Empire Falls

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.

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.

As a recent immigrant to Maine myself and not having read the novel, I was keen to see this movie.

Well acted and observed, with a wonderful performance by Paul Newman as the absentee patriarch, this film offers astute insight into thwarted aspirations and the dynamics of small-town USA. Ed Harris' portrayal of the proud all-American hero is excellent. The ensemble cast is well balanced and the performances real.

An excellent story (clearly as it is based on a Pullitzer prize winning novel) with an entirely unexpected twist (perhaps not fully explored if I have to be a little critical) it was a wonderful way to spend 3.5 hours.

Recommended to those who enjoy under-stated but 'real' movies.

Although everyone should read the book - it will pull you in and you'll know the real Maine and the people who live there - this film is the next best thing. The script is amazingly deft, the acting is brilliant, and the production design and values are beautiful and true to the source. Paul Newman completely embodies Miles'incorrigible father and never fails to light up the screen while completely exasperating you - like he must do to everyone who comes in contact with him. Ed Harris portrays Miles as the complex and very subtle person with a thoughtful quietness that lets you know both why people are drawn to him as well as gives you clues why he keeps these same people at a perceptible distance. The rest of the cast members are just as distinguished in their roles. (The talent quotient is unbelievably high!) As amazing as this production is on just about every level (except for the music, which is irredeemably cheesy but fortunately mostly unobtrusive) credit must be given first and foremost to Richard Russo for writing characters so real and so complex and nuanced, and dialogue that is realistically elliptical that the real pull of the movie is not waiting to see what happens, but in getting to know the characters better. These are all ordinary people and what makes them interesting is not what they do, but those subtle things that make them who they are. This is why the mini-series format was perfect. It gives the viewer the opportunity to get to know Empire Falls. My only wish is that at some point one could see this on the big screen. Certainly the mythical town of Empire Falls (and the real town that it represents) is an important character and IT'S crowded on the small screen.

Dan Plante

Richard Russo's brilliant novel gets a full movie treatment from HBO Films under the direction of Fred Schepisi. This multi layered saga of people in a small and forgotten town in Maine follows Mr. Russo's novel and makes its people come alive, as portrayed by some of America's best actors working as an ensemble under Mr. Schepisi's unobtrusive direction.

Empire Falls serves as a metaphor for all that has happened in most New England towns when industry abandoned them and unscrupulous liquidators came to pick at the bones of whatever was left behind in order to make an easy buck.

At the center of the story we find Miles Roby, a decent man who has to deal with the present day realities and try to keep his family together. As played by Ed Harris, Miles offers the actor one of the best roles he has given us in years. Helen Hunt, on the other hand, seems to be miscast in the role of Janine; her fake accent doesn't seem to help her.

Paul Newman, as the eccentric patriarch of the Roby family, loses himself in his role and we forget we are watching anyone by that crazy Max Roby. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a great contribution with a small appearance. Robin Wright Penn is seen briefly also as Grace, Miles mother who is a key figure in the story.

The rest of the cast is excellent.

The best thing that can come out of this adaptation is that people will flock to read Richard Russo's novels because he is an important voice in American literature.