Empire Falls

"Empire Falls" (2005) is a screen adaptation of Richard Russo Pulitzer prize winning novel of the same title. It is a multi character drama that takes place in a small town Empire Falls, Maine. In its center if Miles Roby (Ed Harris) who manages the local restaurant, "Empire Grill" that belongs to a wealthy and powerful widow Mrs. Whiting. The film concerns Miles's re-evaluating his life and searching for answers to the difficult questions. In his search, he looks back at his childhood, his relationship with his mother and the connection between her life and Whitings family. Miles also has to deal with the problems of those close to him: his father Max (Paul Newman stole the show with his performance as a prodigal father), his teenage daughter Tick, his ex-wife Janine, and many more. Based on the first-rate writing, the film is masterfully shot and extremely well acted story of a small and forgotten town with no future.

Empire Falls is a remarkably intelligent piece of work, so very different from most mindless Hollywood films today. The smooth blend of comic and tragic with satiric overtones was brilliant. The easy transition from past to present reminds us all of the interdependence of child and parent, and the poignancy of different types of love. It reminded me of what films used to be capable of portraying in an era before mindless special effects took the place of human drama. The cast and crew should be commended for their artistic integrity in not succumbing to the current trend in the entertainment industry to cater to the lowest common denominator. I hope some Hollywood producers think about the fact that film can be thought-provoking, and not just a series of electronic jolts.

Empire Falls was a clear indication that there are still actors and actresses out there, and there are stories to be told without resorting to egregious remakes of old television series. If film is to be a viable part of culture, it needs to stimulate the mind of the viewer, and this film does that by creating complex characters who come to life on the screen. The issues of ambition and failure and love and hate pertain to us all, and the range of ages of the characters allowed for a wide identification. Empire Falls is a shining example of what the entertainment industry is capable of producing when it sets its mind on portraying the reality of the human condition with all of its weaknesses and strengths.

and this Richard Russo novel is realistic in its depiction of the state. Very nice little film (or mini-series) that boasts some terrific performances from Ed Harris (too old though), Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Kate Burton, William Fichtner, Aidan Quinn, Theresa Russell, Jeffrey DeMunn, Estelle Parsons, Robin Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Dennis Farina. Howvever, I did NOT like Helen Hunt and her fake accent. And the kids were all faky. I recognized shots from Camden and Brunswick. I even met Russo at a Camden breakfast place on the harbor. But a nice effort and production here. A very sad story about lost hope and lost chances, but very realistic in the long run. Harris, Newman, and Woodward will win Emmys. And as a graduate of University of Maine in Orono (BA and MA) I recognized a lot of the logging pictures they showed at the beginning. A very classy HBO effort all around. I look forward to Russo's future novels.

Richard Russo's 483-page novel offers a multi-faceted story and a fascinating array of characters in a small town in Maine who are burdened by the weight of the past. At the heart of the story is the character of Miles Roby, the proprietor of a local grill. We learn of Miles' love that he felt for his deceased mother and the love that he feels for his young daughter. The story resonated with American readers, and Russo was awarded the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

For a film version of Russo's novel, it would be difficult to imagine the assembling of a finer cast for the quirky, eccentric characters of "Empire Falls." The unassuming and selfless Miles Roby is brilliantly performed by Ed Harris. Although Russo was initially leaning towards the actor James Gandolfini for this crucial role, Harris captures the sensitivity and emotional depth of Miles that few other actors could achieve. Other members of this stellar cast include Paul Newman (as Miles' crusty father Max); Joanne Woodward (as the town matriarch Francine Whiting); Danielle Panabaker (as Miles' daughter); Helen Hunt (as Miles' ex-wife Janine); Aidan Quinn (as Miles' brother David); Theresa Russell (as Miles' co-worker and confidante at the grill); Estelle Parsons (as Miles' mother-in-law); and Kate Burton (as Cindy Whiting and lifelong admirer of Miles). These performances were so rich that it was as if the actors had been studying the book and developing their characters for the past three years. This was a film production so faithful to its source that it would be impossible reread the novel without thinking of this enormously gifted cast.

Veteran film director Fred Schepisi led the cast with a sure-handed yet leisurely paced style. In Russo's novel, the scenes from the past are written in italics, placing the key love relationship of Miles' mother Grace and Charlie Mayne in bold relief. This crucial relationship unfolded in the film in a slightly grey haze, which conveyed a visual aura of the past. As performed by Robin Wright Penn and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the relationship of Grace and Charlie was one of the most touching among many in this stellar cast. Schepisi's transitional moments between past and present were brilliantly conceived in the film.

Russo's novel is a uniquely American saga, recalling such great works of naturalism as Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy." The story has great scope and deals with such themes as family dysfunction, small-town gossip, commerce and industry, political infighting, and, above all, family secrets. The painful layers of the past in the lives of the characters were carefully revealed to us and to the characters themselves. In one of the most moving sequences of the film, the past merges with the present, and the realization of Miles is that ultimately one must declare a "truce" with the ghosts from the past.

One of the readers affected by this powerful story was the actor Paul Newman, who had previously collaborated with Russo on the film "Nobody's Fool." Newman served as one of the film's executive producers. This HBO film adaptation of "Empire Falls" has been three years in the making, and the result is truly a labor of love.

It took me weeks to read the book, which, for me, is unusual. It wasn't that I didn't like it; to the contrary, I couldn't believe how terrific it was. But I could not put my finger on why it was taking me so long to read, until I reached the final third of the book: I simply did not want it to end. I had come to know the characters so well, through the deftness of Richard Russo's prose, and had come to like (at least most of) them, that I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye.

Such was my reaction to HBO's film version of this great American novel.

Others here have praised the production, so I'll only add my brief thoughts: The cast, from the main players to the secondary characters, is uniformly excellent, with one or two exceptions. It was thrilling to see Joanne Woodward back on the screen, but she interprets the role with a softness that, in my opinion, was entirely absent from the actual character she was portraying. So, a point or two off there. Otherwise, the acting was brilliant.

The screenplay adhered very closely to the novel, but some key dialog was disappointingly missing. I recognize that a 400+ page book, to be translated to film, requires editorial discretion. Still, a few things were lost that should have remained.

While the first half takes its time to establish characters and relationships, the second half feels rushed, and the ending definitely so. I couldn't help but feel that something was left on the cutting room floor. But then again, I didn't want it to end in the first place.

Because I am such a fan of the book, I was eager for my wife to see the movie (she hasn't read the book). So, I had a lot invested in the hope that they wouldn't screw it up. When the final credits rolled, I looked over at her, and her tears were flowing. "I didn't want it to end," she said quietly.

And neither will you.