The Majestic Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)December 23rd, 2001
THE MAJESTIC (2001) / ***
Directed by Frank Darabont. Screenplay by Michael Sloane. Starring Jim Carrey, Martin Landau, Laurie Holden. Running time: 152 minutes. Rated PG by the MFCB. Reviewed on December 23rd, 2001.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Peter Appleton (Carrey) accidentally drives his car off a bridge and wakes up, amnesiac, in the small town of Lawson. There, he is mistaken for lost War hero Luke Trimble. Luke's apparent reappearance rejuvenates the dying town, and he gradually comes to accept his new life, even helping aged Harry Trimble (Landau) reopen the long-mouldering Majestic movie theatre. But has "Luke" really left his identity as Appleton behind forever?
Review: "The Majestic" tries to be an homage to the works of Frank Capra, and it very nearly gets there. All the ingredients are right: small-town feel, life-affirming storyline, and Carrey very good in a role clearly written with Jimmy Stewart in mind. "The Majestic" echoes "Mr Smith Goes To Washington" in its climactic courtroom scene and "It's A Wonderful Life" in its what-if concept. But whereas Capra excelled at treading the boundaries of schmaltz but never quite crossing that line, Darabont is not so skilled a filmmaker. So when Carrey has his great soliloquy, it is more saccharine than stirring. Similarly, although "The Majestic" boasts a few nice characters -- Carrey's, obviously, and a wily old usher played by Gerry Black -- the film lacks the enchanting array of personalities Capra captured in, say, "You Can't Take It With You". Particularly disappointing is Holden's rather tepid Adele, who can't hold a candle to Jean Arthur's Clarissa Saunders. Capra parallels aside, however, "The Majestic" is a well-made feel-good movie. In particular, Darabont nicely captures the paradoxical nature of 1950s America: the coziness of Mom 'n apple pie on the one hand, and the obscene paranoia of McCarthyism on the other. Also fun are the little jabs at the Hollywood machine, which will no doubt be gratifying to anybody who knows what it's like to write for the pictures.
Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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