gnoelle
Joined Feb 2000
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gnoelle's rating
What better friend can a dying boy have than a mysterious neighbor who gives him a really cool ring, which he throws away at the first opportunity?
This movie had great potential. David Bowie exists only in flashback as an avuncular sage who spouts chestnuts about living and dying, and for all that I wish that his screen time had been longer. Certainly his is the most interesting character in this collection of cliches, and the casting was well done in his case.
My main problem with this movie is that it could have been a fantastic story, except it pulls out every cheap sentimental stop along the way. The story could have been told in many ways other than this one, with its collection of children that are either dying or obnoxious or both, but I suppose that it's just not as interesting or story-worthy when an adult is terminally ill. Why couldn't any other member of the community that supposedly loved and mourned Mr. Rice have been the recipient of his secret?
The treasure hunt itself is a good device, and one of the best parts of the movie, as are Owen's troubling nightmares and images of death. I would like to have seen more of this. I would like to have learned more about Mr. Rice's life...and death. Instead, we're left with frustrating glimpses of an interesting character, and no real clue why he chose this boy as his best friend. This is a movie that tries too hard to be too many things (in some places too strongly reminiscent of "Stand By Me"), and in the end really leads the viewer nowhere we haven't been before.
This movie had great potential. David Bowie exists only in flashback as an avuncular sage who spouts chestnuts about living and dying, and for all that I wish that his screen time had been longer. Certainly his is the most interesting character in this collection of cliches, and the casting was well done in his case.
My main problem with this movie is that it could have been a fantastic story, except it pulls out every cheap sentimental stop along the way. The story could have been told in many ways other than this one, with its collection of children that are either dying or obnoxious or both, but I suppose that it's just not as interesting or story-worthy when an adult is terminally ill. Why couldn't any other member of the community that supposedly loved and mourned Mr. Rice have been the recipient of his secret?
The treasure hunt itself is a good device, and one of the best parts of the movie, as are Owen's troubling nightmares and images of death. I would like to have seen more of this. I would like to have learned more about Mr. Rice's life...and death. Instead, we're left with frustrating glimpses of an interesting character, and no real clue why he chose this boy as his best friend. This is a movie that tries too hard to be too many things (in some places too strongly reminiscent of "Stand By Me"), and in the end really leads the viewer nowhere we haven't been before.
What would happen if 99% of the world's population died over the course of one summer, and it was the fault of the United States government? How would society rise from the ashes?
I've read the uncut version of The Stand about once a year for several years now. It's a book I read whenever I need a good read and need to feel good about people, and I think it's King's best work (and I've read them all). Accordingly, I looked forward to the movie with great anticipation. Some of the casting surprised me: I really did not know who Gary Sinise was before I saw this movie, and now I think he is a great actor; I hadn't really pictured Molly Ringwald as Fran but think she did an acceptable job; I had equal trepidation about Rob Lowe but was happily surprised. I've been a fan of Matt Frewer ever since "Max Headroom" and have been disappointed that he hasn't gotten better roles. I was happy to see him as Trashcan Man. And Ruby Dee is just simply transcendent. It was a little odd trying to keep track of some of the characters that had to be combined from the book to the movie, but overall I think it worked well.
The scope of this movie is truly enormous. If you have the DVD, please watch the extra "goodies," you'll be glad you did. I often think about the issue of overpopulation, and how in a drastically reduced population there would be no real reason to fight any more, with resources in abundance. Humans, being humans, will find things to fight about. Watching society reform itself in the wake of the plague is fascinating, and the lengths to which the government will go to cover up the mistake of letting the plague loose are quite depressing. This is a movie that makes you think, just as the book does.
The score is some of the best movie music I've ever heard. The sequence titled "One Will Fall By the Way," which plays while the "chosen four" set out on their journey to find Flagg, never fails to give me chills. This is a soundtrack that I can listen to over and over, and it beautifully complements the movie without distracting from it.
The only thing I can think of that is less than wonderful about the movie is that some of the effects used to show Flagg's evil are a little cheesy (the morphing devil faces in particular).
As he does in nearly every other movie made from one of his books, Stephen King shows up in a cameo role, as a cheerfully dorky truck driver.
Really, this movie is worth the time spent watching it. It's heartbreaking and hopeful, grim and beautiful all at the same time. The length may have put off some people with short attention spans, and the gore may have been toned down some to make a made-for-TV version, but just try it. Make up your own mind.
I've read the uncut version of The Stand about once a year for several years now. It's a book I read whenever I need a good read and need to feel good about people, and I think it's King's best work (and I've read them all). Accordingly, I looked forward to the movie with great anticipation. Some of the casting surprised me: I really did not know who Gary Sinise was before I saw this movie, and now I think he is a great actor; I hadn't really pictured Molly Ringwald as Fran but think she did an acceptable job; I had equal trepidation about Rob Lowe but was happily surprised. I've been a fan of Matt Frewer ever since "Max Headroom" and have been disappointed that he hasn't gotten better roles. I was happy to see him as Trashcan Man. And Ruby Dee is just simply transcendent. It was a little odd trying to keep track of some of the characters that had to be combined from the book to the movie, but overall I think it worked well.
The scope of this movie is truly enormous. If you have the DVD, please watch the extra "goodies," you'll be glad you did. I often think about the issue of overpopulation, and how in a drastically reduced population there would be no real reason to fight any more, with resources in abundance. Humans, being humans, will find things to fight about. Watching society reform itself in the wake of the plague is fascinating, and the lengths to which the government will go to cover up the mistake of letting the plague loose are quite depressing. This is a movie that makes you think, just as the book does.
The score is some of the best movie music I've ever heard. The sequence titled "One Will Fall By the Way," which plays while the "chosen four" set out on their journey to find Flagg, never fails to give me chills. This is a soundtrack that I can listen to over and over, and it beautifully complements the movie without distracting from it.
The only thing I can think of that is less than wonderful about the movie is that some of the effects used to show Flagg's evil are a little cheesy (the morphing devil faces in particular).
As he does in nearly every other movie made from one of his books, Stephen King shows up in a cameo role, as a cheerfully dorky truck driver.
Really, this movie is worth the time spent watching it. It's heartbreaking and hopeful, grim and beautiful all at the same time. The length may have put off some people with short attention spans, and the gore may have been toned down some to make a made-for-TV version, but just try it. Make up your own mind.