Grand Canyon

"Grand Canyon" is the rare, fleeting example of a movie handled so truthfully from the start that the journey overwhelms the give-away ending. For a superb 137 minutes flashing by, directing, acting, and screenwriting hit a nearly flawless note. Sucking on this bottle for instant gratification, however, is contra-indicated. Grand Canyon does not leave home with a nursemaid. Those who lust for predictable Hollywood spin with contrived drama and only fantastic elements of human life will feel unsatisfied with Director and Screenwriter (with Meg Kasdan) Lawrence Kasdan's stubborn defiance of proper genre hygiene. Kasdan's visual poetry draws us in to a world of separate images, forcing potential connections to jack-knife through the mind. Yet Kasdan provides no answers, at least not quickly. The radomness deliberately provokes preconditioning that "everything happens for a reason in the movies". Nothing connects. Nothing makes sense in the formula way wished subconciously. After all, one sees movies to escape life, not to immerse in it. The viewer's frustration peaks and the introspective see Kasdan's point about life's overwhelming radomness. Grand Canyon's scenes unfold throughout L.A. and Kasdan brilliantly plays on everyday scenarios of commutes, dodgy neighborhoods, and family tension until familiarity and frustration forces the viewer to hold these images as their own. The tension of the film binds with our personal emotions about how alienating life can be, about how alone we really are. For those who evaluate their suspended belief on his terms, Kasdan has a rich reward. He spoons us our medication precisely when we need it and not when we think we do. Yet by now there is little desire to fast-forward. We are entering with a sort of intrinsic trust into Kasdan's world. He has established that to "get" his story we need every word, each nuance. Kasdan's pace does not disapoint but takes off as the relationships form. His cuts and dialogue sync perfectly to the state of his characters as they (and we) make the connections. Grand Canyon truly gallops just a step in front of its audience beckoning with analytical gestures into its emotional content. But just as his message of alienation seems drilled one too many times Kasdan lifts the man-hole cover off a new hole and declares alienation isn't really what he's talking about at all. The isolating radomness is exposed as a delicate lure that creates humanity and a sense of fragility in the viewer; an understanding of the shared poignancy of coming and going ultimately, alone. We see Kasdan is really speaking of how the life's randomness heightens the beauty of connections to others simply because life usually makes no sense and of the responsibility to light the candle for people simply because we grope in darkness ourselves. In a movie as abstractly symbolic and thought provoking as "Apocalypse Now", Kasdan creates what could be Apocalypse Now's alter ego, the gentle side. His characters unveil a chosen logic, a purposeful proactivity that seems heroic in their chaotic world. However, the superb acting eliminates the possibility that Grand Canyon is populated with two dimensional goody-two-shoes. In fact, it is not so much of a stretch to imagine these characters were ourselves in their situations, a refreshing twist from the standard "wannabe" Hollywood fantasy. Kasdan does not exude easy answers, but seems to nudge us, asking "what would you do?" as we realize how precisely his everyday, chaotic world mirrors our own and how many untapped choices might be right here with us the moment we finish watching his movie and begin our life.

Lawrence Kasdan has always assembled fantastic casts to deliver his creative and thought-provoking screenplays about contemporary life in America. From the classic "Big Chill", to the more recently understated comedy "Mumford", it is plain to see that Kasdan is much, much more than just the screenwriter of two "Star Wars" movies. With "Grand Canyon" Kasdan shows us a frightening, realistic story laced with humor and humanity about finding small miracles within the lives that we lead, instead of looking for greater ones. Kevin Kline and Danny Glover notable performances in their careers. Steve Martin plays it dramatic effectively, but being Martin, must inject humor here and there. Mary McDonnell, Mary-Louise Parker, and Alfre Woodard give strong support as well. "Grand Canyon" is one of the finest films released in 1991, and though it received an Academy Award nomination for Original Screenplay, it seemed to be unjustly passed over. Though over two hours long and filled with only dialogue, "Grand Canyon" is a must-see motion picture, if you appreciate intelligent, provoking and metaphorical writing, proving points in subtle humanity instead of exploding effects.

A guy takes a shortcut to avoid the traffic after a Lakers basketball game. This leads to a frightening, life-threatening encounter that forces him to deal with life, the universe and everything.

Why do some people choose to do good things while others choose to do bad and terrible things? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind of the Grand Canyon.

While this movie may not be for everyone, especially if you rent it thinking it's a western, well, it may still be worth viewing.

The haunting music that quietly accents the whole film till the powerful brass anthem variation at the ending credits adds to the overall feel of this movie.

The surgical operation sequence to remove a bullet from a leg was sickening. Obviously, the intention was to show that a bullet wound is more than just a red spot on clothing. The scene where the surgeon works through damaged muscle, tendon and shattered bone to remove a bullet and repair the wound was mercifully edited out of the TV version.

This movie makes a clever reference to another movie, "Sullivan's Travels". Search the database and you will find that this movie was released exactly fifty years before this movie (1941) and has similar themes. Maybe watching this 1941 film may make some sense out of "Grand Canyon" for some viewers.

Unfortunately, just as there are those who actually visited the real Grand Canyon and found it a spectacular, almost spiritual experience, there are those who think the Grand Canyon is just a big hole, the Parthenon is just a pile of rocks and this movie is just a senseless waste of time.

This highly underrated film is (to me) what good writing in a movie should be all about. Kasdan takes the search for meaning in our lives and lays it out for all to see and wonder at. The movie is about the divides people create to insulate themselves from the violence and hatred and bigotry of everyday life.

Along the way we are asked question after question about life. Davis (Steve Martin with a great beard) asks himself 'Is my making a violent movie (and by extension our enjoyment of it) causing the violence in society?' Claire asks "What kind of world throws away something as precious as a human life?' Mack is not immune as he asks 'Is it possible to pass beyond the bounds of race and (an even harder step) finance? These are of course not quoted from the film, but generalities. Others ask their questions too, and to be honest it raises more than it answers.

But that is the nature of life. We strive all our lives to find answers to questions we will never totally answer, and in certain cases have to make answers fit to our own needs and desires. As humans we thrive on questions we cannot answer. Some answers are real. Claire and Mack come to realize that even though they could take the easy road and let the state take the baby, their finding it placed the responsibility for her life in their hands. Some answers are not. Davis `Sees the Light' and decides not to make violent films, but the next day turns around and dismisses his epiphany as subordinate to his art.

We all seek answers. This movie does not answer them for; it simply reminds you to keep looking for the answers.

"Grand Canyon" is a lot of things at once, but I found all of it completely fascinating. The characters and situations were realistic and the cast is flawless. You might find yourself crying at the movie - I did. It's a shame there was no audience for this movie, because I think it has a lot to say on several levels.