The latest dark comedy by Columbia pictures, "To Die For," will be part of a special presentation by the Dartmouth Film Society this Friday.
Based on a novel by Joyce Maynard and starring Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon, "To Die For" is touted as one of the best films of the Fall season. In addition to the special screening at Spaudling Auditorium this weekend, the screenwriter Buck Henry '52 and Maynard will be also be present to introduce the movie.
Essentially, the movie paints a portrait of America as seen through the eyes of a woman whose warped view of reality and naive ambition to become a TV personality land her in some trouble. It is an exploration of a personality whose entire value system is based on popular media.
Henry sums up the story as "partly Warhol's prediction that 'In the future everybody will be famous for fifteen minues,' and partly a quote from the Richard Nixon obituaries, 'Americans don't believe anything unless it's on TV.' The theme of the film is the American addiction to celebrity and fame in other people."
Kidman, the central character of the film, stars as a woman obsessed with the dream of becoming a high-profile media personality.
"Suzanne is a young girl who desperately wants to be on television and to be successful," Kidman said in a press release. "She's very interesting, and, I think, a very real person. There's also a humane aspect to her, although a lot of people would disagree with me. She wants everyone to do well, to be successful and live up to their potential as she sees it."
Producer Laura Ziskin feels that Kidman suits the role exceptionally well because of her sense of timing and affinity for humor. "It's a very strong character part and as the film progressed, we discovered what an exceptional comedienne she is," Ziskin said in a press release.
Dillon, who plays Larry Maretto, Suzanne's husband, received critical acclaim for his performance in another film also directed by Gus Van Sant: "Drugstore Cowboy."
Though reluctant to accept Larry's role at first, Dillon realized that there was more to him that met the eye.
"When I first read the script I thought that Larry was kind of a sap, but it's not that he's dopey, he's just blindly in love with his girl. He's a good guy who thinks his wife is really cool," Dillon said in a press release.
Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Jimmy, Suzanne's teenage admirer, ends up representing a pivotal role in "To Die For." Both Van Sant and Ziskin welcomed his presence on the set during production, as "enriched the tale with his own persona."
The team of Henry and Van Sant, however, is what adds the spice to this movie.
"Gus is a real visual artist. He has a fabulous eye and, I say this in the best sense, an idiosyncratic way of shooting and a somewhat idiosyncratic design sense that is very strong, defined and clear. His style and Henry's writing talents seemed like a good mix for this project," Ziskin said.
Henry, who made his acting debut at 16 in a road company production of "Life as Father," has shuttled back and forth from theatre to the big screen. A two-time Academy Award nominee, he brings a unique style to writing; serious themes molded with humorous, at times, sarcastic overtones.
His screenplays include "Catch-22," "The Owl and the Pussycat" and "What's up Doc?" Henry also shared a best Director Oscar nomination with Warren Beatty for "Heaven Can Wait" in 1978.
Soon after graduating from Dartmouth, Henry relocated to California, where he became a writer-performer on ABC's "The Steve Allen Show," which ultimately led to a writing job on "The Gary Moore Show." During this period, he wrote his first film script, "The Troublemakers," which set his career in motion.
Tickets for Friday night's special screening of "To Die For" (with Buck Henry and Joyce Maynard in person) are $6.50 for the general public and $2 for Dartmouth Film Society members.
