Reel life: Dann's biggest problem with 'Brooklyn'
<h3 class="briefHead">'Brooklyn' revisited</h3>
John Crowley's drama "Brooklyn" didn't qualify for my top-10 list for 2015 movies, despite wrangling Oscar nominations for picture, actress (Saoirse Ronan) and adapted screenplay. Here's why:
Ever notice in romance movies and romantic comedies that when a woman (let's say Drew Barrymore in "The Wedding Singer") has two suitors (say Adam Sandler and Matthew Glave), the film doesn't let her choose.
The movie decides for her.
One of the suitors is often revealed to be a creep, a cheat or a bad guy just before the fateful wedding day. So, what can the woman do? She picks the other guy, the only one still standing. There's no actual choice here. He's the only romantic option, and she must take it.
"Brooklyn," written by Nick Hornby, offers a variation of this sneaky erosion of freedom for women to make their own choices.
Eilis (Ronan) must decide between a sweet New Yorker from an Italian family waiting for her in Brooklyn or a wonderfully caring Irishman back in the old country where she has returned for a "short" visit that keeps getting lengthier.
Who will she actually choose?
She doesn't. The movie does it for her. An old biddy shop owner shuts down her options on one guy, forcing her to accept, yep, the only other guy left standing. (We won't say if he's in Ireland or Brooklyn.)
I understand why movies take this approach. It's easier and more dramatic to have a black-and-white decision for a woman to make on matters of the heart.
To show a woman struggling to decide between two relatively equal men is more nuanced and more realistic, and more difficult to depict,
"Brooklyn" isn't that kind of film.
<h3 class="briefHead">Film critic's notebook</h3>
WBEZ's "Sound Opinions at the Movies" celebrates the 20th anniversary of Danny Boyle's "Trainspotting" with a showing at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. "Trainspotting" author Irvine Welsh will conduct a post-show Q&A. $10 advance tickets ($15 at the door.) For tickets, go to soundopinions.org/events.
Join me for a quick overview of the 88th annual Academy Awards called "The Oscar Goes To ..." at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. 6th Ave. St. Charles. Free admission and film clips. Please be sure you have a seat by calling (630) 584-0076 or registering online at stcharleslibrary.org.