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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 14, 2002
Hearts in Atlantis (PG-13)
A mysterious boarder named Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) intrigues a young boy (Anton Yelchin) in a warm coming-of-age tale from director Scott Hicks (Shine, Snow Falling on Cedars). Beware of "low men" with dark hats and fancy cars, Ted tells the boy, but is this simply a paranoid riddle or something more supernatural? Hearts in Atlantis is an episodic look at youthful innocence told in flashback from a wiser -- although not necessarily happier -- adult point of view.
First impressions: "How ironic that such a soothing entertainment springs from the mind of Stephen King, an author renowned for horror. But it's no surprise, only a matter of timing. Several of King's short stories have become films that affirmed goodness: The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption and the one Hicks' film most closely resembles, Stand by Me.
"The film does justice to King's collection of barely connected stories. Screenwriter William Goldman eloquently adapted the book, completing the cinematic synergy of his words, (cinematographer Piotr) Sobocinski's eye, Hicks' imagination and a cast of actors on their best creative behavior."
Second thoughts: Lost in the commotion after Sept. 11, Hearts in Atlantis should make quite a few friends on home video.
Rental audience: Baby boomers who grew up during the film's 1960s setting, fans of King and Hopkins.
Rent it if you enjoy: Stand By Me, Summer of '42.
DVDs offer only grim view of black life
On the surface, Buena Vista Home Video's plan to release DVD versions of movies with African-American themes during Black History Month seems like a conscientious move. But take a closer look at some of the African-American images involved, and the selections aren't entirely flattering.
Fresh was a personal choice as one of the 10-best films of 1994, a gripping tale of a 12-year-old drug dealer (Sean Nelson), his prostitute sister (N'Bushe Wright) and their estranged and homeless father (Samuel L. Jackson). Charles Burnett's The Glass Shield placed an eager black cop (Michael Boatman) at center stage, then made him the most naive member of the LAPD. The youths in Squeeze are mired in death and drugs as deeply as the Buppies of Hav' Plenty are into themselves.
Each movie puts a grim spin on the lives of African-Americans, showing them at the mercy of vices or corrupt whites. Brotherhood isn't an issue, and the inevitable tragedies are hardly tempered by tacked-on hope before the end credits. There are other films with more complete views of black culture -- Burnett's own To Sleep with Anger, for example -- that deserve DVD attention. Sure, the mean streets are part of that culture, but so are complex, uplifting stories.
None of the four DVDs contain bonus features, although that kind of closer inspection through the filmmakers' view might make them more relevant. Buena Vista Home Video (i.e. Disney) simply grabbed a few videotapes with black faces on the cover from the shelf and transferred them to discs, cheap and easy. It's Black History Month, and Disney still focuses on the green.
Here's looking at you, lonely viewers
Spending Valentine's Day cuddled up with the VCR or DVD? Here's some romances and cautionary tales.
Valentine's Day isn't all hearts and flowers for everybody. Somebody out there will spend tonight with only a VCR or DVD player for company. Today's Rewind is dedicated to them, offering a few selections to work out that loneliness. Just be sure to turn off the player before any obligatory happy endings.
The Taming of the Shrew -- The volatile, real-life chemistry between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor makes Shakespeare's battle of the sexes even edgier. Just passing time until the next divorce.
10 Things I Hate About You -- An updated version of The Taming of the Shrew with Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger handling the Kate and Petruchio parts. Smarter than the average teen flick.
When Harry Met Sally -- Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan use flirting insults to keep their distance. They're more fun apart. Somehow, you get the feeling a happy ending isn't the end of their story.
Woman of the Year -- Okay, so Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn do mend their fences and fall in love. But until that final swoon, their verbal sparring as rival newspaper reporters sets the standard for avoiding romance.
Kramer vs. Kramer and The War of the Roses -- Dustin Hoffman and Michael Douglas suffer through nasty divorce proceedings with Meryl Streep and Kathleen Turner, respectively. Recommended only for those most soured on relationships.
Annie Hall -- Woody Allen compared failing romance to a dead shark and turned a Catskills joke into a perfect description of why people keep falling in love: "because most of us, uh, need the eggs."
West Side Story -- Switchblades bring abrupt ends to a pair of romances. But when you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day.
Casablanca -- Bogart gave up Bergman with an inspiring brush-off: "If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life. Here's looking at you, kid."