Dann Gire revisits 'Close Encounters' 40 years later
'Close Encounters' with a 40-year-old film
Steven Spielberg's “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” came on the cinematic heels of “Star Wars” back in 1977 (when I worked the Daily Herald crime beat) and proved to be such a vastly different motion picture experience that audiences and critics appreciated both.
On Tuesday afternoon, I saw the 4K restoration of “CE3K” for the film's 40th anniversary. The first half of the movie holds up well. Second half, not so much. (Caution: spoiler alert to readers who haven't seen “CE3K” and still intend to.)
Richard Dreyfuss' Roy Neary has got to be one of the worst dads in Hollywood history outside of “The Stepfather.” When he steps aboard that spacecraft to the adulation of all those gray alien Munchkins, he is so self-absorbed, he never thinks to tell Francois Truffaut's Lacombe, “Tell my wife and my three young kids I love them!” or “I'll send them a telepathic postcard!”
He has replaced his affections and responsibilities toward his family with an adolescent's giddy dream of becoming a space cowboy - without actually being required to prepare for it.
Significantly, both Spielberg and I did not have our own children by 1977. I'm not sure he noticed the subtext. I missed it 40 years ago.
“CE3K” is clearly a movie made before 1980s rock videos picked up the pace of Hollywood features. The movie now feels slightly sluggish, especially during the latter half, which ceases to be a classically inspired 1950s sci-fi horror movie and becomes a less-compelling (still effective) chase thriller.
Spielberg manipulated little Cary Guffey, as Melinda Dillon's son Barry, into performing those expressions of awesome joy by slowly unwrapping big gift packages just out of camera range. It worked, making Guffey's Barry one of the most adorable kid performances captured on celluloid.
Thankfully, the 40th anniversary edition of “CE3K” jettisons the extra footage from the 1980 rerelease that shows us what Roy Neary sees when he enters the alien spacecraft. (It's not that amazing and dilutes the grand wonder generated by the original ending.)
Unfortunately, “CE3K” does keep the 1980 insert shots showing the flying saucer over Roy's truck at the railroad crossing. The original film kept us guessing as to what the craft actually looked like, and created more suspense. (Although one critic thought the shadowy craft blotting out the stars paralleled the shape of the giant shark just under the water in Spielberg's “Jaws.”)
For the record, “CE3K” received eight Oscar nominations, winning an Academy Award for best cinematography, plus a special achievement award for sound effects editing.
Dann & Raymond cite film's wonder women
Dann & Raymond's Movie Club begins its 11th season 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at Schaumburg Township District Library with “The Great Female Directors,” featuring clips from films by Alice Guy Blache, Kathryn Bigelow, Ida Lupino, Agnes Varda, Jane Campion, Penny Marshall and 11 others. Free admission! schaumburglibrary.org.
World War II drama part of Film Club
“Frantz,” a drama about two World War II survivors, will be shown as part of Classic Cinemas' First Wednesday Film Club at 1 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the Charlestowne 18 Theaters, 3740 E. Main St., St. Charles.
General admission costs $5 for matinees (and seniors) and $7 for night shows. classiccinemas.com.
<i> Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire's column runs Friday in Time out!</i>