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AUDITIONS
^® n u s . C ' ea }f v ® Th eatre Is holding public auditions for "The Mir
acle Worker Feb. 26 and call backs will be Feb. 27 from 6-9
p.m. each night. Auditions will be held by appointment only. To
reserve a time call 357-6060 between 9-5 weekdays.
The Red and Black • Tuesday, February 20, 1990 • 6
‘Stanley and Iris’ unable to rise above
muddled sub-plots that are unresolved
By JAMES EDMONDS
Contributing Writer
A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer release
directed by Martin Ritt and is rated
PG-13. "Stanley and Iris” starring
Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro is
now playing at Georgia Square.
Sandwiched between the usual
fare c r cops and robbers, aliens and
teenage dance movies, Hollywood
occasionally produces a movie that
has something to say.
“Stanley and Iris” has a pow
erful message to present which,
unfortunately, is lost somewhere in
the movie, because the actors and
the director can’t stay on the sub
ject.
“Stanley and Iris” is a story
about adult illiteracy in America.
Stanley Cox (Robert DeNiro) is a
middle-aged man trapped in a low-
paying job because of his inability
to read and write. Iris King (Jane
Fonda) is a working-class single
parent, who teaches Cox to read.
The two main characters meet
by accident at the beginning of the
movie, when somebody steals Iris’
purse. From this point on, the
movie is one contrived accident
after another.
Statistically, there are about 72
million Americans who are func
tionally illiterate. There are prob
ably close to that many sub-plots in
this movie. At the beginning of the
film, we are introduced to Iris’ live-
in, unemployed sister and brother-
in-law, who slaps his wife. After
this introduction these two charac
ters disappear, and we never find
out what happened to them. Sev
eral vague references are made
throughout the film to the lin
gering death of Iris’ husband, yet,
the nature, cause, or circum
stances of the death are never ex
plained or exposed to the audience.
Halfway through the film, we find
out that Iris’ teenaged daughter is
pregnant. Finally, Fonda shows a
little emotion and puts a little en
ergy into her character. Neither
the father of the child nor the par
ticulars of the pregnancy are re-
Jane Fonda and Robert DeNiro: Two Academy Award winners star in "Stanley and Iris'
which confronts the problems adult illiterates deal with in working-class America
vealed or discussed, but again,
several scenes later, mother,
daughter and grandchild are hap
pily secure at home and part of the
family. Throughout the movie, Iris
has different relationships, but
none are developed, including a
relationship with Stanley. The one
scene of intimacy between them
ends limply in frustration with no
apparent resolution.
Besides wandering all over the
screen, the film lacks credibility.
Iris works on her feet all day long
in a bakery doing repetitious tasks
in a job she herself proclaims to
have no future. Yet after working
all day, Iris is displayed as having
unbounding energy remaining to
teach Cox to read.
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If there is any saving grace, it’s
the occasional lapse of DeNiro into
an intense characterization of the
hopelessness of life to the illiterate
in our society. The most poignant
part of the film comes when Cox is
confronted with the task of trying
to locate a certain street in a
strange part of town. With quiet
dignity, he sets about his purpose
with strong determination, which
quickly gives way to a feeling of
rage and hopelessness at the cir
cumstances which have literally
made him lost in his own commu
nity.
DeNiro gives strength and
feeling to his character; however,
very little of his character is re
vealed because of the numerous
sub-plots. Several minutes of the
movie are devoted to Stanley and
his relationship with his elderly fa
ther, yet this too adds very little to
the underlying theme of the movie.
The theme of this film is so in
triguing, and if the director,
Martin Ritt (“Norma Rae,” 1979),
had kept it simple, he could have a
movie with the same impact as
“Children of a Lesser God” and
“Rain Man.” What we get instead
is a cute little love story where ev
erybody lives happily ever after in
the end.
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A&E
Seagal’s appearance
makes ‘Kill’ different
FILM REVIEW
By ANDREW LAWLER
Entertainment Writer
A Warner Brothers Release di
rected by Bruce Malmuth. "Hard
to Kill” stars Steven Seagal and
Kelly LeBrock. Showing at the
Classic Triple Theatre. Rated R.
At any given time, “Hard to
Kill" is beset with weak dialogue,
mediocre acting and plot holes
you could drive a Winnebago
through.
So, why did I like it?
“Hard to Kill” is the story of
L A. cop Mason Storm, a cop al
most everyone thinks is dead
after an assassination attempt on
his family. However, he survives,
falling into a coma, although his
wife dies.
Seven years later he recovers
from his coma, determined to dis
cover his wife’s murderers.
“Hard to Kill” is in many re
spects an average, sometimes a
below-average, action flick. Ex
cept for the coma, the story is
rather ordinary. The bad guys
lack both distinction and person
ality. The hero’s allies are rather
colorless. The pacing of the film,
especially during the climax, is
weak as well. Yet this is still an
enjoyable movie.
The reason for this is star
Steven Seagal. Seagal, a cele
brated martial artist and secu
rity expert, exploded into action
flicks a few years ago with
“Above the Law.” What made
“Law” special, and what redeems
“Kill” is Seagal’s brooding, yet
gentle, and complex presence.
Seagal’s heroes are
quite different from the
Rambos and Dirty
Harrys.
Seagal’s heroes are ouite dif
ferent from the Rambos and
Dirty Harrys. They tend to be re
ligious, family-oriented men of
deep conviction and principle.
Also, unlike many action heroes,
he tends to be violent for a
reason, rather than just to show
ofThis pecs.
Seagal adds complexity to a
genre noted for its simple-
mindedness. While others have
concentrated on drug lords and
the Mafia, Seagal’s bad guys tend
to be corrupt leaders and conspir
ators right at home. He provides
variety; heck, this is almost a
leftist action movie, in a film
genre that is fairly moribund.
Furthermore, he’s about the only
action hero since Sean Connery
whose quips sound real.
It goes without saying that if
you hate Seagal, you’ll hate this
movie. It does have a lot of prob
lems, starting with the mediocre
script, but does not end there.
Pass it up if you hate violence too,
because this is definitely one of
the most violent films since
“Scarface.” Not as bloody as such,
but lots of broken limbs and the
like.
I guess the best advice on this
film is for you to rent “Above the
Law," and if you like that, go out
and see “Hard to Kill.”
Delta Gamma
Congratulates
our new sisters
We love you!
4VVVVV*VViVViV>VAV*VyVVVViViV*aVV
Help Make 1990 a year
To Remember
Join the Pandora Yearbook Staff!
We're looking for... Section Editors,
Assistant Editors, and General Staff.
Pick up an application at the Tate
Center Info Booth or Room 153.
Return it by February 26 to Room 153
and sign up for an interview!
XH h
The College Consortium (or International
Studies is composed of 170 American Colloges
and Universities About 1400 students partici
pated in CCIS programs in 1988-89.
STUDY IN IRELAND
Fall 1990
St. Patrick’s College
Maynooth, Ireland
• Liberal Arts Program
• 30 Student Maximum
• 3.0 G.P.A. Required
University ot Limerick
llmtrlck, Ireland
• Business Program Option
• International Student Village
• 3.0 G.P.A. Required
SPONSORING COLLEGES
Keene State College, NH
Mohegan Community College
Ms. Judy Dove
University ol Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602
(404) 542-8194
Other CCIS Programs: Italy, England, Scotland, Sweden,
Germany, Portugal, Groeco. Israel, Spain, France. Mexico,
Ecuador, Colombia, China, Switzerland