sir Lawrence Olivier (The Boys from Brazil).  

Though we know how the story ends, this is not a sad film. The last frames are spent on stage, where, after wowing the crowd with his music, a buoyant Holly waves ‘good-bye’ before heading off to catch his flight, leaving the viewer with a real sense of what a talent he was, and what a gifted actor Gary Busey is. With any luck he will find his way to another great role, and thrill us all, all over again.

 

SIAO YU

Remember Hill Street Blues? It was a big hit back in the 1980s— a cop show with an ensemble cast headed by Daniel J. Travanti.  

After the show went off the air in 1987 we heard little from Travanti, though he appeared in a number of made-for-cable films, and a couple of short-lived series. It wasn’t until 2002 that he had the chance to take on what I would consider to be the role of a lifetime, this time, on the big screen.

Though Saio Yu takes its name from its young female heroine, it is—at least in my opinion, Travanti’s picture. As Mario Moretti, an over-the-hill writer who hasn’t actually written anything since a nonfiction expose on the poultry industry some thirty years prior, Travanti is at his best.

I am a fan of understated acting, believing that—with very few exceptions, less— as they say, is more.  Travanti’s  demeanor tells us far more about his character than the words he is dealt on the scripted page: a script handsomely crafted by Sylvia Change, who also directed the film,  Geling Yang  and Ang Lee, the much –lauded filmmaker who was recently up for a Best Director Oscar for his work on Life of Pi. 

At its heart, this Taiwanese drama is a story of coping, hoping and living life between the lines.  It revolves around a twenty-four year old illegal immigrant named Siao Yu (Rene Liu), who came to America from Mainland China as a tourist and never went home. It was all part of a master plan engineered by the young girl’s boyfriend Gang Wei (Chung Hua Tou), who is in the country on a student visa,  and his mother. The plan, if fulfilled, would almost certainly offer the couple a chance at a better life as citizens of these United States.  

While Gang Wei’s status is at least temporarily legal, Saio Yu’s is not. As one of a dozens of young Asian women working in a sweat shop on Manhattan’s lower east side, she appears to be but a stitch away from discovery and deportation.  Gang Wei is understandably nervous, and anxious to put the plan into action, even if it means standing by as his girlfriend marries someone else.  Not just any someone, mind you, but an American someone.

Are you still with me?

You see, if Saio Yu can marry an American, and theirs is deemed to be a proper marriage, she will, as the wife of an American, get a Green card. With that card in hand she can then divorce the American, marry Gang Wei, and ride off into the sunset.  

At least that’s the plan.

The trick, of course, is to find an American who is willing to go along with the charade, while making it appear to the ever-vigilant authorities that theirs is, in fact, a ‘real’ marriage.

Where to turn, where to turn? Match.com? Hardly.

Of course, just about anything – even a male-order bridegroom, can be had if you have enough green. A buddy down at the docks where Gang Wei works introduces him to a guy who knows a guy who has arranged five such hitches without a glitch. The price? A paltry ten thousand dollars–a bargain!

Which brings us to Mario, who, it seems, has a bit of a gambling problem. As the film opens he’s in big trouble, with a $9,000 marker he has no way of repaying.  One not-so-subtle warning punch- in-the-stomach later, Mario’s got the message: pay up, or you’re going down.

Which brings us back to our couple, and the ever-so-helpful matchmaker. Turns out he’s the same guy Mario is into for the nine grand, which makes for some interesting negotiations.

When the deal is done, the couple has handed over their life-savings. In return, they get their American bride groom, who hands over his portion of the transaction to the big boss, erasing his gambling debt and allowing him to live  another day. And the extra thousand? Call it postage and handling or better yet, a finder’s fee. 

Match made. Debt paid. Life saved. All is well.

Hell-o Dolly! 

Ten thousand-under-the-table-dollars later, Siao Yu meets the man of her schemes. Some forty years her senior, Mario appears to be far older than his years, drinking, smoking and gambling his way into oblivion. Burnt-out, washed up and over the hill, it would appear that he is but a cough away from the coffin.

After a brief ceremony, a wedding photo is taken to mark the occasion. It is a gesture intended to document the marriage rather than preserve the memory.  Of course the immigration authorities have seen it all before, and know that such unholy unions are all too common. It doesn’t take them long to get on the case, showing up at Mario’s apartment all hours of the day and night to see if the couple is really—a couple.  It soon becomes apparent that if they’re going to get away with this sham of a marriage, they’re going to need a lot more than a photograph and marriage license.

And so it is that, with great reluctance,  Saio Yu moves into her new husband’s cramped apartment: a move that does not sit well with Gang Wei—or Mario for that matter, who didn’t sign up for a roommate.

Before long, one glitch begets another, and another, and another, as more people, problems and personalities come into play. How these characters cope, evolve, and resolve their problems makes for an interesting hour-and forty-four minutes-worth of bitter-sweet moments and unexpected revelations laced with a modicum of humor.  

Adapted from Yang's novel, Saio Yu is less about plot than it is about relationships: a story of opportunities lost, and chances taken.  A tale of love and jealousy, worry and wonder, friendship and deception, intervention and contemplation. Its characters are as well-drawn as its story is compelling.

If I have one complaint or issue with the film, it is in its resolution. Not quite pat, but not quite perfect. Then again, few things are.

BEST FRIENDS

The year was 1982.  Shoulder pads and leg warmers were in, mutton chops were out, and the computer was Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, even though most of us were still pounding things out on our electric typewriters.

At forty-six, and a full ten years after his centerfold in Playgirl magazine, Burt Reynolds was still fit enough to take it all off – again, in the old-school romantic comedy, Best Friends.

Goldie Hawn, his thirty-seven year-old co-star, brought her own star-power to the project, thanks to a highly successful turn as the producer and star of 1980’s Private Benjamin. 

Though neither Hawn nor Reynolds was young by Hollywood standards, they had yet to turn to injectables and cosmetic surgeries—a good thing.  And while Best Friends wouldn’t garner any awards, or pump up their careers in any discernible way, it was, and remains a highly watchable film.

At its best, it is simply terrific. There are at least three scenes within its 116 minute frame that are truly unforgettable. The first takes place in a wedding chapel. No more than four minutes long, it is a classic. The other two scenes, featuring the divinely talented Jessica Tandy, are equally as good if not more so, and not to be missed.  For these three scenes alone, this film is worth watching.   

Burt and Goldie play Richard Babson and Paula McCullen, a couple of screenwriters who work and live together. They are a winsome twosome, much like Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin―the film’s cowriters, on whom the film is loosely based.

Richard and Paula are the ideal Hollywood couple. Great looking.  Crazy about each other. Sexual. Smart―a team in every way. As writing partners, they make a pretty good living turning out saleable but ultimately forgettable screen plays for a sleaze of a producer named Larry Weisman. Ron Silver slivers into the part, bringing this goofy, slimy, jerk of a bad boy to life. No one does sleaze like Silver.

As we meet Paula and Richard, they are in the midst of writing yet another screen play for Weisman’s studio. It’s going slowly, but undeterred, the couple takes some time out to shower and deflower.

While it is never stated, we understand that this is a long-standing relationship, and while Paula is of the “if it ‘ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of thought, and content to leave things as they are, Richard, who is nine years her senior, yearns for something more.

Eventually, a still-wary Paula sets her marriage reservations aside, and makes a couple of others: booking two tickets on an Amtrak train headed east, where they will meet the parents for the first time.  

But before they shuffle off to Buffalo, where Paula’s parents await, the couple makes a pit stop at a no-frills wedding chapel, where Richard Libertini in an inspired bit of casting, marries them in a quick but unforgettable exchanging of vows.     

Then it’s on to the station, and a cross-country train ride that rivals 1981’s Continental Divide. Not many people travel across country by train these days, but, like making love on the sand (think Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr) or sleeping under a star-lit sky (i.e. Jane Fonda and Robert Redford), there is something wildly romantic (if not realistically comfortable) about the idea of lovers bedding down in a small but cozy cabin for two. But as we soon see, it is as challenging as it is romantic.

There is, on one-hand, the heavenly combination of starry skies and wind-swept snow falling just outside their cabin's window as the train rocks along, while on the other hand, there are the two foot-by-five foot bunk beds that would test the ardor and dexterity of even the most enthusiastic of lovers.

Just watching Richard and Paula trying to fit into the same lower bunk, is hilariously sweet. Concessions to the limitations of the cabin, even more so. What can I say? It’s a great ride.

But all good things must come to an end, and before we know it, we’re in snowy, frigidly-cold Buffalo, New York, where Paula’s elderly parents (Jessica Tandy and Bernard Hughes) are ready and waiting at the station. Tandy is dandy as Paula’s eccentric mother: her comedic timing never better, especially in those two truly unforgettable scenes I mentioned earlier.  
The first takes place in Paula’s teenage bedroom, where Richard finds himself all alone by the telephone – or more to the point, the frigidly-open window.  Paula, it seems, will be sleeping in another bedroom, as in this household, she will always be a virginal sweet sixteen. Here, all beds are twin beds, and never the twins shall meet. 
 
As Richard prepares for bed, Paula’s mom stops by to tuck him in for the night. Pulling the bed covers up just below her son-in-law’s nose, she tucks him tightly, throws open the sash, kisses him on the forehead, turns out the light and closes the door behind her. Beautifully written and executed, it is cold gold: a true bit of window silliness.  

But as good as it is, another Tandy scene, is even better. Set in the master bathroom, it involves a mother-daughter heart-to-heart: a comedic tour de force tinged with the bitter-sweet realities of a long-standing marriage and joys and foibles of growing old together. 

Leg two of the trip finds the newlyweds in the senior Babson’s Virginia condo, where Richard’s sister (Veronica Cartwright) has come home to roost after her recent divorce. More caricatures than characters, Richard's side of the family―including his parents (Audra Lindley and Keenan Wynn) are both overdrawn and overacted. 

To be fair, I should tell you that I am not a fan of broad comedy, and what I may think of as too broad, may not be broad enough for your taste. I also admit that some of the situations in this section of the film may strike a familiar chord, as most of us have found ourselves in situations where we needed some sort of help to get through the day. 

The traumatized couple eventually makes their way back to L.A., where, despite the fact that they are barely talking to each other, they must finish a script that is, by this point, long overdue. Can they pull it off? Will the marriage survive? Was Paula right after all? Should they have remained best friends, or―to steal a more current title, Friends with Benefits? It’s a romantic comedy. What do you think?

Before you press the ‘Happily ever after button” remember that the film was loosely based on the real-life relationship of its writers, who, sad to say, divorced in 1981— roughly the same time as the movie was being filmed.  

Whether Levinson and Curtin wrote the script before they separated, I do not know. But at least on the screen, their sense of humor and respect for each other remained intact to the apparently not-so-bitter end. As for Paula and Richard’s relationship, well, that’s another story. Let’s just say that outside of Roman Holiday, I am hard-pressed to think of one romantic comedy where the couple didn’t live happily ever after―together. 

The music, which is very much of the time, is similar to other film scores of the period.  Masterfully penned by Marilyn and Alan Bergman and Michel Legrand, its theme song (“How Do You Keep the Music Playing?”), garnered an Academy Award Nomination, and was subsequently recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Céline Dion. 

For director Norman Jewison, who had put his thumb print on a couple of Doris Day flicks some years earlier, Best Friends was another jewel in his romantic comedy crown. But it wasn’t until 1987’s Moonstruck, that he really hit his stride in that genre.

Barry Levinson would also go on to write and/or direct a series of highly successful films, including The Natural, Avalon, Rain Man, Diner, Good Morning Viet Nam, And Justice for All, and the uncredited scripting of 1982’s Tootsie. That’s a lot of great movie making, and he’s still going strong.

If any of the above films are on your “hit” list, I think you’ll enjoy this underrated, overlooked and generally forgotten film. Better yet, make it a double feature, tacking on Neil Simon’s Chapter Two. Like Best Friends, it too is based on the writer’s real-life marriage. Like Levinson and Curtin, Simon and his wife  Marsha Mason ― who played a celluloid version of herself in the film, would also part, though they would remain together for another five years before calling it a wrap.

But hey, this is Hollywood, and while the song has ended for these real-life couples, the melody lingers on in the form of these two hopefully romantic movies. Despite it's flaws, Best Friends delivers some of the silver screens’ most memorable comedic moments. Like a newlywed's first roast, it is surprisingly tasty and ultimately satisfying, despite the fact that it may be slightly overdone.

 

GLORIOUS 39

Last year at just about this time, I introduced you to a film called Joyeux Noel. Based on fact, it revolved around a 1941 World War I Christmas truce, as seen through the eyes of French, German and Scottish soldiers.

One year later, I find myself writing about another wartime film, 2009’s Glorious 39. I was drawn to this British import by its extraordinary cast of personal favorites, including Julie Christie – Dr. Zhivago’s “Laura”, Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey fame, and Bill Nighy, who first came to my attention as the woozy over-the-hill rocker in Love Actually.

Writer/director Stephen Poliakoff wrote Glorious 39 with Nighy in mind, having worked with him twice before. But it is Romala Garai, who is the star of the piece, as she is in nearly every frame.

Far from a perfect movie, the film is still worth watching for any number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it looks into the whys and wherefores of the appeasement movement, a subject that is often sidelined by other WWII films.

Promoted by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in the late nineteen thirties, appeasement was championed by those who believed that by making certain concessions, or as historian Paul Kennedy put it, "satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and compromise”, Great Britain could avoid war with Nazi Germany.

Many of those who were directly involved in the movement had served in World War I - the memory of the horrors of war, still fresh in their collective minds. The thought of another war following so closely on its heels was unthinkable, and to be avoided at all costs. Those words – “at all costs” – found so-called “good” people doing very bad things for what they believed to be the greater good.

Judging them and their motives now, with the benefit of hindsight, gives the viewer a decided advantage. But at the time, they believed that there was no way Great Britain could outfight Germany. For them, (particularly those on the top financial and social tiers of society), appeasement was a viable alternative to almost certain defeat, and the demise of a lifestyle to which they had become accustomed.

Apparently historians are still debating the issue, but for me at least, this film, fictional though it may be, sheds some light on the times, temperament and transgressions of the people within the movement.

Taking its title from what has been described as the picture-perfect summer of 1939, Glorious 39 begins on a stunningly beautiful afternoon in mid-August. We are in the low lands of Norfolk, some 100 miles east London. Here,on the grounds of a grand country estate, where everything is as it has been for decades,seemingly undisturbed by the dark, foreboding under-current of the approaching ‘storm'.

We watch as a small cluster of young people play some sort of harmless war game amidst the stones and sheds that dot the property. And then, in one digi-second, we are transported to 2009, where, on a tony London street, a young boy by the name of Michael Walton (Toby Regbo) calls on Walter and Oliver Page, his two elderly cousins. It is the first time the brothers have seen the boy since he was a toddler, and they are obviously and humorously unraveled by his visit.

Michael explains that he has sought them out in order to solve a family mystery involving his great aunt, Anne Keyes (Romola Garai), a beautiful young actress who disappeared during the first days of World War II. The brothers, it seems, are the only surviving members of the family who are old enough to have been there when she disappeared.

Decidedly uncomfortable with the idea of revisiting those fateful days, Walter is hesitant. “It’s not always a good place to go, Michael – the past” he warns, but back we go, to Norfolk, and the great estate, where the youngsters we saw earlier, slightly older now in their late teens and early twenties, are showing some friends around the grounds of the Keyes family’s country estate.

We hear Walter’s voice over their laughter and mindless chatter, as he recalls the summer of thirty-nine.

WALTER: “It was the most glorious summer most people could remember for a very long time. The year before it seemed that the war with Germany had been averted a policy of appeasing Hitler and reasoning with him really had worked. And even now, it seemed it might still work.”

And now we are there. The sky is blue. The sun is warm. The view is to die for. In the center of the grounds we see a large tent dressed, ready and waiting in quiet anticipation. It is one of those willowy-romantic affairs that speaks of a privileged lifestyle. Inside its billowy walls, a formal table covered in crisp white linen is set with crystal stemware and fine china, as staff, family and invited guests await the arrival of Sir Alexander Keyes (Bill Nighy), the family patriarch. It is Sir Alexander’s birthday, and no expense has been spared, no napkin, plate or goblet left unturned for what will certainly be a night to remember.

We learn that Sir Alexander, a well-respected member of the House of Commons, has, over time, chosen to take a back seat in the political hierarchy for health reasons that are never explored. And yet we are told, he still wields considerable influence. Charming, noble - writer of books and giver of speeches, he is, by all accounts a man to be admired. A family man who loves and is loved by his wife and children. His eldest, Michael’s great aunt Anne, was adopted by Alexander and his wife Maud some twenty years before, believing that they were incapable of having children of their own. To their great surprise, a few months after Anne’s arrival, Maud became pregnant with a son they would name Ralph (Eddie Rayme), and later, a daughter named Celia (Juno Temple).

Now in her late teens, Celia looks up to her twenty-something older sister, whom she views as living a wildly romantic life both on and off the screen. Brother Ralph, who has followed his father into government service, is extremely fond of Anne as well, although there is an inescapable competitiveness his part. Yet and still, this is a loving, family, where Anne is treated as an equal. There are even times when it would appear that she holds a special place in her father’s heart.

As portrayed by Bill Nighy, Sir Alexander outwardly views the times with quiet reserve. While he is obviously against the war, he is far from its most vocal critic. Having fought and been wounded in WWI, his memories of the war are still fresh, and he tells Anne that he is fearful of what a second war – following so closely on the heels of the first, could mean to his country, his family, and life as they know it. Brother Ralph and sister Celia have similar leanings. Mother Maud says little, preferring to concentrate on the health of the estate’s garden.

Alexander’s sister, Elizabeth (Julie Christie), is a much stronger presence: a woman who enjoys the life afforded her by her station. Flighty and self-consumed, she is both a party-giver and goer, appearing to see the war as more of a nuisance than anything else.

While the Keyes family grounds the story, friends, lovers and colleagues drive it forward, establishing motives and revealing consequences. When Anne stumbles upon some potentially damaging recorded material on the grounds of the estate, the war becomes far more personal, as she is catapulted into the quiet fury of the times. Suddenly people she cares about are dying all around her, silenced by their own hand, or murdered for their political beliefs. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that no one is safe, and everyone is suspect. And while her family goes to extraordinary lengths to keep her free from harm, she cannot help by see her place and status within their ranks change, as her roots are questioned, and ties, unbound.

One can see how, in the light of impending war, the line between right and might can become blurred, and even those with no political connections, must figure out who to trust and who to fear. What to believe and what to question. What to do, and what not to do when everything you thought to be true, isn’t.

In Poliakoff’s ’s world, wolves gad about in sheep’s clothing, with few obvious villains aside from the menacing Joseph Balcombe (Jeremy Northham), a decidedly evil government operative who arrives with Alexander in time for the birthday dinner.

Beyond the high drama, and the answer―if there is one― to young Michael's question as to what became of his great aunt, there is the undeniable reality of how quickly things can change in time of war. Rules go out the window. Identities are challenged. Families are uprooted. Homes are abandoned. Animals are euthanized. Hearts are broken. Lives are shattered, and time is suspended. The only certainty―uncertainty.

Days after watching this motion picture, knowing what I know about Hitler, and the horror of the Holocaust, I find myself wondering what the world would be like today, had the misguided efforts of the appeasement movement gone unchecked.

Talk about scary stuff.

Glorious 39 is an unsettling and uneven movie: a bit too slow, too long and too wordy. Those of you who are fans of the quick cut and short scene will no doubt grow impatient with its deliberate pace. Billed as a thriller, it never set my heart racing. There were no great reveals. No red herrings. No amazing plot twists or Hitchcockian moments. I tell you this as I believe that you will realize early-on who has done what to whom. Yet, despite its girth, pace and probability, this thoughtful, handsomely cast film offers a unique perspective on one of history’s defining moments. For that reason alone, I believe that it is well worth your time and (im)patience.

Why now? Why not? This is, after all, a time when we sing of peace on earth and good will toward men. A time to reflect on our many blessings, not the least of which is the freedom we enjoy and the brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line to protect all that we hold dear.

There are a lot of wonderful, uplifting Christmas films out there. You’ll find many of them listed in previous posts. My favorite, Christmas in Connecticut, is a delightful bit of whimsy that the whole family can enjoy.

So what will it be? Glorious 39 or Christmas in Connecticut? They are about as different as different can be. Watch one, or both, when and where you like. As we used to say when I was a little girl, "It's a free country, and you can do as you please."

THE NATURAL

REVISITING ONE OF ROBERT REDFORD'S BEST

Yesterday, as I was preparing for my day, I saw a segment on NBC's Today Show about a 31-year-old former ball player named Adam Greenberg. I’m not a sports buff, but Adam’s story caught my attention. Back in 2005, on his very first day in the majors, the Chicago Cubs’ outfielder was hit in the back of his head by a 92-mph fastball, literally ending his career. To hear Greenberg tell it, it was much like the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities going from the best of times to the worst of times in one, life-altering moment.

Filmmaker Matt Liston couldn’t get Adam’s story out of his mind, and though he literally didn’t know Adam from Adam, he set out to help the ballplayer get one official major league at-bat. Undeterred by the Cub’s dismissal of the idea, Liston posted an on-line petition asking for support, with the hope of getting one of the majors to give Adam a chance. At the time of this writing, over 25,000 people had signed on.

In the seven years between that ill-fated day and Thursday’s interview, a determined Adam Greenberg was hard at work, getting his body in shape, while knowing that at thirty-one, his chances of getting a second chance at bat were slim.

The morning show’s segment began with an explanatory video followed by a brief interview with host, Matt Lauer. Moments before the segment was set to end, there was, as they say, the great reveal, by remote broadcast, David Samson, General Manager of the Marlins (the very team the Cubs were playing on what was to be his first and last game) stepped up to the virtual plate. In a mighty mix of good will and great PR, Samson offered Goldberg a one-day contract. Both Goldberg and Liston were understandably overwhelmed.

While Greenberg’s story reminded Liston of Terrance Mann (James Earl Jones’ cantankerous recluse in 1989’s Field of Dreams, I was reminded of Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford), the central character in The Natural, the film that breathed new life to an aging and discarded genre. Like Hobbs, Greenberg's story is about baseball, a thirty-something rookie, and a chance at a second chance. Any similarity ends there.

Now, I don’t usually write about big pictures, and this film, with its four-star company and equal number of Academy Award nominations, certainly falls into that category. But it’s a picture worth seeing again, especially since a few years back a DVD Anniversary Edition provided us with the Director’s cut, featuring twenty minutes of never-before-seen footage and a totally reworked first act.

By tightening some sequences and expanding others, the production team was able to add only six minutes to the film's total running time, while producing a piece that, we are told, a great deal closer to the original intent of the script. Director Barry Levinson offers it as an alternative rather than a substitute for the original. With more time to establish why Hobbs is the way he is, it is a darker, more intimate view of the ballplayer’s life and mindset.

Based on the 1952 novel by Bernard Malamud, The Natural begins somewhere in the Midwest. It’s 1923, and, spotted by Sam Simpson, and older but wiser scout/agent, the 19-year-old minor league player is given the opportunity to try out for the Chicago Cubs. And so it is that Hobbs leaves his boyhood home and sweetheart (Iris Gaines - a fetchingly warm, Glenn Close)behind, promising to bring her to Chicago as soon as he is able.

Fresh from an eight-game streak of no hitters, the young ballplayer’s confidence is shaken when, shortly after boarding the train to Chicago, he is introduced to Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), a hard-nosed syndicated sportswriter/cartoonist and his Babe-Ruth-like pal, known to baseball fans as “The Whammer.” Mercy obviously enjoys his relationship with the idol, a bigheaded bully who likes nothing better than to belittle anyone who might possibly threaten his standing. Moments after the obligatory handshake, The mean-spirited duo set about undermining Roy's confidence, raising doubts in his mind as to his readiness for the majors.

A short time later the train makes a 30-minute water stop, where a carnival is in progress. While the Whammer parades his batting skills before a captive crowd, Hobbs seeks out one of the carnival's games of skill, hurling balls at bottles with an uncanny rate of accuracy. When one ball fails to connect, The Whammer and his pal show no mercy, taunting the player with a series of cruel and demeaning barbs. Having had enough, Simpson lays his money down and places his bet: Hobbs vs. the Whammer: three throws/three strikes.

The far-from-humble icon is both unfazed by the challenge. "You old boozer," he retorts, "your brain must be full of mush. This sh-t-kicker couldn't strike me out with 100 pitches."

But strike him out he does: a feat that does not go unnoticed by Mercy, who, while shrugging it off as pure luck, is impressed enough to draw a quick sketch of the match, underscored by the words, "Three balls - three strikes". His relationship with Whammer in jeopardy should he print it, there is little doubt that the cartoon will ever make the morning paper.

Back on the train, a mysterious woman in black by the name of Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey) takes Hobbs’ win seriously. Making her way to his seat, she turns on the charm, showering him with compliments. Flattered, his confidence boosted by the day's triumph, Hobbs confides, “Someday I’ll break every record in the book. I know I got it in me.”

“What do you hope to accomplish?” she prods.

“When I walk down the street, people will say, ‘There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was.'"

“Is that all?” she asks.

“Well,” he replies, quizzically, "what else is there?”

It is the answer to that question that drives the story and turns the tide, as, in short order, a life-altering event insures that Hobbs never makes it to first base.

When he resurfaces some sixteen years later, seemingly out of nowhere, any connection to his triumph by the train has been all but forgotten. He is a man with no past, and a very imposing present, almost single-handedly digging the flailing New York Knights out of last place. Hell bent on finding out who this mystery man is, Mercy (whose is vaguely aware that he’s seen the ball payer before) pokes and prods and pokes some more. But Hobbs isn’t talking.

What Mercy finds, and how it impacts the thirty-six year old rookie and baseball in general, are just two of the components in this darkly shaded, finely tuned tale.

The Natural is of the few films of substance that has something for just about everyone. Funny, romantic, serious and sensuous, troubled and triumphant, it is a story about a boy and his bat, a man and his woman, a player and his dream, and the uplifting and underbelly sides of the great American pastime.

Some of the generations’ most formidable actors serve up first-rate performances, with Redford, Close and Duvall leading the way. They are backed up by one of the best supporting casts ever assembled in one film, including Wilford Brimley and one of my all-time favorite character actors, the late Richard Farnsworth. The chemistry between the two men is palpable, and makes for some of the film’s most natural and amusing exchanges. Kim Bassinger, as a woman with split alliances and motivations, won a Golden Globe for her role as femme fatalle, Memo Paris. Like a heavy-hitter at the top of his game, this wildly talented ensemble knocks it out of the park.

Some years ago I was wandering through an open-air, Nashville flea market when I came upon a booth filled with movie memorabilia. Among the offerings, a series of waist-up, life-size, particle board-backed, black and white photographs of men in vintage clothing, posed as if they were seated in a baseball stadium. There must have been twenty-to-thirty different groups of two, all of which were used to fill out large expanses of empty seats in sequences calling for a backdrop of people-filled bleachers.

A thick elastic band on the backside of each photo enabled the film’s crew to attach the boards to large sections of umanned seats, supplementing the six thousand extras that moved about the rows, booing, cheering and going wild with excitement on cue. Choosing one of the more colorful duos, I dubbed them “Vinny and Guido”. On the ride home, I felt safe and sound, my rear-view mirror filled with what appeared to be two men of dubious character guarding me from any and all intruders.

Such ingenuity on the part of the production team made for a smartly propped and dressed, divinely photographed film, with a soft focus and color palate reminiscent of Edward Hopper's work punctuating the dusty railroad stations and Chicago neighborhoods of that era. So perfectly designed is the lighting and cinematography, that nearly every frame is a work of art. Lovers, silhouetted against a summer moon, Redford waiting for a train, the lovely Iris, seated behind an ice cream parlor window. A baseball thrown from a train at sunset, each and every one of them, exquisite.

While music can often upstage or overwhelm a film, Randy Newman’s score is pitch-perfect: a complex mix of humor and wall-to-wall, bigger-than-life, Americana that makes you want to raise a barn, stand up and cheer, or drive along a wide expanse of lush country road, as I have, to the sound of this big, bold, sumptuous score.

Amazingly enough, The Natural was only Newman’s second film, and he was more than a bit nervous about pulling it off. Once filming began the entire project was put on fast-forward, with everyone racing to complete the feature by the studio's mandatory release date. As a result, while the film was being edited in one room, the music to whatever sequence had been completed last, was being written in the next. So thin were the walls, that the director could hear the piano, as Newman went about his work.

In one of the DVD's featurettes, the director recalls the day he heard the movie's haunting theme for the very first time.

“I’m hearing this fiddling on the piano, and all of a sudden I hear [he sings] ‘Da da da da, da da da. Da da da da, da da da’, and I think, 'I wonder if that’s going to be the main theme?' You can imagine how thrilling that is: to be hearing through the wall the moment of the birth of a piece of theme.”

Newman concedes that in a very real way, necessity was the mother of invention, as, had he not been forced to write to the edited footage, the ‘heroic horns’ that are so identifiable, would have never come to mind, as they were, he says, against his natural inclination.

Such tidbits make the Anniversary DVD a treasure trove of information. Aside from the all-new, high-definition digital transfer, the Director's Cut is enhanced by a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and comes complete with a diverse collection of featurettes that address everything from the differences between Malamud’s much-loved novel and the film, to how it came to be written, cast, produced, scored. The hours it took to film and edit the picture's key baseball sequences, particularly the final game, which called for over six hundred separate shots and edits.

You’ll also learn which events, characters and quotes were drawn from real life, and share a laugh with the director, as he tells of an opening day visit to a local movie theater, where he was met by a group of disgruntled ticket holders, who wanted their money back. The whys and wherefores of it all make for hours of interesting viewing. Fascinating stuff, all.

Much of the credit for the on-going popularity of this film goes to Barry Levinson, who job it was to take the script from conception to completion. The fact that Redford saw in Levinson the ability to carry it off, despite the fact that he had only one small, though highly successful film (Diner), is to his credit. And carry it off, he did.

Close to fifty movies later, Barry Levinson’s filmography is filled with instant classics like Rain Man, Avalon, Good Morning, Viet Nam, High Anxiety, and Wag the Dog, But it was The Natural that paved the way for other great baseball movies, including Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, A League of Their Own, Eight Men Out, The Rookie, and more recently, 2011’s Moneyball and Trouble with the Curve, which is currently showing at your local movieplex.

Suffice to say, The Natural was a natural: a wonderful tale, told well. It, like Roy Hobbs and Adam Greenberg, deserves another turn at bat.

A final note: Adam Greenberg signed the afore-mentioned one-day contract yesterday. Unless you hear differently, he'll be in the batter’s box next Tuesday (October 2nd), when the Marlins go head-to-head with the New York Mets.

QUEEN TO PLAY

At first glance, Queen To Play appears to be a simple tale of a woman who finds her passion in the game of Chess. But don’t be fooled. It is one of those small, but eloquent films that the French are so rightly famous for. Its cast of characters is small, its dialogue, sparse, and its settings, unremarkable, save for a few wistfully idyllic bicycle rides through the Corsican countryside, a far off ocean view or two, and a balcony setting that is, by its very nature, romantic.

At its core, this 2009 film is about one woman’s search for meaning in her life― to feel as if she has something to offer, and to have that something be acknowledged, as much by herself, as by others. And while it is far from the traditional boy-meets-girl kind of love story, it is very much about love: the love between a husband and wife, mother and daughter, and teacher and student. It is also about learning to love one’s self, and the love one feels for something rather than someone, be it art, music, sports, literature, science, history, or in this case, Chess.

As the film opens, Hélène (our heroine) is getting ready to leave for work. Pleasant but plain looking, her hair in a bun, her face devoid of make-up save for a bit of lipstick, she is a face in the crowd.

As portrayed by Sandrine Bonnaire, Hélène is a woman who observes life, rather than living it. She watches as a female co-worker steals a kiss from her lover, then listens as the young woman reveals her plans to leave the island in search of something more. It is during this brief but telling conversation that we learn that once upon a time Hélène had much the same plans and dreams, leaving her home, friends and family in exchange for the promise of a better life.

But as we see, that promise has gone unfulfilled. Easing into middle age, her life has been far from easy. As a chambermaid at a small but elegant island retreat, she works where others play. Her day involves a series of mundane routines: the washing and ironing of the hotel’s linens, the making of beds, replacing of towels, and removing of room service trays, stains, crumbs, personal items and other left-behinds, so that each room is in pristine condition by check-in.

At quitting time she does not quit, taking the bus to her second job as housekeeper for the somewhat eccentric and reclusive Dr. Kröger (Kevin Kline), a sixty-something American expatriate who is hard pressed to remember her name, even though she has, it appears, been in his service for some time.

If Hélène is unfulfilled at work, she receives little-to-no validation at home. Her husband Ange (Francis Renaud), is a good looking but inattentive partner, who thinks nothing of spending a night or two each week playing backgammon with his friend Jacky, while being all but oblivious to his wife’s needs and desires. When he confides that work is slow and getting slower, she asks how they will manage if he is laid off. “We’ll see” he says, shifting the onus onto her shoulders. “Did you ask your Yankee for a raise?”

She hasn’t, but does—haltingly, and Kröger is quick to pick up on her insecurities.

Hélène: I wanted to ask –
Kröger: Yes?
Hélène: It’s about my—
Kröger: —about your..?
Hélène: Salary. My husband thinks—
Kröger: Does he think for you?
Hélène: No, I think so too.
Kröger: Yes - - ?
Hélène: You could give me a raise: Ten euros.

But clearly, she has, over time, put Ange’s thoughts, desires, and wishes before her own.

In the end, “the Yankee” comes through, though it is doubtful that the extra money will offset the couple’s financial woes. Unlike their teenage daughter (Alexandra Gentil), who is ashamed of their social status, they accept the fact that they are members of the working poor, and destined to stay that way.

And then one day, the chambermaid enters an American couple’s room to straighten up, only to find that the guests are still in residence. Startled, she turns to leave, but the couple, flirtatiously playing a game of Chess on the balcony, encourages her to stay.

From her place by their unmade bed, Hélène finds herself transfixed, as the two engage in what might be termed intellectual foreplay over a Chessboard. She (Jennifer Beals), in her negligee, he, (Dominic Gould), divinely handsome in his linen-white shirt and slacks, do a delicate “dance” that is as intimate as if they were physically making love.

Later, the woman asks the voyeur, “Do you play?”— a question of Chess, with underlying undertones. Hélène responds with a quiet, almost bashful, “No”, but her fascination with the game, its pieces, process, power and sensuality is instantaneous. Soon, she will find herself, as she finds herself consumed by it.

But to play Chess, one has to have a Chessboard and pieces, and money is tight. Realizing that this is not the time to buy something for herself, let alone something frivolous, she, like the man who buys his wife a big-screen TV for their anniversary so that he can watch the Super Bowl, buys her husband an electronic Chess set for his birthday. His displeasure is obvious.

Ange: What’s this?
Hélène: An electronic Chess set.
Ange: So, I see. What’s it for?
Helene: Playing Chess, I’d say.
Ange: But I can’t play.
Hélène: You can learn. It’s a change from Backgammon.
Ange: Who am I supposed to play with?
Hélène: I don’t know—with me (pregnant pause), or on your own—It's a game you can play on your own.
Ange: On my own?

Bewildered, disappointed and annoyed, Ange sets the game aside, with a barely audible "thank you", and the telling, “I hope it didn’t cost too much.”

But whatever the cost, Hélène is hooked, and as soon as the birthday boy has fallen asleep, she rises from their bed, reclaims the set, and submerges herself in the rule book, examining the pieces and finding her way around the Chessboard.

Within days, fascination has turned into obsession, though it soon becomes apparent that if she is to progress, she will need both a partner and teacher. With her husband both unwilling and unable to fill the bill, she sets out to find someone who can.

She finds that someone in Kröger. His initial reluctance is soothed by her offer to forgo her wages in exchange for a daily game of Chess. Soon, any reservations he may have had are replaced by the realization that Hélène has a real gift for the game: a gift that goes well beyond his own level of play. Mentor and cheerleader, the doctor encourages her to enter a local competition: a step that will cause her to reach higher, dig deeper, and potentially change the course of her life.

But change seldom comes without consequence. Her work suffers, and she seems distracted at home, no longer willing to put everything and everyone else first. And as is so often the case, those who initially cheer her on begin to feel threatened as her role in their lives begins to change. Some reactions are subtle, others more overt. And though, after a few initial missteps Ange tries to be supportive, it’s clear that he is uncomfortable with his wife’s newly found confidence. Even Hélène is torn, wondering if the prize was worth the price. “I liked it better before I didn’t question everything.”

Her angst is apparent when discussing Martin Eden (Jack London’s semi-autobiographical novel) with her daughter, Lisa. Though the circumstances are very different, the similarities between the hero’s life and her own are palpable, and in talking about him, Hélène is really talking about herself. “Have you read it?” She asks.

Lisa: It made me cry. Beautiful—The sailor who became a writer.
Hélène: You mean the writer who should have stayed a sailor.
Lisa: Why do you say that?
Hélène: Because he was unhappy. Because he realizes it wasn’t worth the effort, and he doesn’t belong anywhere.
Lisa: Yes, but he did it. If he’s an outsider, it’s because he's better than those he tried to impress. impress.
Hélène: Why be better if you don’t do anything with it?

And there’s the rub.

As Hélène and her family begin to sort it all out, the reclusive doctor is doing some sorting of his own. His secrets, fears, failing health, longings and ambitions make up a bittersweet subplot that is skillfully unraveled by the ever-fascinating Kline.

But it is Hélène’s relationships that are front and center here, and ultimately, the film is not as much about Chess, or class, as it is about love, passion and self worth. I tend to disagree with writer/director Caroline Bottaro’s feeling that the film would have worked just as well had Hélène’s obsession been with Backgammon or Bridge, as I find the queen’s power in the game, as spelled out by daughter Lisa (“She [the queen] can do anything, go anywhere she likes. She’s stronger than the king.”) an interesting counterpoint to the way Hélène interacts with, and is viewed by her family, friends, employer and co-workers.

In an interview following the release of the film, Bonnaire points out that it isn’t so much the game that initially arouses the chambermaid’s interest, as it is the intimacy - how deeply the American couple appears to love each other– savoring every moment, “falling all over the chess board.” It is an intimacy Hélène yearns for, one―to her astonishment―that remains in tact, even when the woman wins the game.

Originally titled Jouyese,(the feminine form of “player”), and based on Bertina Henrich’s novel La Joueuse d’échecs, Queen To Play is a study in understatement, save for a few flashes of overt symbolism and telepathy. The dialogue is simple, the scenes, short, and the acting, low-key, belying the fact that it took eighteen drafts and five years to get it to the screen.

That simplicity, if you'll pardon the cliché, speaks volumes, for while this is a film about finding your passion, pursuing your dreams and changing your destiny despite your origin, education, or surroundings, it is not Rocky or Breaking Away. This to say that Hélène’s triumphs are not underscored by pulsating trumpets, an over synthesized sound track or the roaring of crowds, and yet, you will find much to cheer about in this small, well put and played film about every day people whose lives while not shaken, are stirred.