|hntertainment
Page 12Thursday, September 16,1999
Election’
director brings
film spotlight
to Nebraska
Shelley Mika
Staff writer
Editor’s note: In this weekly series,
we explore the lives and work of notable
Nebraska artists of the 20th century.
A pregnant woman gets charged for
hazardous vapor inhalation. A man is
wrought with jealousy and hunts down
his lover’s boyfriend. A teacher taints a
high school election.
None of these things is funny - that
is, until you see an Alexander Payne
film.
In his films “Citizen Ruth,” “The
Passion of Martin” and “Election,”
Payne pushes characters to die edge and
makes audiences laugh all along the
way.
Payne grew up in Omaha in the
Dundee neighborhood. After leaving
Nebraska, he went on to earn bachelor
degrees in history and literature at
Stanford University.
In an interview via e-mail, Payne
said his studies “were great preparation,
since both deal with the human story
what people do. And that’s what film is
concerned with.”
Payne’s actual film career began at
UCLA’s prestigious film school, where
he received a master of fine arts degree.
There, he made his thesis film, “The
Passion of Martin.” Immediately, he
formed a reputation for subversive satire
and comedy that’s based on real and
sometimes difficult experiences.
“The Passion of Martin” follows die
title character through his roller coaster
of a relationship with a new lover.
Actually, it’s more like one huge hill
with a short ascent and negative g’s
thereafter. Martin immediately falls in
love, but his overwhelming jealousy
sends him on a never-ending plunge. As
his actions become increasingly out
landish (and even frightening at times),
the film’s comedy builds.
This
pairing of
intensity
with hilarity
characterizes
all of Payne’s
films, as well as
his personality.
“At times, 1
he can be very s
intense, which y
I think is an j
asset,” said Kathy j
Sheppard, a film *
commissioner at 1
the Omaha Film 11
Office.
At the same
time, “he’s very
intelligent and fhn
to be around,” added
uan Laueiy, me
director of the Mary ^***M*t>
Riepma Ross Film Theater.
“The Passion of Martin” could
be seen as an intense drama, but Payne
uses his sense of humor and unique edit
ing and cinematography to twist it into a
stinging comedy.
The same is true for Payne’s first
feature film, “Citizen Ruth,” which
brought him notoriety in the film indus
try. It was screened at the Sundance
Film Festival as well as more than 20
other festivals around the world. At the
1996 Munich Film Festival, “Citizen
Ruth” won the High Hopes Award.
Again, critics praised Payne’s
directing for its presentation of dramatic
subject matter as comical. But “Citizen
Ruth” also gained attention because it
dealt with the abortion controversy.
The main character, Ruth Stoops
(Laura Dem), is addicted to huffing
anything she can get her hands on. And
she is pregnant. Both pro-abortion
rights and anti-abortion activists latch
on to her cause.
In the end, Payne refused to take
sides. Critics have attacked him for his
Courtesy Photo
ABOVE: Laura Bern plays the selfish, unruly, huffing Ruth
whose pregnancy sets off both pro- and anti-abortion
rights supporters in Alexander Payne’s “Citizen Ruth.”
TOP OF PARE: In Payne’s “Election,” Matthew
Broderick stars as a civics teacher who rigs the student
governniBiii bibcuomb
objectivity, yet
others have
praised it.
Ladely said
this sort of criti
cism doesn’t mat
ter.
“One thing
that’s really good
about art is that
when it’s at its
best, it makes you
think,” he said.
“Alexander cre
ates a situation
that allows the
audience to use
their brains.”
A11 h o u g h
Payne’s films are
entertaining,
Payne goes
beyond that realm..
“The
films are highly entertaining and really
fun,” Ladely said.
But he also added, “I think they’re
very intelligently made films.”
In his most recent film, “Election,”
Payne takes a look at student govern
ment elections from varying sides. The
film stars Matthew Broderick as a high
school teacher who manipulates the
election, but Payne also presents the
story through the eyes of the student
government candidates.
With this film and “Citizen Ruth,”
Payne brought his art back to Nebraska.
Both films were shot in Omaha, and
many of the actors were local residents.
“When you grow up in Omaha, you
always want to leave,” Payne said. “But
I found that in film school, all I wanted
to do was get to the point where I could
shoot in Nebraska.”
Payne’s work also provided a break
for another Nebraskan. Chris Klein,
who stars in “Election,” was attending
high school in Omaha when he audi
tioned for the role. Klein has gone on
with his acting career and can be seen in
“American Pie.”
Payne brings his work here to create
realistic settings, hi doing so, he’s help
ing to put Nebraska on the map. It’s rare
that a film opens in New York, Los
u
When you grow up in Omaha, you always
want to leave. But I found that in film
school, all I wanted to do was get to the
point where I could shoot in Nebraska.”
Alexander Payne
film director
Angeles and Omaha, but both of his
recent films have.
Payne is currently working on three
scripts.
“I’ve become very greedy,” Payne
said. “Of these three scripts I’m jug
gling, only one of them would not
involve some fihning in Omaha.”
His next directing project, “About
Schmidt,” is based on a book about a
WASP attorney’s rites of passage as he
retires and marries his daughter to a pro
tege in his company. Before you start
expecting a John Grisham film, keep
Payne’s style in mind.
“You never know how it will turn
out,” Sheppardjsaid. "
Payne’s success has made it possible
•r.* .
is rumored that Jack Nicholson may
have the lead role in “About Schmidt.”
But all of Payne’s success hasn’t
flawed his nice guy image.
; s still the Alexander we remem
trom the first phone caH, the first
meeting,” Sheppard said. “(He’s) proba
bly one of the most considerate people
I’ve met in the film industry.”
Ladely added, “Alexander is some
we can be proud of as