Newspaper Page Text
HEROES OF THE HALF-PIPE
LORDS OF DOGTOWN (PG-13) How exciting it
must have been to have grown up in the "ghetto
by the sea." the Dogtown over which teen skaters
Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams lorded in
the 1970s. Or so Catherine Hardwicke's fictional
ized retelling of Peralta's award-winning documen
tary Dogtown and Z-Bcys (he also wrote the
screenplay for Lords) made me believe. Having
never skated in my life, I questioned the accessi
bility to an outsider of a story fashioned out of
fiberglass, rolling along on urethane wheels.
Hardwicke, who with Thirteen showed a better
grasp of modem teenage
life than all six fathoms
of "Dawson's Creek,"
turns her digital camera
and unvarnished eye to
an unheralded revolu
tion. Today, city councils
worry about building
skateparks for all the
ollies, grinds and 180s
which yesterday had no
name. Using her docu-
mentarian style,
Hardwicke creates a
sense of active engage
ment in the origins of the phenomenon, her
camera zooming along with the Z-Boys as they
take their pioneering low-to-the-ground style into
competition and discover pool skating thanks to
California's prevailing drought
The excitement is not only kinetic but dra
matic. Though Peralta's dialogue occasionally
includes grandiose declarations about fame, for
tune and being on "summer vacation for the next
20 years," he captures the disintegration of the
boys' friendships as if he were there (he was) and
they meant something (to him, one presumes they
did). As Alva and Peralta achieve heights unknown
to the residents of Dogtown, their pal Jay sinks
further <nto self-destructive disillusionment
feralta also does right by himself, imbuing his
alter ego (played with blond, Chris Klein-like
blankness by John Robinson) with wide-eyed
innocence and a loyalty lacking from the hugely
talented if defensively arrogant Alva (Victor .
Rasuk) and the poor, resentful Adams (Emile
Hirsch). The talented trio evoke youthful ambi
tion. stronger than the most fibre us bonds of
friendship, as well as the reckless abandon of the
day, toned down to keep
the PG-13 rating.
Interesting^ the film
has a distinct slasher
flick feel regarding adult
supervision. Responsible
adults steer dear of the
scene, and the ones who
show only do so out of
fiscal self-interest.
Adulthood's predominant
representative, Skip
Engblom, owner of
Zephyr Surf Shop, ends
up the film's most com
plex, least-understood character. Heath Ledger,
steeped heavily in the Kilmer school, sinks some
bad dentures into the role, providing no answers,
but proving to be a talented boy from Oz. Lords of
Dogtown is just what summer needs, a small pic
with the right mix of dramatic reality and exhila
rating insight to trick the kids into teaming that
while dreams can come true, waking up is a bitch,
a relevant history lesson that trumps Cinderella
Marts any day.
Drew Wheeler
Ion* rf PofrT** ftfucttvcinHY k* iStrovH gwl C-Uwt
m _
1VeTnxMtli*3 U*
like A+Ofal ?«*v \Jf*\ eMe/ing
TV patfctO 'TVeafte (.OGcopaffonal
VWi4fD). Sol X gef kdf-naKcD
Tk.IkcoiAtnWg ‘PcgHuhv and 2-
b&j? Cowers, of Goftej. gjise
bo$ic_ Vlo-pic
vj5or§s4trs UllinJ
“to™
VkU.ult Ultrt flanniftg cn tevituJing VltAov, fWcs * non
Hvt m-eobtscev\+ cul4vrt fUn co*ic geeks, iis sMt/*.
ge«v
WUH MOft f Vm WflfkbiAj *
beAtb erf riel* \^y if/iVig**}
bif
fUey caa OK t &s A*T
cohf\t\t\j atW-'L. well IttU ry
infefetf moft or |e$S,*A4 n**tA\s
O'f cUefM.,. lmJ.*/ 4Ay*At 1
b*f«4 \\*ttA. )/i staff: a $lorfof fie
b i'VU of 5forh (\aJ fbe
JockaSS culbf't.
I'd like. 4# offer fUwf
corf st. a doll*/
endorse* ca4 de*! 1 .
V
5o<hw 5th <h«0oe Wofnf
Ira** .*m jvsV
Vios even Considered <^’Sfwc4' , befcrfc
1btse Kids a(«^1 WUj uk/etVere. tue»r t
Contest* OToood W 1Vts*- g oys *♦» CmSh ? i
fAen In -start* gettfrn Scores “&<
{ky^inlnj °prtghV? U& fee nonesf ,V*'*
idtalt CtVolOfiow is * typ/Bdukfr
SVaftboerdlnj. 1 W IWtS FAfloie., IVc
1V16 anoMier ^
PerAi-lA.
li
• u I fli , 11—
So fer«lK ui f o\t #f> fte
Smc* I »v*v fUt Torfve* •/
. if wot n nice 5«r#ri‘5e./M
I R«ir*4* H«aHi U«igcr A
gre*f job I fiwt/^lvf *>e
V/al KlUt/ {hi /»V>f \n*\f oi fAc
Mov«t / *f’*I lie LrtrsfceJ flie koi'r o^r if
bis f*ce .) \\s* t wUa if frio be
l t if bvf $ot*t of fbe<//^A
Wcfs/*lly*/orlu becAvst fb«y it
lA»>e bis fltfn
for
C*SV\>- noio
1W KfS
VCv^es ArtSk>4.
Uacs
twnghNtis
CO/mK D€8fiLr
a pop cuuuflc fua rmmKCT
50 Gftiner /chooi ad. #12
. . ATHfA/. GA 30605
a06) 546-3965
ebay sales drop-off
GSkeeperS eboy Pouior /#ll#f
35H Items up to $500;
25% items over $500
covers al fees including
listing, packaging & shipping
fflondoy-/otufdoy Horn - 6pm
/undoy lpm-6pm . w
Visit our eBay StoreJ^
www.ebaystores.com g8bay
iottnutiowl Exportix ■ locally Owned and Operotid
BiwvAv.importdx.com
Only 1/2 mik from lire UGA Arch!
945 College Ave. 543.7982
u. - u
PCOfriww
Releases Only
ovd lr VMS *kt FO»<tT5M cuLr docuMiNtaky . aHTMl »TS BUDGtT
www.eisionvidtoonlint.com
ftLwAYS
749 West Broad Street • 545*7701 College Station Shopping Center
Homewood Shopping Center • 227*2299 Danielsville / Hwy. 29
549*6900
795*5400
JUNE 8, 2005 ■ FLAGPOLE.COM 17