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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1994)
Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin (left) in Jane Campion’s “The Piano.” Courtesy of Miramax Films Powerful film lacks truth “The Piano” ic'k'ki By Anne Steyer Staff Reporter Highly touted as one of 1993’s best films, “The Piano” is indeed a power ful picture, but it lacks that tiny thread of truth necessary to make a dramatic picture touch the soul. Written anddirected by Jane Cam pion, the film weaves the tale of a mute pianist named Ada (Holly Hunt er) in 19th-century New Zealand. Ada is sent off to the remote bush country with her 9-year-old daughter Flora, a package deal in an arranged marriage with a colonist (Sam Neill). Ada’s expression pours forth through her piano, an instrument that provides a voice to carry more emo tion than words can for her. Her new husband, Stewart, leaves Ada’s most precious possession be hind on the beach, trading it to his neighbor Baines (Harvey Keitel). That leaves Ada somewhat at Baines’ mer cy, catering to his whims in order to invoke her piano’s voice. The relationship that develops be tween Ada and Baines is powerful for two reasons: It is both intensely dis turbing and intensely powerful. Much of the commentary surrounding ‘The Piano” involves this intense relation ship, but too much of the ado focuses on the sexual relationship and Keitel’s full frontal nudity. Neither is particularly shocking. More interesting, and certainly more inspiring, is Hunter’s extraordi nary performance, which is the driv ing force of the film. Hunter conveys an ocean of depth without ever utter ing a word on screen. The success of the film is definitely due in great part to her performance. Keitel deserves credit also, as his development of the character Baines is a perfect balance of brusqueness and gentleness. Yet there is some thing missing from the film. Some circumstances seem a bit too contrived. Campion may have gone a wee bit too far with the foreshadow ing. “The Piano” is perhaps not every thing it is promoted to be, but is still an interesting and thought-provoking film. I Good pertormances, bad movies hit the video shelves If new classes and new homework don’t keep students bogged down during this first weekend back to school, they can bop down to their local video store for a little light enter tainment. Highlights — if they can be called so—of this week’s new video releas es are some solid performances in otherwise lackluster flicks. “Heart and Souls” — This com plicated story employs the talents of Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Tom Sizemore and Kyra Sedgwick as four souls killed in a bus crash. All four become spiritually con nected to a newborn baby boy. Much later, after he’s grown into a crabby, capitalist yuppie in the form of actor Robert Downey Jr., they find they must use his body to resolve the lives they left behind. “Hocus Pocus” — Poor Bette Midler. Poor Kathy Najimy. Poor Sarah Jessica Parker. And poor be the viewers who suffer through this wretchedly bad Halloween tale. The three actors play gruesome witches from old Salem, Mass., who require the lifeblood of small children to sustain their own youthfulness. After being executed for witchcraft, the sis ters are brought back to life acciden tally on Halloween night, present day. It’s supposed to be both funny and scary, but it’s just plain lame. Disney really missed the boat on this one. “Hot Shots, Part Deux** — This crazy sequel and spoof shoots at Sylvester Stallone’s 1985 action flick “Rambo: First Blood, Part II.” Charlie Sheen stars again, as this time Topper is sent to Iraq to rescue MIAs, and incidentally, to poke fun at Saddam Hussein. Valeria Golino and Lloyd Bridges also return to make fun of some of the best (“The Godfather” and “Star Wars”) and worst (the afore mentioned “Rambo”) of contempo rary cinema. “Menace II Society”—This mov ie lasted inOmaha only one weekend. After violence erupted outside the theater, the owners pulled the plug on the showings. It is a violent inner-city story by brothers Allen and Albert Hughes. The buzz was pretty good on this one, but the Midwest missed out — catch it now that you can. “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”— Another spoof hits the shelves this week, but this one takes aim at both Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood flick and the classic Errol Flynn swash buckling adventure. — Anne Steyer Lewis Continued from Page 12 No one then was more surprised than the scholar’s friends J.R.R. Tolkien and H.V.V. Dyson when Lewis experienced a rapid conver sion to Christianity in 1931. “A young Atheist cannot guard his faith too carefully,” Lewis wrote later in his autobiography “Surprised By Joy.” He always explained his faith as an inevitable intellectual choice, and he later defended his beliefs in his book “Mere Christianity.” Lewis died on the day President John Kennedy was assassinated, Nov. 22, 1963. He had become one of the world’s greatest modem writers and a leader in the fields of literary criti cism, Christian theology and chil dren’s literature. Perhaps best known for his “Chronicles of Narnia” saga, including “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” Lewis wrote more than 50 books. Many of the thousands of fan responses he wrote to his admir ers have been collected and published since his death. The essential C.S. Lewis: “The Screwtape Letters”—Un cle Scrcwtape, an important demon in Hell’s hierarchy, writes advice to his younger nephew on how to damn his chosen target. This scathing, hilari ous satire of the human race snows the road to Hell is not paved with giant leaps of impropriety, but small steps of jealousy, selfishness and malice. “Mere Christianity” — This is Lewis’s definitive outl ine of the Chris tian faith. In concrete, easy-to*under stand steps, it explains to the reader Lewis’ own travel from existential ism to Christianity. “The Great Divorce” — On this metaphysical mystery tour, Lewis takes a bus ride from Hell to Heaven in an imaginary dream. In this fabri cated vision, he is guided by his liter ary mentor George MacDonald, a fan tasy writer of the 1800s. “Surprised By Joy” — Lewis’ autobiography allows the reader to catch a glimpse of England in the early 1900s, of the factories amid the forest and the pedantry* filled brutish ness of Britisn schooling. In this set ting, Lewis guides us through his long search for truth and joy. BACK TO SCHOOL BLITZ I THREE BANDS x THREE BARS = 9TH STREET | 226 S 9th St. 477-1667 Wed. R/B-HIP HOP D.J. Romeo Spins The Latest In R/B-Hip Hop Music. (7p.m.-la.m.) Thur. Bud Night 500 Bud Light Draws, $1.25 Bud & Bud Light Bottles. Dance to Rock 'n Roll Music All Night Long. (7p.m.-la.m.) Fn. College Happy Hour (3p.m.-8p.m.) 250 Draws. D.J. Music Designed For The College Crowd. 2 Unlimited, New order, Captain Hollywood, INXS, Culture Beat, Haddaway, English Beat and so on..., Sat. 9p.m. January 15th. Lie Awake ^(Enough Said ! Street Blues ... the place to be all week! Featuring Lincoln's #1 Party Band LEROY AND THE LIARS ALL WELL DRINKS $1.25 MGD LONG NECKS $1.25 SATURDAY - JAN. 15 9 P.M. - 1A.M. Plenty of parking out back. 2 lots at 8th & L 9th & L 477-3467 &^SsssssS Saturday, January 15 The island sounds of CARIBE 9pm - lam NO COVER NO COVER NO COVER NO COVER 322 & 9th Lincoln, NE 476-8851