Director Jerry Zaks '67 has proved his success in working with the stage and the screen as he makes his feature film debut directing the movie, "Marvin's Room."
Until recently, Zaks confined his talent to theater, but after being approached with the film project by producer Scott Rudin, Zaks decided to take a shot at something new.
Zaks picked his first project well by choosing a touching story that focuses on the growth and maturation of familial relationships as individuals attempt to grapple with illness and impending death and the fear, guilt and rewards that come from caring for family.
The story revolves around two estranged sisters, Bessie (Diane Keaton) and Lee (Meryl Streep). When their father, Marvin (Hume Cronyn), becomes ill, Lee flees her responsibility, leaving Bessie to tend to their father's illness. Twenty years later, Bessie discovers she has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Her doctor, Dr. Wally (Robert De Niro), recommends her closest family members be tested for a bone marrow match. Thus, Bessie must telephone her sister and ask that she and her two sons, Hank and Charlie (Leonardo DiCaprio and Hal Scardino, respectively) be tested.
Once in Florida, the story focuses less on actual plot development than the development and growth of the familial relationships. Lee and Bessie must repair the rift in their relationship, Bessie must face her illness, and Lee's son, Hank, learns about maturation and love. Lee regains touch with her sister, father and Aunt Ruth (Gwen Verdon), learning important lessons about giving, caring, and the benefits of selflessness along the way.
Without doubt, the drive of this movie is the characters and their relationships. As Zaks stated at a reception following the film, the film works because audiences understand the need to reconcile two completely polarized feelings when caring for a sick loved one, "the impulse to take care of them, and the impulse to run away."
In a sense, Bessie and Lee represent each other's alter-ego. While Bessie chooses to take care of her father, Lee chooses to run away. When Lee is forced to take care of her father, she discovers joy. Her responsibilities extend not only to caring for the physical state of her father (and later, her sister), but also to the emotional care for her sons. As the characters open up to one another, they open themselves up to the audience, luring us in for an emotional ride. These strong, real, profound and witty characters provide the foundation to make this film work. Every actor does an extraordinary job portraying his or her role, offering the right emotional and physical response to every statement.
Although the heavy subject matter of this film does not seem as if it would leave any room for humor, the film is peppered with hilarious lines throughout the movie, many times through the minor characters. De Niro is able to get away from his usual sinister roles with his portrayal of the funny, somewhat absent-minded, and nervous Dr. Wally. Aunt Ruth (Gwen Verdon) also shone during her moments on screen through her endearing personality by portraying a delightfully humorous combination of senility and vivacity for life. The humor tends to wane with the progression of the illnesses, but does not disappear. It resurfaces at opportune moments for much-needed comic relief.
Since this film focuses on the characters and their growth and relationships with one another, it is to be expected that the pace would be slower than that of an action-adventure film. The film has moments that drag a bit, but all in all, the progression of events and unfolding of emotion is realistic. The ending comes what seems to be a bit too soon, yet were the story to continue further, it probably would have lasted too long and ended on a very depressing note.
