Wednesday, April 26, 2006
FATHER'S DAY
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was
I am glad that they have rescued it from obscurity as I remember the film quite fondly and I was only ten at the time.
It is a warhorse of the theater brought to film. Written by Lindsey and Russel Crouse from the autobiography by Clarence Day Jr., it is a highly crafted piece of comedy theater. Every line a gem; every plot twist deftly turned.
Taking it outside doesn't always help, but these moments are short.
William Powell (the thin man) is wonderful in the role of Father Day and Irene Dunne (sigh) is glorious as Mother.
Father is cantankerous and tyrannical in his way but neither the four children or Mother pays any attention. He is one of those cranks who is quite lovable.
I aspire to this myself.
Other than the fact that he was my kind of Dad (and my Dad's kind of Dad), a role model, I think that it has lasted for me as it was the first film, or anything, that questioned the nature of religious experience.
Father is really a deist and, as a registered Episcopalian because of Mother, he is caught between the Rock and a hard place.
He has not ever been baptized! Gasp!
He acquiesces but not without a long and gallant fight with all the healthy skepticism a ten year old Methodist could handle. It is one stone in the foundation for a questioning life.
Not a bad outcome for an old theatrical warhorse.
The young Elizabeth Taylor plays a breathless teen and one of the sons is none other than Martin Milner who became Marty and traversed Route 66 on teevee!
It is worth a look but there is a warning. The DVD transfer is awful. It is slightly blurry and the sound is muffled. Someone got the rights and just printed it and didn't care a fuck about the quality.
But you get used to it and the glow of the work of all concerned shines through the haze.
I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5 for old time sake and because it is naughtily sacrilegious just as I was ready to pick up on it.
