The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 04, 1991, Page 10, Image 10
BURN { j j. 1 ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST ORES. I L j No Appointments Necessary j 476-9466 ! $600 Off I | Full Service Oil Change | Quaker State 10W-30& -^ I Pennzoil - 10W-30 f B Now For $ 4 ® I Only I O (Reg. $24.95) I ■ * We change oil, oil filter up to 5 quarts. J * We lubricate the chassis. . * We check and fill: transmission fluid, . brake fluid, battery fluid, power ■ steering fluid, washer fluid. ■ * We check anti freeze, air filter, wiper blade, tire pressure, vacuum Interior, wash windows. Bdst Service in I Just 10 Minutes Most brands available Expires 12-31-91 Mon.-Fri. 8 to 6 Sat 8 to 4 Courtesy of Orion Pictures Jodie Foster and Adam Hann-Byrd co-star in Foster’s direc torial debut, “Little Man Tate.” - ■' ONE MILLION OF THE BEST MINDS IN AMERICA HAVE ALREADY CHOSEN THE BEST RETIREMENT PROGRAM. TIAA-CREF is building a sound Financial Future For more than 1,000,000 people in the education and research communities. 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Some (I’leasr prim) ' _ /litrVr.i.i __ City State /op CoAe hul Ituhon (Full name) Title _Daytime Phone ( ) TIAA-CREF Parluipaat If yes, Sifuit Seeartly 9 □ Yes □ No *AJi Bmrt C+mA+ (Kwftri0r)sMm*f 'f Immtt*-*Sermet-A** SttmAmrJt* AAA Tate Continued from Page 9 tion of the ozone layer, world hunger and violence in the streets. He’s a second-grader with a burning ulcer. Fred’s greatest problem is his lone liness. He yearns to be a normal kid and have friends to play with that won’t call him names or think he’s strange. His mother tries to help by using a strong sense of humor and her abiding love. Sometimes though, Fred is impossible for her to understand. Enter child psychologist Jane Gri erson (Dianne Wiest of “Edward Scissorhands”). Herself a child prod igy, Grierson has a special affinity for Fred and wants to enroll him in her institute for gifted children. Here the conflict arises. Grierson wants to develop Fred’s intellect and Dedc wants to nurture the child in him. This conflict is also the weakest part of the film. The struggle between Dede and Grierson ought to become more important as ihe story progresses, but it lacks the depth needed to make the audience feel empathy. Moments of conflict are merely interjected into Fred’s story. They are not long enough or frequent enough to become an important part of the story. Without the development of this conflict the subplot gets less and less important until the film deals mainly with little Fred. As a result, neither Foster’s nor Wiest’s characters are fully developed. This is especially true of Dede. It’s obvious Foster had difficulty work ing both sides of the camera. Cer tainly no flaws can be found in her acting. She has shown herself to be a consummate actress with boundless range. Foster is very good in “Little Man Tate”; she simply hasn’t given herself a full character. Foster’s Oscar-winning portrayal of a rape victim in “The Accused” and her startling, emotional perform ance in “Silence of the Lambs” prove she can pull audiences into a film. Unfortunately, this hasn’t trans lated into her directing style — at least not yet. The character of Fred is interesting, but without effective conflict, the movie becomes a two hour character sketch. Foster’s future as a director is not to be discounted, though. She knows her way around a camera and elicits strong performances from her cast. Helping a child succeed in the lead role is an accomplishment for any director, regardless of previous di recting experience. - Hann-Byrd is a delight as Fred. His timing is excellent and his eyes convey a loneliness that draws the viewer in. His expressions are illus trative and little dialogue is needed to express Gred’s thoughts and feelings. Hann-Byrd is aided by screenwriter Scott Frank, who created a dynamic character. Wicsl, one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood, gives a solid performance as Grierson. She stretches the little information about her char acter into a portrait of loneliness of child prodigies. “Little Man Tate” confronts an interesting subject and the acting is top-notch. Although the direction is somewhat flawed, it is a good film with some strong moments. With a little more experience, Foster may yet be able to give moviegoers a masterpiece. € S, 14 m" The weekend's top-grossing movies: . „ 6. “The Butcher’s Wife" $2.4 1. "House Party 2" $5.0 million 7. “Little Man Tate" $2.0 2. “Curly Sue" $5.0 s. “Deceived” $1.8 3. “Other People’s $4.1 9. “Ernest Scared Stupid" $1.6 Money" 10. “Ricochet" $1.5 4. "The Fisher King" $2.5 5. "Frankie & Johnnie" $2.48 prorn the Associated Press Lisa PyOiK/PN Baldridge Continued from Page 9 As for pickups, well, where can you find a more durable vehicle? And until they get around to paving the city streets there’s just no alternative. Myth: The Midwest has no cul ture. Fact: This is the same kind of stand that allowed earlier, Eurocentric people to think of aboriginal races as “sav ages.” r The truth is that the Midwest has a culture as valid as any other. It’s just harder to notice because it's so bland. Before you react too strongly, stop and examine — this is the kind of thing we need to hear. There’s a fast food establishment where I come from whose advertising slogan is: Food just like Grandma used to make. It’s true, I see someof you smiling, (use only if they smile) most of us ale this same kind of tasteless paste grow ing up. And, truth be told, many of us still prefer it. I know when I go home on my infrequent visits 1 can pul away more than my weight in casseroles. Another myth is that Midwestern ers dislike ethnic groups. The truth is that Midwesterners are themselves an ethnic group, like the Irish. People who are generally gregari ous and kind may come off cold when confronted with strange cultural val ues. Especially on their own turf. There is a widespread feeling that strangers should learn to speak English” — to do in Rome as the Romans do. This feeling is not lim ited to white America, as any widely traveled person can tell you. I remember the first time I went to Los Angeles. Talk about a communi cation gap! And that was just the freeway! It’s a myth that (Think of more myths.) And in closing I'd like to say ... (Make “in closing” gestures.) Midwesterners are not inbred, un dereducated ogres as they are some times portrayed in the East. It is important that we not let others dic tate our cultural self image. It was our people who made the Great American Desert into the bread basket of the world, produced Willa Cather and the “Prairie Schooner.” They built and progressed where others thought it impossible to live; cleared the prairie — of natives, it’s true, as well as red-grass. But that in itself was quite an accomplishment, when you think of it. It’s just not the kind of thing we’d want to do today. People had other ideas then. We Midwesterners have things to be proud of. We no longer have to be ashamed of being dull white people with no history and no heritage. We have a heritage. It may not be the kindest, gentlest heritage or the most colorful, but it is ours. Thank you for allowing me to speak with you today. And have a happy Thanksgiving. * BaMrMgc it a senior English major an4 Daily N«tra*aa A*E columnist.