The Cemetery Club Review
by berardinelli,james (blake7 AT cc DOT bellcore DOT com)February 18th, 1993
THE CEMETERY CLUB
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Running Length: 1:46
Rated: PG-13 (mature themes, language)
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Danny Aiello, Olympia Dukakis, Diane Ladd Director: Bill Duke
Producers: David Brown, Bonnie Palef, and Sophie Hurst Screenplay: Ivan Menchell
Music Direction: Elmer Bernstein
Released by Touchstone Pictures
Esther Moskowitz (Ellen Burstyn), Doris Silverman (Olympia Dukakis), and Lucille Rubin (Diane Ladd) are three aging Jewish best friends. When we meet them in a short prologue, they are all married. Four years later, they're widows. Most recently bereaved, and taking her husband's death the hardest, is Esther. Then, one day at the cemetery, she meets Ben Katz (Danny Aiello) by the graveside of his late wife. Together, after an uncertain period of getting to know one another, they begin exploring what love can be like the second time around.
Like USED PEOPLE, THE CEMETERY CLUB tries to present a romantic comedy centered around the over-fifty crowd. Also like USED PEOPLE, THE CEMETERY CLUB is not wholly successful. Both movies suffer from the same problems: an over-reliance on formulas and a plot that meanders.
The recipe-style storytelling of THE CEMETERY CLUB identifies it as a product of one of the Disney subsidiaries (Touchstone), companies which survive by churning out marginally-watchable films that recycle worn-out ideas. In this case, the only thing new is the age of the main characters. Everything else in this film has been overdone before. Perhaps the most disappointing thing about THE CEMETERY CLUB is that there are no surprises from start to finish. Everything is completely predictable. At least most of the humor, some of which seems out-of-place, is amusing.
There are a few moments which are supposed to be poignant. One, where Esther talks about coming home after her husband's death to find his toothbrush still damp, works. The others, however, are marginally successful at best, including the "big" one near the end. With the exception of Esther and Ben, we don't know enough about these characters to really care what happens to them.
THE CEMETERY CLUB runs out of energy about a half-hour before the final credits roll. Around the time that the plot goes on full automatic, I lost interest. When a film should be building toward something, THE CEMETERY CLUB loses momentum. Pacing is part of the problem, but there's enough blame to go around for the director, writer, and producers.
Don't blame the actors for the movie's shortcomings, however. Ellen Burstyn, taking on her first major film role in a while, does an excellent job fleshing out Esther, and almost manages to singlehandedly pull the movie through its murkiest moments. Diane Ladd and Olympia Dukakis, in what amount to supporting roles, have a good sense of their characters - better, I think, than the audience is ever given an opportunity to see. Danny Aiello does as much as he can with a banal, stereotyped persona.
This movie should have been better. The romance between Esther and Ben doesn't have to follow typical Hollywood form, but instead of crafting something special, the producers opted for the easy way out. Also, the relationship between the three women is bland and incompletely developed. Films like ENCHANTED APRIL illustrate the kind of dynamics that could have been present in THE CEMETERY CLUB. While not a total waste, this picture is a definite disappointment.
Rating: 6.8 (C+, **)
- James Berardinelli ([email protected])
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