It's been 9 years since director Lawrence Kasdan put out a
film, the last being DREAMCATCHER. More than that if you can remember the type
of film he is best known for, an ensemble piece that captures the essence of
what being human is all about. His classic THE BIG CHILL is but a forgotten
memory to some and unknown to a new generation of movie goers. But Kasdan has
always excelled at these ensemble pieces and it's nice to see him in true form
with DARLING COMPANION.
Many will look at the box for this release and think it is
nothing more than another animal picture. That does set the stage for this tale
but it isn't the main ingredient. Diane Keaton plays Beth, the mother of one
daughter Ellie (Lindsay Sloane) who's moved her family to New York and another
Grace (Elisabeth Moss) who's in school. After dropping Ellie off at the airport
while driving home, Beth tells Grace to stop the car on the freeway. There,
they find a wounded and lost dog that they take home. While Beth's husband
Joseph (Kevin Kline) insists the dog isn't staying time passes and it's a year
later.
While the family has grown accustomed to the dog, now named
Freeway, a new change is about to kick in. Grace is about to marry the
veterinarian they took the dog to when they first found him. The wedding is in
the family vacation home on Colorado and goes smoothly. New characters are
introduced including Joseph's sister Penny (Dianne Wiest) and her new boyfriend
Russell (Richard Jenkins) and housekeeper Carmen (Ayelet Zurer). They are the
last remaining guests for the night after the wedding as well as Penny's son
and Joseph's fellow back surgeon Bryan (Mark Duplas).
With the intent of staying just a few days it all changes
when during Joseph loses Freeway while taking him for a walk. Having not taken
along the dog's whistle and losing him while talking on his cell phone
(something he does constantly), Beth blames him for the loss of the dog which
has taken on an extreme amount of importance to her over the past year. Joseph
thinks she's over reacting to the dog's loss and that he will come home. Beth
thinks Joseph is unfeeling and just wants to ignore his personal
responsibilities.
All hands join in in the search for Freeway. Things get a
bit more interesting when Carmen reveals she is of gypsy descent and has the
ability to "see things". Following the clues she offers them, each
member of the group is paired off and the search goes forward. Along the way
each of these characters gets to know the other a little better. Bryan gets to
know Russell a bit more as he tries to decide if the man is just after his
mother's pension in hopes of building a pub. Bryan and Carmen get close as
well. Penny and Russell show that theirs is perhaps the closest relationship in
the group. And Beth and Joseph are forced to look back at the choices they've
made through the years and to discover that love that they once shared long
ago. Has it died or was it simply misplaced over the years?
Kasdan has always done a great job with ensemble pieces like
this. Both THE BIG CHILL and GRAND CANYON are works that bring together a cast
of characters and have them intertwine throughout the story being told, coming
together and moving apart, discovering who they really are and who the others
around them are and finally realizing the things that are truly important to
each of them.
Kids of the MTV generation that want answers and want them
in five minutes will have a difficult time with this movie. There are no neat
and tidy summations in the first 5 minutes or within the first hour of the
film. Instead we watch the characters mingle back and forth until the end of
the film when the search for Freeway ends either in his loss or discovery. But
then to tell you what happens would be to create the worst spoiler ever.
Well made and well thought out, this film entertains from
start to finish. And above all is some of the best acting around. Keaton
remains a fantastic actress and looks amazing. Kline in his sixth film with
Kasdan turns in an effortless performance. And the rest of the cast falls in
line with these two leads to offer totally believable characters.
This is not an action film, a horror film or a teen comedy.
This is a movie about real people with real problems who find themselves after
having tucked away emotions and ideas for some period of time. As the
characters reveal themselves so does the story. It's nice to see a film take
the time to speak rather than rush everything.
Click here to order.
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