Beautiful Girls

It is very rare to encounter a film so devoted to character and this is the greatest strength of Beautiful Girls. Each character has their own personal turmoil and lightness which shines through in a film which from start to finish very little movement of plot is actually achieved, but then again it doesn't need to.

Small-town sensibilities and community spirit are intertwined with the notions of enigmatic strangers posing in an almost prophetic manner delivering advice upon the populous. Events such as brutal fighting, unashamed drunkenness and references to sex are handled as items which are not derogatory but necessary in a rites of passage kind of way. Each character develops through the film into better individuals of what they once were but not to such an extent as to impose sickly sweet values on the audience.

Every character is natural and rounded despite some major personality flaws. Timothy Hutton's excellent Willy is at odds with himself over the next stage of growing up, Rappaport plays the goofy yet loveable fool for love, Dillon the lost soul and Emmerich the doting yet somewhat incapable father. But it is in the Beautiful Women themselves where the real essence of the film lies. Uma Thurman is every blonde inch the mysterious and elegant Andera crossing paths with everyone and influencing their lives for the better. Rosie O'Donnell as the brash 'matron' of the group is the perfect foil for Sorvino's insecure personality. The ace of the bunch however is a mesmerising Natalie Portman who even despite being the cast's youngest member is compelling to the point that you can understand Willy's fascination with her character Marty.

For anyone wishing for comfort on a cold winter afternoon there are very few films with such a strong heart, Demme excels himself by never laying on the sentimentality rather poking gingerly at our own innermost feelings, and coming out with a winner.

Beautiful Girls, notwithstanding its stellar cast, is a cerebral and multi-layered film which represents the emasculation of emotional and experiential films, which are often (and rightfully) vilified, or what might be called "chick flicks". To this end, Beautiful Girls is a veritable "guy flick" and addresses to a more emotional end, some of the same 20-something angst and existentialist related issues faced by men as seen in more obvious (and violent) examples such as Fight Club. This film is a richly textured character story, profiling one man's quest for self understanding and direction by returning to his banal hometown from the big city while at a crossroad in his personal life, and while entering a new epoch in his relationship with an equally banal woman. His amalgam of high school friends remain isolated, almost indentured, to the same working class routine which defined their adolescence, and have little hope of ever moving on, other than in their idle daydreams. His subsequent obsession with the barely pubescent girl next door, Marty,(Portman) is in fact somewhat reminiscent of the dialectic of beauty and decay explored in Thomas Mann's epic "Death in Venice" whereas her youth and perceived way of interpreting the world is enviable, almost infectious. She represents less of a sexual or romantic fixture in his mind than she does a crucible for all things he values and hopes for. And still hopes to be. This film is not for everybody, and some less patient, or intelligent, viewers will no doubt decry it as boring or slow. Indeed the storyline is far from cutting edge, but the real story in this film is the people, the place, and the raw emotion which we can all relate with. This film is an impressionist painting come to life and is perfect philosophical fodder for the introspective type.

(Maybe you should read this after watching the movie. I don't know if reading it before will spoil it for you--I doubt it, in fact, but you never know.)

Being the typical unmarried man, I rented "Beautiful Girls" because of its attractive title. I had no idea it could be so moving or endearing. I may be just getting soft, but it was one of the few films I have thought about for more than 72 hours after I saw it.

Aside from all the sexual content, swearing, etc., the dialogue between Marty (the now beautiful Natalie Portman) and Willie (my favorite actor, Timothy Hutton) is nothing short of astounding. Willie is enchanted and attracted to this little 13-year old girl next door. As they exchange more and more conversation, he realizes her great potential and even dreams about how he might just be able to wait ten years and maybe marry her.

The scene in which Willie discusses his feelings with Mo, his married friend was the turning point of the story. Willie realizes that, even if she had a love-at-first-sight crush on him, she would drift away as she matures; she would find someone closer to her own age, and Willie would become just some silly old man she met when she was young and had a ridiculous, immature attraction to. He realizes that by just being her friend, he will be able to keep her in a much more real way than if he tries to wait for her to be his lover.

But the one scene I will remember forever, the most perfect scene in the entire movie, in which the dialogue seemed neither forced nor over-elongated, was the scene in the ice-skating rink with Marty and Willie. Marty tells Willie all the things he would have liked to hear before his talk with Mo. She would marry him after they waited five years, etc. The association Willie makes with Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robins is so beautiful it almost made me cry. (Not really, but you get the point). He gives her a good taste of reality, and she seems mature enough to understand.

In a later scene, Willie tells Marty that he would like to continue being a friend, even a mentor to her, and he has total confidence that whatever she does will be amazing.

There are about three other stories intertwined into the movie, but the Portman-Hutton line stands out as the superior.

Overall, a wonderful movie to which they should have given a title that would attract people with the ability to be moved.

P.S. The funniest part of the entire movie is the confused look Willie and Paul exchange after Mo gives unusually-phrased threats to Steven, who beat up their friend. You have to have seen the movie to understand

Having gone to my local video shop, wanting to rent either Gladiator or a big-budget blockbuster type film for my 'Girls Night In', I came across this in the Bargain Bin for only £2.99(about $5). I figured either the tape was run down (with it being ex-rental) or the film was crap and nobody ever rented it. However, the prospect of Matt Dillion and Timothy Hutton in the same film made me buy it (although my girlfriends were discouraged!)

So after a marathon evening of Gladiator followed by Being John Malkovich, I popped this in the Video and was enthralled! The acting was great and the story relevant to real-life. Everybody goes through these problems, after all. The chemistry between Willie (Timothy Hutton) and Marty (the wonderful Natalie Portman) was brilliant - even though the subject is considered taboo.

Matt Dillion's little triangle with Mira Sorvino and Lauren Holly is an entertaining sideline and Michael Rapaport provides the comic relief as we watch his crumbling relationship with Martha Plimpton. Rosie O'Donnell is also hilarious as the down-to-earth ready-to-break-your-balls-if-you-step-out-of-line type who is happy to rip the rose coloured glasses from your face whenever she feels its necessary.

There is a real sense of friendship between this all-star cast and that really the defining factor in this film. However, the real stars are Hutton and Portman who are simply brilliant. She has perfected the little vixen role in Leon (aka The Professional) and although the characters of Mathilda and Marty are completely different, there is that little inkling of a girl wanting to be loved by a man in her performance. Hutton handles his role with care - and his Winnie-The-Pooh speech is simply heartbreaking!

Update 7/1/11 I still love this movie!! I have to watch it at least once a year and I can't say that about too many movies (I've now seen this more than Star Wars IV). Please allow yourself time to kick back and enjoy a very believable story of Anywhere USA Americana. Below is my original review from many years ago. Thanks

Prior Review--

I love this movie. Too bad Demme is Donne because this is great work. Every single role is believable and not over-acted. Maybe it's my 30 something (now 40 something) mind working but this is a great movie to sit down and enjoy. Nothing blows up and I can't recall a single car chase but if you can allow yourself to get involved with a storyline, this is for you.

You can fall in love with Natalie Portman and I don't know that I've ever seen Rapaport in a better role. There isn't anyone more anti Rosie Odonell than me, but even her role is great. The bad news for friends and family is that I've stolen many lines from this flick because I'm not original enough to come up with my own stuff.

"What's he all creased about"

I would be first in line to purchase a (another) DVD that is Dolby Digital and has some extras. Lastly, don't miss the soundtrack, there is a great blend of feel good music along with some new, cool licks.