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Film Clips
APRIL 5, 1999:
 THE BRANDON TEENA STORY. Everyone should see this documentary,
as it's not only an engaging story, but an enlightening look at
the middle of America. The titular Brandon Teena was a young woman
who lived as a man. Her Midwestern friends and neighbors didn't
take kindly to this deceit, and when they found out that he was
a she, two of them beat and raped her on Christmas Eve, then murdered
her on New Year's eve. What's most horrifying and eye-opening
in this film are the similarities in attitude between the police
officer who first investigated the case and the murderers. Both
have yokel-like incomprehension of Brandon's life, and both blame
her for the violence that was directed against her. The documentary
is mostly a series of interviews and images from the arid Nebraska
plains where Teena was murdered, presenting the story in a detailed
and cinematic style. --DiGiovanna
ED TV. A 34-year-old loser accepts an offer from a failing
cable company to have his life broadcast 24-7. Though there are
some good jabs at the loss of privacy occasioned by modern media,
the plot gets muddied in a trite and sexist romance story. Bonus:
Director Richie Cunningham casts his old pal Ralph Malph in a
throw-away charity role! Sadly, Potsie and the Fonz couldn't make
it. --DiGiovanna
FORCES OF NATURE. The Hollywood star system often inspires
bizarre experiments by studio executives determined to test our
strength as consumers of popular culture. Actors are shuffled
around in the hope that an uber-couple will be found, a pairing
so strong that viewers will not be able to keep away. We are unwilling
witnesses to this search, one so desperate that here it brought
Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck together for 90 minutes of chemical
imbalance and charisma deficiency. Bullock works within her usual
star persona as Sarah, the plucky, irresistible gal pal who's
out for fun and maybe just a little bit more. Affleck works within
his nonexistent star persona as Ben, that very bland guy next
door who's best quality is good dental hygiene. These two are
kept together by tumultuous weather and a mutual love of 24-hour
shopping, and this causes Ben to question his love for fiancée
Bridget (Maura Tierney). Since the truly happy conclusion would
involve Sarah and Ben dying in a horrible natural disaster, the
actual ending, with all its coupling, kissing and mugging, is
bittersweet at best.--Higgins
MOD SQUAD. Claire Danes has the coolest nose. Like, she
has this sculpted, fashion-model face, but her nose has this wildly
bulbous ending. I pray to God she never gets a nose job, as watching
her enrapturing proboscis is what made this movie bearable. It's
a remake of the '70s TV series about three teenagers who work
as undercover cops. In this version, their mentor is killed and
they must avenge his death. Things are enlivened by some really
trite dialogue and surprisingly good performances by Danes, Giovanni
Ribisi and Omar Epps as fellow Squad members, and a groan-inducingly
bad performance by Dennis Farina as their chief.
--DiGiovanna
NEVER BEEN KISSED. What an unexpected Beverly Hills,
90210 reunion! David Arquette (remember Diesel, the girlfriend-beating
keyboard player?), Cress Williams (a.k.a. D'Shawn Hardell, token
minority/basketball player/fan of Donna Martin), and Jeremy Jordan
(teen Vanilla Ice, on the 90210 soundtrack album) team
up for Never Been Kissed, 60610: the Chicago years! In
the midst of all this fun is the woman once rumored to be Shannen
Doherty's replacement, Drew Barrymore. This week's topic has to
do with self-love. Poor awkward Josi (Barrymore), a mid-20s copy
editor for the Chicago Tribune, gets a writing assignment
to go undercover as a high-school senior and find the real scoop
on teens. Josi is unable to approach the story objectively because
she was tormented throughout her secondary education as the class
geek, and she has frequent flashbacks that make her vomit. She
confronts her demons with the help of her brother Rob (Arquette),
and finally finds self-confidence through the acceptance of the
popular kids, including the dreamy Guy (Jordan)--Higgins
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