Since 1996 |
  
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Tideland Stars: Jodelle Ferland, Jeff Bridges, Brendan Fletcher, Janet McTeer, and Jennifer Tilly Director: Terry Gilliam Scriptwriters: Terry Gilliam and Tony Grisoni ThinkFilms Running Time: 120 minutes Rating: not yet rated, but could be "R" Reviewed at Filmfest 2006 Kansas City Whatever were scriptwriters Terry Gilliam and Tony Grisoni thinking in this convoluted story of a young girl who may or may not have imagined what transports on the screen. If the story of abandonment by death is true, the child (Jodelle Ferland) has an imaginary capacity to see her through a horrendous experience. If we are inside her imagination, it is a trip straight out of a hallucination. All that is missing is an UFO on the horizon. Jeliza Rose (Ferland) is the daughter of Jennifer Tilly and Jeff Bridges, two drug addicts with pot for brains. Through their dialogue, you see that the baby was born to an addicted mother and was kept quiet by having Dad "blow smoke in her face." Now, Jeliza Rose is about nine years old and helps Dad "go on a vacation" by cooking heroin for him. When Mom dies, Dad and daughter take a bus trip to Grandma's farm, apparently inherited by Dad. It is in the middle of nowhere and something Andrew Wyeth would love to paint. Dad continues in his druggy haze and the daughter keeps herself amused by talking to the heads of dolls she carries with her.You begin to think there is a personality split here, as each doll has its own personality and accent. Jeliza Rose explores the property and comes across neighbors, Dale and Dickens, sister and brother. Dale doesn't like bees and makes a living as the regional taxidermist, while Dickens has physical and mental problems, but becomes a friend to Jeliza Rose with dire consequences. This farmhouse is so like something from Kansas you keep thinking Toto would be near-by. Also, Alice in Wonderland keeps popping up in a book, rabbits and rabbit holes. Why is a busy highway gravel pit in the area or a broken-down piano in the living room, open to the elements and can still produce good music? Is this part of a nightmare? Then, we come to the situation of Jeff Bridges, who looks and speaks like Kris Kristofferson here. I wonder if he really looked at the last half of the script to find out what was going to happen. If not, he was one surprised dude. Tideland does have good performances including Jodelle Ferland, who goes from sweet innocent to flirt in a heartbeat. Brendan Fletcher steals his scenes as Dickens, who has had a terrible past and lives in his own private shell. Janet McTeer is over the top as a woman who left normal behind and advanced to the land of white coats with wrap-around sleeves. Tideland has its share of gross-out scenes, including the taxidermy shop and two bedrooms. The film runs two hours and at least 30 minutes of Jeliza Rose talking to the doll heads or running through the fields could have been omitted. There is one poignant moment, when Dad sails off into his drug-land that the daughter says quietly, "Maybe I'll wake inside your dream, Daddy." I'm sure there, Mom would be dancing. You may start declining those dinner dates in the country and never look at peanut butter the same way again.
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