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Catch The Vanishing before its
Remake of Dutch film smokes up the big
by Sarah Meichiorre
Collegian Staff
Fast-paced, edge of your scat
excitement is what the trailer to
The Vanishing would have you
believe the whole movie was
like. The middle lagged a bit,
but the rest was incredible.
Jeff Bridges plays a demented
professor (as opposed t 0...)
named Barney. After many
comical attempts to chloroform
several different women, and
once he knocks himself out, he
lures Diane Shave to his car and
abducts her. Three years go by
and her boyfriend, Jeff Harriman
(Kiefer Sutherland), is living
with one foot in the present,
shared with new girlfriend Rita,
and one in the past - searching
still for Diane.
The Vanishing is a well put
together psycho-thriller with
many nail biting-scenes. The
scenes that are centered around
Bridges, Sutherland and/or
Nancy Travis (Rita), are filled
with tension and high pressure
thrills. All three had good
Sommersby: Perfect viewing
for Valentine's Weekend
Richard Gere makes a rare appearance in a good film
by Eric Kesselring
Collegian Staff
Get this, Jodie Foster and
Richard Gere in a westerny type
romance movie. Best of all, the
movie has a real catchy title:
Sommersby.
I figured this would be the
movie to dampen Gere and
Foster's egos. Big name stars are
great, but who wants to see them
in a stupid movie? Sommersby
is not doing that well at the box
office so my original theory may
be correct. When I saw it, I was
the only male in the theater
without a girl beside me. There
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chemistry with each other on filled with water. It starts to Jeff is given a chance to find out
screen. empty slow, and gets faster, and what happened to Diane. Jeff
faster, then slurp-it's done. must e - -,rience everythir
The plot unfolds in an
Diane (Sandra Bullock) learns the hard way the hazards of getting psychotic old men to buy your
beer for you in The Vanishing
intelligent way and fits together After three years of waiting, Diane experienced. Barney will
like a puzzle. A good analogy wondering, and searching, after take him on a journey he can't
of The Vanishing is a bathtub losing himself in the search, resist. Jeff asks Barney what
were only about a dozen women
in the theater. If the movie does
poorly, however, it will not be
because it is a bad movie.
The film is set in a small,
southern farming community
immediately after the Civil War.
Basically the entire place is
trashed and everyone is almost
broke. This is what Jack
Sommersby (Gere) returns to
find. He has been gone for six
years. The last four of which
were spent in a less than pleasant
war prison.
Everyone is happy to have him
back. He was the wealthy
community head. However,
before he was a jerk. He was
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violent and distant to his wife
(Foster). Now that he is back, he
is a great guy.
He might not be the right guy
though. His character change is
so complete that his wife, who
now loves him, does not believe
he is actually Jack Sommersby.
Things get even more interesting
when Sommersby is put on trial
for murder. James Earl Jones,
the judge, figures it is hard to try
Sommersby if he is not actually
Sommersby.
The film succeeds on two
levels.
The theme about a positive
change in character and a
restoration of hope is well
handled. The southern town
unites around Sommersby to
regain hope both in him and
themselves. Watching Foster
play a woman falling in love
with her husband is even more
touching. The faith presented in
the film is a refreshing change
from a typical love story.
The latter part of the movie
questions the identity of Richard
Gere. He heroically proves that
he is Jack Sommersby despite
having to endure the consequence
of that decision. He wants to be
Sommersby because without the
honor he brought back to that
name, he is nothing.
Most viewers will enjoy
Sommersby. The sentimental
story holds up without being
sickeningly sweet. Shame they
cannot figure out how to promote
Sommersby without making it
sound like an overdramatized
episode of Little House on the
Prairie.
Josh White, Jr.
coming to Bruno's
this Saturday
Famed American folk singer
Josh White, Jr. will perform at
9 p.m. Saturday, February 13,
at Bruno's, Penn State-Etehrend's
non-alcoholic night club located
in the Reed Union Building.
White is best known for his
powerful voice and a unique
folk-blues guitar style pioneered
by his father, Josh White, a
heavy influence on Eric Clapton
and other contemporary guitar
artists. In addition to
performances at the largest folk
festivals here and abroad, White
has performed at Carnegie Hall,
Thursday, February 11, 1993
gone!
screen
makes him so sure that he will
go and Barney answers, "I need
no gun. Your obsession is my
weapon."
The only problem with the
movie is that there isn't enough
of Bridges. He is great! He
really gets into the role.
Sutherland starts to bug you a
little, always whining about
Diane. I just wanted to say get
on with it.
The scene that stands out
most in my mind is when Rita
is questioning a wacked next
door neighbor about any strange
happenings of the day. The
next door neighbor says "Well,
in the middle of dinner the green
leprechaun jumped off the
Lucky Charms box and danced
around - magically delicious."
It's much funnier in the movie,
but it cracks me.up everytime I
think about.
The Vanishing explores the
human need to know. It's a
need we've all experienced.
How far are you willing to go
to find out?
Lincoln Center, Madison Square
Garden, the New York City
Center, the Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts, and for a
papal audience.
White has been honored with
the Harry Chapin Award for
Contributions to Humanity for
his countless benefit perform
ances.
White's Erie appearance at
Penn State-Behrend is free and
open to the public. For more
information, please call the
Office of Student Activities at
898-6171.