http://www.submitspace.info www.submitspace.info Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:24:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.submitspace.info/childrens-transportation-service/the-anniversary-party/ http://www.submitspace.info/childrens-transportation-service/the-anniversary-party/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:24:18 +0000 admin http://www.submitspace.info/?p=8 Cast:

Alan Cumming…	…Joe Therrian
Jennifer Jason Leigh…	…Sally Nash
Gwyneth Paltrow…	…Skye Davidson
Kevin Kline…	…Jack Gold
Phoebe Cates…	…Sophia Gold
Jane Adams…	…Clair Forsyth
John C. Reilly…	…Mac Forsyth
Parker Posey…	…Judy Adams

• Directed by: Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh
  Written by: Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh
  Rated R for language, drug use and nudity
  Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes
  
  

A Dubious Milestone “The Anniversary Party” begins and ends with the same shot: a young couple waking up in bed, their heads nestled comfortably close. It’s a simple, quiet, innocuous moment, but considering what these individuals go through, the shot carries a potency not realized until the film’s conclusion.Joe Therrian (Alan Cumming) is a British novelist whose career gets a boost when a movie adaptation of his latest book is given the green light. His wife, Sally (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is an American actress whose own career is a little rocky. They have been married for six years, although have endured a several month-long separation during that time. They decide to throw an anniversary party which isn’t so much a celebration as a hopeful marital reinforcement.However, there are early hints that obstacles do linger in the road ahead. Joe’s novel is based on their marriage, but the role of the wife will be played by a flavor-of-the-month young starlet named Skye Davidson (Gwyneth Paltrow). As the story opens, we also learn that Sally is trying desperately to get pregnant which seems unwise considering the couple just recently ended their separation. I’d think some emotional issues would need to be worked out first.”The Anniversary Party” marks the directoral debut of actors Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming. Their screenplay is made up of characters based on their real-life friends, whom they also cast. The result is a sometimes funny, somtimes sad, and often fascinating inspection of Hollywood-ites in constant search of the kind of love only found in the make-believe world of movies.Among Joe and Sally’s guests are Cal Gold (Kevin Kline) and his wife, Sophia (Phoebe Cates). Cal is an acclaimed actor currently starring in a movie with Sally; Sophia is a former actress who sacrificed her career to raise their children.Mac (John C. Reilly) is the insecure director of Cal and Sally’s movie who actually brings tapes of the dailies to the party. His wife, Clair (Jane Adams) is an understandably nervous new mother who sheds her insecurity as the party rages into the night.Also invited are the Therrian’s business managers (Parker Posey and John Benjamin Hickey) and a bright young photographer formerly involved with Joe (Jennifer Beals). Sally’s lonely best friend (Michael Panes) arrives, still suffering the effects of a recent breakup. The Therrian’s contentious neighbors (Mina Badie and Denis O’Hare) also receive an invite on the advice of their lawyer, as the couples have been involved in a dispute regarding their respective cantankerous dogs.The film contains moments of humor and drama, but what makes it interesting is the way certain scenes have both elements coming to the fore simultaneously. The world inhabited by these people is a bit different from that of middle America, and the script skillfully plays off it by having characters utter lines and sentiments they take seriously, but might come across as singular and outlandish to an outsider. One scene has Sophia informing Sally that raising children is difficult not so much because of the sacrifices, but as she puts it: “because they rob you of the ability to do yourself in!” Another scene has Skye (who was invited by Joe without Sally’s knowledge) offering the drug Ecstasy to her fellow partygoers as a symbol of her love. I know chemical substances aren’t limited to southern California (hell, I’m not that green, folks) but the bright-eyed young actress offers the drug through a window of unsullied consecration. She can’t actually give the couple her heart, so hey, here’s some Ecstasy instead.Another aspect of the film I admired greatly was the way the characters are fleshed out continuously in scene after scene after scene. A lesser movie would simply establish the basic personas early on, run the individuals through an array of plot mechanisms, then show how each character changed as a result. Here, the character portraits are perpetually drawn out. We learn more about these people as the story continues, even into the final act. At the apex of this intriguing, quirky group of people are the actual couple. In Joe Thierran, Cumming embodies a man whose young life has been a series of experiments, whether it be in his career or his personal life. His approach to the world is suitable for the nurturing of his creative talent, but renders him incapable of being a good husband or a strong father figure. The character of Sally is a bit more complex. Leigh is brilliant at showing the war being waged between the love she holds for Joe, her fear of getting older (a death knell in Hollywood), and her subtle yet unshakable realization that the man she loves might not be capable of returning the kind of devotion she longs to possess. Her heart knows what it wants, but her mind is the constantly hovering devil’s advocate, ready to challenge her desires with painful truths.Which brings us again to the final shot. My description makes the ending sound cheery and upbeat. It’s not. Although it’s not really a depressing conclusion either. It’s not even a real ending, as the movie’s point seems to be that the conflict between what our souls desire and what our conscience dictates isn’t one that can be resolved in our own lifetimes. Instead, it’s a lifelong war … sometimes we score an emotional victory, other times we taste heartbreaking defeat. Each new day, however, when our eyelids lift and our muscles stretch, is another opportunity, another chance at facilitating our own happiness. ]]> http://www.submitspace.info/childrens-transportation-service/the-anniversary-party/feed/ 0