The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • Page 29

G7 own Talk. Alexandria -PmeviEe. La, Friday. September tl urn- 'Bostonians' Subtle Film Of Personal Relationships Movie Review Bv Rkk Bratltv Tv Talk Staff ttrbtr The Bostonians" is a subtle film, dealing uith the personal relationship of three people set against the backdrop of the women's sufferage movement in Boston in 1875 One of the main supporters of the movement is Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave), a shy. proud militant She and her distant cousin Basil Ransom (Chnstoper Reeve) attend a meeting where Verena Tarrant (Madeleine potter), the daughter of a faith healer, shows her remarkable talent for oration concerning the women's movement Olive takes Verena in, to educate her and to take her talents to the public, but their relationship grows closer each dav.

Basil, a 5, i vr Vy- m-, a iM.MriKM.. a The relationship between Ransom and Verena is also developed through emotions alone. If they ever reached a physical level that too was handled off camera Instead, the film concentrates on their exchange of views, their growing love and their desperate fight against the forces keeping them apart BECAUSE THE FILM deals so heavily with emotions and character development it works only because of the performances by the three main actors. Reeve" is best known for his days of wearing a red cape and blue tights in the three "Superman" films. As Ransom, the southern gentleman.

Reeve may silence critics who say his acting is limited to flying through the air. Because Ransom is from Mississippi, Reeve is required to use a southern accent The first few times he speaks, it seems too alien for him to pull off. But as the film progresses the accent becomes almost second nature. This is by far Reeve's best acting to date and could be the start of a series of good films for him. HIS PERFORMANCE IS magnified by Miss Redgrave's efforts.

In contrast to his smooth, assertive attitude, her style is proud and introverted. Ms. Redgrave has been in such stand-out films as "The Trojan Women" and "Playing for Time," and this performance equals her Academy Award winning effort in "Julia." In the central role of Verena, Miss Potter makes her film debut. She has a unique beauty that makes her perfect for a 19th century setting. She is not stunningly beautiful, but her innocence makes her appealing.

The film is paced slowly, and the first 20 minutes might send some people packing. The opening scene is confusing: It throws Christopher Reeve and Madeleine Potter embrace in a scene from "The Bostonians' the weight of an as in the case of "Bolero." For "The Bostonians," however, the Westgate Cinema plans to admit all viewers. With the glut of summer trash, a film that celebrates human emotions and is handled so well is easily recommendable for younger audiences. It is an excellant film for the entire family to see. Passing over "The Bostonians" for crass, low-budget films with more action would be a big mistake.

Opening today at the Westgate Cinema 8, "The Bostonians" is unrated but suitable for the entire family. one immediately into the suffe-rage movement amidst unfamiliar characters. But like plowing through the first 100 pages of a James novel, sticking with the film makes up for the early moments of squirming. "The Bostonians" is not rated, because the film company (Merchant Ivory Productions) felt a rating would turn off some moviegoers. A non-rating can carry A great evening listening to a great band! 473-0246 I A SSMkARTHURDR ft rtn Tim FRIDAY AND SATURDAY! 9 p.m.

'til 1328 Dorchester 47-0331 4 .2 si tfP Seajoocf Louisiana Headless 1 5 or SO 50 lb. more, lb. Larg Jumbo Headless $C25 lawyer from Mississippi who has moved to New York to make a living, becomes a force driving the female colleagues apart. SAVING THE FILM IS "subtle" may be an understatement. Based on the novel by Henry James, the film has the pacing of a 19th century novel, spending more time dealing with human contact than action.

For example, the relationship of the two women is handled with slight gestures, quick glances and quiet conversation. They are bound by a devotion to the women's movement and to each other. Verena has her devotion shaken by her feelings for Basil, who is devoted only to wooing the innocent young woman. She is torn between her love of a cause and her feelings for him. THIS "LOVE TRIANGLE" is the.

heart of the film. Miss Redgrave gives a strong performance as the maiden patron. During speeches by Verena, Olive appears to be a woman possessed by every syllable the girl speaks. When they are alone, Olive is an equally devoted guardian. The movie refrains from an explicit depiction of any physical relationship there may be between the two women.

If they are lovers, it is never said or shown. -Olive's affections seem more than the normal caring between two friends, but that may be a view tainted by the 20th century. ABC Wins Ratings Race NEW YORK (UPI) ABC defeated CBS to lead the prime time ratings race last week but both networks had something to cheer about new shows with hefty premiere night audiences. For NBC, in third place, the news wasn't so good. The A C.

Nielsen prime time ratings for the week ending Sept. 16 gave ABC a 14.1 rating and a 24 percent share of the audience. CBS came in second with a 13.7 rating and a 24 share. NBC had a 12.6 rating and a 22 share. The combined ratings for all three networks inched up over the previous week, which means with original programing on the air more homes were tuned in.

For CBS, the best news was that a special one-hour version of "E-R," the hospital sitcom starring Elliott Gould, was No. 1 in the Nielsen list the most watched network show for the week. ABC introduced two new series "Hawaiian Heat," which ranked seventh, and "Glitter," which came in 12th. NBC's new "Funky Brewster" ranked 38th, competing on Sunday evening against the runover NFL football game and "60 Minutes" on CBS. It did beat the ABC show in that slot, "Ripley's Believe It Or Not." In the evening news category, "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" was the top rated program for the 125th consecutive week, followed by ABC's "World News Tonight" and NBC's "Nightly News." The CBS news show won an 11.7 rating and a 24 share, ABC had a 9.7 rating with a 20 share and NBC an 9.2 rating and an 19 share.

Top 10 prime time shows for the week ending Sept. 16, according to the A.C. Nielsen were 1. E-R (CBS) 2. NBC Sundav Night Movie, "Miami Vice" (NBC) 3-4 tie.

Miss America Pageant (NBC) 3-4 tie. 60 Minutes (CBS) 5. CBS Special Movie, "Some Kind of Hero" 6. Cagney Lacey (CBS) 7. Hawaiian Heat (ABC) 8.

Newhart(CBS) 9. Kate Aliie (CBS) 10. NFL Monday Night Football (ABC) SHRIMP 5 lbs. or more, lb. lb.

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