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■ BEST BET
S • The Red and Black • Thursday. October 1, 1992
A&E
Catfish Jenkins, a spontaneous group of guys who play jazzy funk
rock, will be at the Georgia Theatre tonight. It's a band, not one per
son named Jenkins, and it costs only $3. They've played several times
iately, so you should catch at least one.
Do you have to famous to be a ‘Hero’?
By JASON WELLS ^
Staff Writer 9
Exploring the realms of human frailty and
heroism, Stephen Frears’ “Hero" is a deeply
thoughtful comedy of wonderfully absurd pro
portions.
Dustin Hoffman, playing a sort of cross be
tween Ratso (his character from “Midnight
Cowboy") and Willy Loman from “Death of a
Salesman,” effortlessly shines as Bernie
LaPlante, a convicted and about-to-be-sen-
need loser who’s been barely making it
jhrough life on farfetched lies and petty
mes.
Bitterly divorced, facing time in prison, a
failure as a father to his son, Bemie is hope
lessly lost in a pit of self-deprecation - foul-
mouthed, unwashed, incapable of overcoming
his money-snatching habits.
When suddenly, the most absurd thing hap
pens (use your suspension of disbelief): A pas
senger plane crashes right in front of his jalopy
on the expressway, forcing him, with all of his
cold-hearted apathy and reluctance, into the
position of “hero." You see, he doesn’t really
give a flying care about those people trapped
on the plane, nor for the honor of being a pub
lic hero, but a momentary weakness, triggered
by a young boy crying for his father, suckers
him on board.
Though Bemie vanishes from the crash
scene unrathed and returns to his problemat
ic life.k^Llives of the survivors are forever
chang^^Bspecially reporter Gale Gayley
(Geena^Pwis). Just who was that muddy-
faced hero? Nobody knows.
Turning the search for the mysterious hero
MOVIE REVIEW
into high Nielsen ratings, the network offers
$1 million to the “Angel of Flight 104" if he will
turn up to do an int**ngiew. Oh sure, someone
turns up to assume the role of “Hero" all right.
But it isn’t the oblivious Bemie; it’s a street
wise bum named John Bubber (Andy Garcia,
in another sleek performance).
Just what are the virtues which define a
hero? Must you be a mythic historical figure
with an endless list of bold philanthropies?
Must you have been in the spotlight the day
you saved the universe? This is the central ex
ploration of script writer David Webb Peoples
(“Unforgiven”), who allows the poor, homeless
Bubber to assume this prestigious public per
sona although he is without the One Big Act.
But does this make him a fake or non-hero?
Quite the contrary, because he fills society’s
need for a positive role model. That may sound
a little superficial, but even though he was not
the true “Angel,” he still uses his angelic posi
tion to do heroic deeds for the sick and home
less.
Even the simplest benevolence requires
great strength of character and honesty. By
studying the contrasting predicaments of
Bemie and Bubber, each dealing with an iden
tity crisis, the film indicates that being true to
oneself is the best starting place for dealing
with daily trials. As Bernie tries desperately to
reveal his true identity to family, friends, the
court, and the person holding the million-dol-
lar check, it’s easy to identify with the film’s
poignant themes.
All of this gibberish aside, the movie is
Do we need another ‘Hero’?: Andy
convinces Geena he's the real hero.
gTand-scale entertainment, playing on roman
tic ideas scraping “Cinderella,” “The Prince
and the Pauper,” and, most interestingly, a
few journalistic insiders echoing “Broadcast
News.” Since we, the audience, know what re
ally happened, is happening or what will hap
pen, the great comic thrust of the film is
watching Geena Davis and crew misinterpret
the tidbits of evidence (this is the type of cold
blooded journalism where more concern is
placed on getting the award-winning shot of a
suicidal man plummeting to his death than on
the man himself).
This is truly award-caliber human com
mentary, full of a richness that is pertinent to
all who sit before this enchanting display of
lights, camera and action. Ei\joy the laughter.
Storyteller spins tales for adults, kids
By STEPHEN ROBINSON
Contributing Writer
Adults and children alike will now get a
chance to be whisked away to far-off lands when
storyteller Pat Shields brings his own brand of
folklore to Athens.
Shields, a longtime storyteller, will give an
informal workshop on his craft tonight from 6
until 7:30 p.m. at the Athens Regional Library.
Then he will weave his narratives from 8 to 9
p.m. Admission is free.
“It’s more for adults, but children will still
love it, ” said Jennifer Hicks, public-relations
specialist with the library. “Basically he plays
to the child within the child."
While this is the second year the library has
hosted a storyteller, this is the first year it has
been incorporated into Old Time Week, Hicks
said.
Shields’ visit was funded by a grant from the
Georgia Council for the Arts. He was chosen by
the library because of his travels and work with
the aboriginal tribes in Australia.
“His experience with the aborigines’ T)ream
Time’ stories would expose Athens to a culture
with which many people are unfamiliar,” Hicks
added.
Shields, a native of Northeast Georgia,
learned music from his uncles and the art of
storytelling through listening to his grand
mother read to him Joel Chandler Harris’
“Uncle Remus Stories.”
“The basis for my stories originates in what
I call everyday experiences, and my life experi
ences have taken me to junkyards, feedstores,
filling stations, sawmills, country stores, oil
fields and cattle ranches,” Shields said.
He continued, “As one of my uncles said, *Pat
never let his schooling interfere with his educa
tion.’”
While it’s important to develop a personal
style, Shields said, a storyteller may also bene
fit by studying others’ techniques.
“I’ve researched little-known collections in
obscure libraries and followed folklore journals,
but I’ve learned the essential trait of every good
storyteller: Listening.”
Whiny ‘Piglet’ no gentle ‘Pooh’
■ BOOK REVIEW
By By J. JAY VINICKI
Staff Writer
• Benjamin Hoff: “The Te of Piglet" (Dutton)
I never thought I would ever see a bad version of “Winnie the Pooh,"
but I finally have.
People worried that when a certain entertainment conglomerate lo
cated in southern Florida got a hold of the rights to the fuzzy little bear,
Pooh would never be the same. The only real negative effect to come from
that was a glut of stuffed Roos available at your local Sears store.
But, in 1982, a little best-seller by Benjamin Hoff was published called
“The Tao of Pooh.” Some may remember it. Hoff took the old A.A. Milne
stories, added a few new shorts of his own and then proceeded to explain
Eastern philosophy to the masses.
It did sound weird then, but it was fun to read.
“Pooh” achieved almost a cult status among philosophy majors and
Pooh buffs. Even though book stores don’t know whether to put “Pooh"
in the humor, philosophy or children’s section, you can still find a copy
on the shelves occasionally.
Now for the bad news. Hoff decided - after much thought, according
to him - that he ought to write a sequel. I wish he’d thought about it a
little longer and reconsidered. This past month, Hoff released “The Te of
Piglet,” a sequel to “Pooh.”
In “Piglet,” Hoff again combines those classic Milne fables and his own
dialogue with the Pooh characters. “Piglet,” like “Pooh," is mainly a dis
cussion amongst the Hundred Acre Wood Gang with no real plot. “Piglet”
is like hanging around Christopher Robin’s house for an afternoon or two.
Piglet, Pooh and the rest of the gang are back in “Piglet,” but have
they changed since I was a kid.
Piglet now has a bodyguard to feel secure. Eeyore threatens Hoff if
he is not mentioned more in “Piglet” than he was in “Pooh.” Owl is try
ing to sell shredded oats on the radio. And somehow, Pooh lost his fun
ny innocence and just seems dumb.
Changing the characters is not the biggest fault with “Piglet.” The
real problem is when Hoff gets on his preachy soap-box and criticizes the
classic American way of life. He opens “Piglet” up by attacking all the
people who wear a lot of black and own every Smiths album. Hoff com
plains that these people who are into the “Ugly-Skinny-Angry Look” com
plain too much. That is a bit on the hypocritical side if you ask me.
From then on, it is everybody for themselves. Hoff uses “Piglet” as his
personal forum to slam anybody who will not stay still, all the way from
the politically correct to the religious conservatives to the liberal media.
He even attacks professional critics, but that is understandable.
If Hoff hadn’t done such a good job on “Pooh,” “Piglet” might seem bet
ter; but where “Pooh” was gentle, “Piglet” hits the reader upside the head.
Much better writing should be expected from Hoff. The Eastern phi
losophy he touts teaches people to “go with the flow.” All Hoff does in
“Piglet” is try to go against the current, knocking down everybody who
will not get out of his way.
“Piglet” is currently on the best-seller list for hardback non-fiction.
Fortunately this one is labeled a bit more accurately as a philosophy book
by its publisher, an improvement over the humor label initially attached
to “Pooh.”
The main failure of “Piglet” is that it’s packaged just like “Pooh.” They
may look the same, but they are not. Those who like “Pooh" are going to
feel betrayed by “Piglet.”
And I pray Eeyore does not get his own book.
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