Who’s hitting the theaters?

When times get rough, Americans typically escape the harsh realities of their everyday lives by going to the movies. That’s how it was during the Great Depression when movie theaters managed to draw nearly 60-70 million viewers each week (more than half of the population at the time) and the same holds true today. Despite the current recession, ticket sales have increased this year, up 17.5 percent, to $1.7 billion, according to Media by Numbers, a box-office tracking company. Attendance has also jumped by nearly 16 percent.

But who makes up that audience? In a recent article from The Hollywood Reporter (Adults steer clear of movies), they suggested that adults prefer to stay home while kids and young adults increasingly fill the seats at the multiplexes. Certainly online movie rental services, like Netflix make watching movies from the comforts of home easier, with their library of more than 100,000 DVDs. But one top studio exec quoted in the article believes, “Adults are a harder audience to motivate, and the problem with some adult movies is compounded by their not being high-concept films that you can boil down to 30-second spots.”

It’s hard to point to one singular reason why adults may be avoiding the theaters these days. Some say it's the recession, but one could also argue that there just aren’t many options available to mature adults coming out of Hollywood recently. The teen comedy 17 Again and the wildly popular tween hit Hannah Montana: The Movie have both topped the box office in recent weeks. But other current, more adult-oriented films like Duplicity and State of Play, while well-liked by critics, both made less than $14 million on their opening weekends.

Certainly the months leading up to awards season offered meatier fare, but have older movie fans just grown complacent, content to watch DVDs at home or essentially lost confidence in Hollywood altogether? With many of the latest films aimed at kids, comic book fans and the like, occasionally more engaging or “quality” adult films might fly under the radar. Yet, sometimes it’s just a matter of seeking them out.

The “powers-that-be” in Hollywood won’t be motivated to change the current crop of movies they’re dishing out and focus on more adult-oriented fare while the youth market remains their biggest area of profit. So when we notice a movie that might pique our interests, it behooves us to go out to the theaters and support that movie, because we can’t expect Hollywood to produce more films for us when we don’t go out to see the few that fit the bill.

As luck would have it, there seem to be a few promising films in the pipeline. Along with The Brothers Bloom (which I highlighted in an earlier post), these upcoming movies look like they might resonate with adult audiences:

• The Soloist
• Away We Go
• Moon
• Chéri
• Public Enemies
• (500) Days of Summer

Happy viewing!

The Sound of Music (1965) – more than just light and fluff

For anyone who knows me, it will come as no surprise that I’m devoting one of my first few posts to the timeless classic, The Sound of Music (maybe it would just surprise them that it took me this long). The film is “one of my favorite things” and one I can always depend on to lift my spirits. I won’t call it a guilty pleasure, because, to me, there’s more than meets the eye in The Sound of Music.

The story is familiar to many – a young nun, Maria (Julie Andrews) is assigned as a governess to the seven children of a widowed, retired Austrian naval officer, Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). What was once a restrictive and forlorn household comes to life with music and joy as Maria brings meaning and passion back into the lives of the children and even the cynical Capt. Von Trapp himself. Though engaged to a wealthy Baroness (Eleanor Parker), the Captain, seeing the impact Maria has made in his family’s life, soon finds he’s fallen in love with the effervescent young governess and she discovers she’s grown to love him, as well. The two eventually marry, forming a loving family with their seven children in tow. Their happiness is soon disrupted when the Anschluss comes about and the Nazis march into Austria. The Third Reich almost immediately summons the Captain to serve in their navy and the Von Trapps find themselves in a rather precarious situation.

The Sound of Music won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Robert Wise. The film was made after the success of the stage version starring Mary Martin, which appeared on Broadway from 1959-1963. Julie Andrews gave a well-rounded performance as Maria, one of the silver screen’s finest, and Christopher Plummer added an essential depth and intensity as the widowed Captain Von Trapp. The Sound of Music has sometimes been passed off as an overly saccharine family movie, most famously by noted critic, Pauline Kael, who blasted the film as “sugar coated” and filled with “sickly, goody-goody songs.” However, the film encompasses more than just bright and cheery scenery, catchy musical numbers and seven cute kids. At its core, The Sound of Music is a story about a newly formed and happy family living in uncertain times, facing perilous circumstances in a crumbling nation with hope and perseverance.

Two of the most crucial elements to the success of The Sound of Music should be attributed to screenwriter Ernest Lehman and director Robert Wise. Lehman was one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed screenwriters, having adapted screenplays for such smash musicals as The King and I (1956) and West Side Story (1961), which was co-directed by Wise. It was Lehman who opened up the stage version for The Sound of Music by insisting on location shooting in Salzburg, Austria to use the rich exteriors to enhance the narrative of the film. Lehman’s writing added news layers to the film’s script, particularly by giving that depth to the character of Captain Von Trapp through a sense of sadness paired with a sardonic sense of humor. He also restructured many of the musical numbers and crafted brilliant transitions for dialogue leading into the songs to better serve the cinematic narrative.

As director, Wise shrewdly reassembled many of the same craftspeople who had helped him achieve such success in Hollywood, including his favorite director of photography, production designer and costume designer who brought so much aesthetic beauty to The Sound of Music. Wise’s direction did wonders to remove the sentimentality of the original stage show and take on a more textured approach to the film material, thereby avoiding the usual clichés of movie musicals and instead directing a first-class film.

When The Sound of Music hit theaters in 1965, it quickly became number one at the box office. Within a year of its release, The Sound of Music passed Gone with the Wind (1939) as the most successful picture of all-time, an honor it held until 1972. Much of this success can surely be attributed to the considerable artistic collaborations that have made this film a lasting treasure.

Celebrating 15 Years of the Classics

This coming week, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate its 15th anniversary. Back in 1994, to commemorate 100 years of film, Ted Turner launched the entertainment network to provide classic movie fans with films that are “uncut and commercial-free...the way movies were meant to be seen.” Now, 15 years later, TCM is a film buff’s haven, preserving many of the greatest classic films for new generations and offering more than 150,000 titles and a variety of programs, like “Private Screenings” and “Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence.”

As part of the anniversary celebration, TCM selected 15 of its biggest fans and everyday viewers to serve as guest programmers who will appear on-air (starting Monday, April 13) to present their favorite classic films alongside long-time host and film historian, Robert Osborne.

You can check out the line-up of fans’ favorite films along with an excellent site dedicated to the 15th Anniversary festivities, including a timeline of the network’s milestones, tons of great videos, and various fun facts: http://www.tcm.com/2009/15thAnniversary/index.jsp.

The Brothers Bloom (2008) new trailer

I’ve been anticipating the theatrical release of The Brothers Bloom (2008) since I saw the film on opening night of the Chicago International Film Festival back in October. The second feature-length movie from the talented writer/director, Rian Johnson, The Brothers Bloom is a wholly original take on the con movie. It stars Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo as the Bloom brothers, planning another in a string of cons with a reclusive and eccentric heiress (Rachel Weisz) as their latest target.

The Brothers Bloom has been well received at film festivals around the world. Its fresh humor and distinctive style can be seen in nearly every aspect of the film, from the performances to the cinematography, the score and the direction. Rachel Weisz, in particular, commands attention throughout the film as the engaging and quirky Penelope Stamp, one of the better comedic female roles this movie fan has seen in a long while.

The release date has been pushed back multiple times, but the hilarious adventure known as The Brothers Bloom will finally be released in theaters this May. In the meantime, check out the new trailer here: http://tinyurl.com/bbp2yn.

Born on this date…four Hollywood greats!

The film gods have blessed us cinephiles with countless talented performers throughout movie history, but April 5th marks the birthday of four of the most celebrated and legendary actors to grace the silver screen.

Spencer Tracy (1900-1967)
One of Hollywood’s greatest leading men, Spencer Tracy starred in more than 70 films in his 30 year career, excelling in everything from romantic comedies, like Adam’s Rib (1949) to serious dramas like Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Mr. Tracy was nominated nine times for an Academy Award and was the first actor to win back-to-back Oscars (in 1938 for Captain Courageous and for Boys Town in 1939). His acting style was subtle yet powerful and realistic, making each of his celebrated performances seem effortless.

Melvyn Douglas (1901-1981)
Melvyn Douglas was a two-time Academy Award winning actor, for Hud (1964) and Being There (1979), who starred in more than 100 films during his 50 year career. He also starred in several Broadway plays (winning a Tony Award in 1960 for “The Best Man”) and TV series. Mr. Douglas famously made Garbo laugh in Ninotchka (1939) and later in his career developed into a first-rate character actor, including a turn as a mentally unstable commanding officer in The Americanization of Emily (1964).

Bette Davis (1908-1989)
Bette Davis, considered one of the silver screen’s greatest performers, starred in more than 100 films in her nearly 60 year acting career. Nominated for an Academy Award 11 times (the first actress to receive 10 nominations), Ms. Davis brought home the gold twice, for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938). Ms. Davis blazed a trail for women on the big screen by playing a variety of difficult and powerful roles in a wide array of genres, securing her status as a cinema icon and legendary diva.

Gregory Peck (1916-2003)
One of the post-war era's most successful actors, Gregory Peck was a tall, rugged, and heroic presence on-screen with a basic decency that transcended his roles. His performances embodied the virtues of strength, conviction, and intelligence so highly valued by American audiences. He received an Academy Award in 1963 for his iconic role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). The Academy also awarded Mr. Peck with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1968 for his many contributions to various charitable causes throughout his life.

Happy Birthday and thanks for the memories!

Ladri di biciclette (1948)

A film of international acclaim, Ladri di biciclette, better known to American audiences as The Bicycle Thief, is Vittorio de Sica's breathtaking neorealist triumph. Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani), a poor, unemployed father in 1940’s Rome finally finds work as a bill poster, but he needs a bicycle to get to each job site. He and his wife manage to find some linens to trade in for a bicycle, but when Antonio’s bike is stolen from him on his first day of work, he frantically scours the streets of Rome with his young son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola) to search for it. The rest of the movie details Antonio and Bruno’s distressing and hopeless pursuit of this ordinary object that ultimately signifies the Ricci family’s only means of survival.

This simple, yet brilliantly constructed film is the pinnacle of Italian neorealist storytelling. Vittoria de Sica illustrates the emotion and social struggles experienced by countless post-war Europeans with such honesty and compassion, particularly by using amateur actors in all the principal roles with stunning glimpses of Rome as the backdrop. The Bicycle Thief is a heart-wrenching tale of want and desperation experienced through the eyes of one man trying to keep his family afloat, while faced with unending complex situations in a social order rife with iniquity and hardship.

Antonio’s broken will and despair paired with Bruno’s loss of innocence in a beggared society still resonates with today’s audiences, more than 60 years later. This poignant film remains an enduring classic that sticks with you long after the final credits.

For fans of the film in Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center will be screening The Bicycle Thief May 1 and 6, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.siskelfilmcenter.com/.