|
Next Stop Wonderland
Directed by: Brad Anderson
Starring: Hope Davis
Genre:
Romance, Comedy/Independent
Run Time: 104
min.
Release Date:
August 1998
On The Web:
Unofficial Site
Teaser: None Available
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Hope Davis has become what
I like to call a hidden success. Her movies don't make a gazillion
dollars at the box office and you'd probably hardly notice her if she
passed you on the street. But what she does — and does well — is create
lovable and memorable characters on celluloid. Most recently she was
paired with Greg Kinnear in
THE MATADOR, a role in which her
underused talents still shone brightly with every scene she appeared.
I decided to watch NEXT STOP WONDERLAND for the sole purpose of checking
to see how well Mrs. Davis stood as an actress in a starring role. I
wasn't disappointed.
The story is that of a nurse named Erin (Davis) who comes home one day
to find her boyfriend, Sean (Philip Seymour Hoffman, CAPOTE) moving out.
Angry and spiteful, Erin quickly decides that being alone is okay. In
fact, she firmly entrenches the philosophy of aloneness within herself
...until...
Erin's domineering mother, Piper (Holland Taylor, THE TRUMAN SHOW),
discovers her daughter's recent break-up and places a personals ad in
the newspaper for her. Initially upset by this, Erin eventually decides
to take on the task of dismissing all of the loathsome men who try to
court her. The comedy here is striking and philosophical as the men do
whatever they can to get into her pants only to be rebuffed by Erin's
formidable intellect.
On the other side of Boston (where this story takes place) we find Alan
Monteiro (Alan Gelfant, TURN OF FAITH), a plumber turned marine
biologist who volunteers at the local aquarium. He's struggling with
debt, school (still working on his biology degree), and an aggressive
younger classman who's infatuated with him. Strangely enough, too, is
the fact that his brother is one of the guy's trying to bed Erin via the
personals ad.
As Erin and Alan mingle within their own circles, they come close to
orbiting one another but never quite make contact. Brief glances,
telephone calls that pass them by, invitations to the same restaurant
parties, the two seemed destined to fall into one another's arms ...yet
these encounters slip past. It's wonderfully frustrating to watch, and
these "almost encounters" are never forced.
But in the end, director Brad Anderson doesn't let us down. Serendipity
intervenes and the two strangers end up hugging one another on a transit
train after a strange set of circumstances pulls them together.
Romantic comedies are okay if done right. You know the type that kind of
make you feel, eh, just okay; You've Got Mail, Pretty Woman,
Sleepless
In Seattle. But this flick gives you more for less. Made as an
independent film on a $1 million budget, Hope Davis' excellent acting
and the perfect script make for some thought-provoking and downright
funny moments. While those other RomComs I mentioned have a basic
"feel-good" to them, NEXT STOP WONDERLAND has much more. The philosophy,
romance, and comedy all build to a very satisfying conclusion and one
that will invite discussions about the probabilities of fate versus
happenstance.
(back to top) |
Image from Next Stop
Wonderland
DVD cost: $10.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite?
Yes.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Though the film cost a
mere $1 million to make, it was purchased by Miramax for a staggering $6
million after a bidding war broke out amongst studios at the Sundance
Film Festival.
Movie Quote: "Men.
They're such children."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Next Stop Wonderland
   |
