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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1999)
‘Soldier’s Daughter’ The Facts Title: ”A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries” Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Barbara Hershey, Leelee Sobieski, Jesse Bradford Director: James Ivory Rating: R Grade: B Five Words: “Soldier’s Daughter” an honest portrait I By Diane Broderick Staffwriter The title “A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries” perfectly conveys the film’s dramatic core. it is a highly emo tional family drama that manages to sidestep over ly tragic scenes. Currently showing at the Mary Riepma Ross Theater, the film focuses on an American ramily iivmg m Pans m the ’60s. Kris Kristofferson (“Convoy,” “Blade”) plays Bill Willis, a soldier tumed-writer who is constantly working on this and that, but seemingly never a big project. His daughter Channe (Leelee Sobieski, a ringer for a young Helen Hunt), and adopted son Billy (Jesse Bradford) reap the benefits of having an understanding father. He always has the right thing to say and is always around, working in his den. This seemingly constant presence is akin to Mike Brady’s on “The Brady Bunch,” but the same can’t be said for Bill’s wife. Barbara Hershey (“Portrait of a Lady”), who sports disturbingly short bangs coupled with various hair lengths, plays Channe’s and Billy’s mother, Marcella. Though she commits no serious wrongdoings to her children, aside from having a constant drink | in her hand, it’s clear that I Bill is the more fostering * parent. Directed by James Ivory and produced by Ishmail Merchant, known for “Howard’s End” and “Remains of the Day,” “Soldier’s Daughter” is easier to relate to and more con temporary than their previous works. The story centers on Channe and the men in her life. As she grows from a young girl in Paris to a teen whose fam ily has moved back to the United States, the film is divided into three chapters, titled for her brother, her father and her friend Francis (Anthony Roth Costanzo). These divisions highlight the highly episodic story line. More than a con crete plot, it has the feel of simply being about a family. Small touches make things in the movie feel like real family memories: In one scene Bill watches a John Wayne movie on television dubbed in French. He makes fun of the dubbing while his son laughs in the background. ' Other television shots nod to some thing a lot'of other movies skim over: the ubiquitous presence of the running television in most households. More dramatic scenes are undercut with comic touches that make the movie true-to-life. While Channe has her period during class, it just happens to be during a sing a-long to a very bouncy version of the Beatles’ “Let it Be.” A goofy teacher watches Channe excuse herself to leave, then picks up with another verse. Even tense hospital scenes leave a comic rather than depressing aftertaste. But perhaps the most lasting impression the film gives is its portrayal of Paris in the ’60s. Children sit at a kitchen table and smoke cigarettes. An opera Channe attends with her entertaining though unusual friend Franqis features drug use, masturbation and homicide. When Bill’s health begins to fade, the family moves to the United States, the unorthodox upbringing the children had in France really comes through. After growing up in a highly sexual ized culture, Channe finds reactions to her casual attitude toward sex startling, and Billy is shunned by classmates. I The only real drawbacks of the story are the sporadic subtitling and the some what slow-moving plot line. At the start of the film, it settles into subtitles, but then jumps to English and then continually and abruptly goes back and forth. This makes watching the film slightly try ing, and only adds to how long it feels. The rather jum bled organi zation of the movie also make it drawn out. But the end results are simply realism and authenticity, because * feeling a bit trapped or confused is all part of being in a family. > Husker sports farte, it’s not too late to become a member of HuskerFury -- the UNL student body support group for Husker Athletics. Our first meeting for second semester will be Thursday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Union. For more information contact the Athletic Marketing Office at 472-9839 or huskerfury@huskers.unl.edu. HuskerFury is open to every full-time student, except student-athletes. ' ■I I 1 jj • £ fcjj t* >V % Your roommate snores. Your biochemistry syllabus is 8 pages long. You qe£5 free hours of online time every month with Navix: (Hey, at least there’s something to smile about.) I - I. .. • Happy news! If you’re a UNL student, faculty or staff member, you get 5 free hours of Internet access every month when you sign up for one of these Navix plans: Low Usage Plan: Get 15 hours of online - time for just $6.50 a month. Medium Usage Plan: Get 40 hours of online time for just $10.00 a month. High Usage Plan: Get 250 hours of online time for just $19.50 a mopth. x •' - Additional minutes for each plan are just $.02 and activation-is free! And if you keep your usage for that month under 5 hours, your service for that month is also free! Navix is fast, easy and reliable, letting you go online at speeds up to 56kps. There’s a local Help Desk and even an 888 access number to use when you travel. Call University Telecommunications at 472-5151 (students) or 472-3434 (faculty or staff). Or, stop by 211 Nebraska Hall. navix.net : ' • . ' ' i .. - . ■Sj • ' • I Communications® . You must be a UNL student lacuity ot staff member lo quality tor these plans Netscape software ts available m Windows and Macintosh versions
