Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 51

I The Arizona Republic 'Little Jo' succeeds at telling small story from Old West Romance is devoid of sparks Wonderful' flirts with fame Part Two FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1993 PAGE E9 By Bob Fenster The Arizona Republic Hollywood is in the process of producing a couple of Westerns about women gunslingers. You can bet your popcorn they will turn out to be the sexiest gunslingers you've seen this side of Thelma and Louise. Long forgotten by then will be The Ballad of Little Jo, an honest history, based on a true story, of a renegade woman who passed as a man in the Old West. Jo (Suzy Amis) is actually Josephine, an educated woman from a wealthy Eastern family who is cast out of her home by her father for bearing a child out of wedlock. Jo heads west by herself in 1866, but finds the pioneer trail is for men, not women traveling alone.

So Jo cuts her hair, dons men's clothes and heads for the California gold fields. She arrives in a mining camp, feeble and ignorant. But it doesn't take her long to smarten up and toughen up. To avoid the rough company of the miners who believe she is a man, but a strange one Jo becomes a sheepherder, eventually homesteading in the remote mountains. She is pressed to maintain her deception by Frank (Bo Hopkins), the toughest man in town, who presents equal dangers by being her friend and her enemy.

The story of how she keeps her secrets in a man's world makes for an interesting piece of Western history, if not an overwhelmingly compelling movie. The film's strength is its sense of deglamorized reality. This is how it must have been for a woman trying to pass in a strangers' world. The film's weakness is either in the casting or the structure. Amis (last seen in the small movie Watch It) is never convincing as a man.

Even with her ugly scar, her voice deepened and her hat pulled down low, we never forget that she's a good-looking woman pretending to be 7:00 A JUDGEMENT NIGHT (ft) 11:10. 1.40, 4.36, 0:46 A48EVERLY HILLBILLIES (PG) .11:36.2:06.4:55, 730,0:60 A.MR. WONDERFUL (PG-13) JOO. 7 2ft 0:46 COOL RUNNINGS (PG) 11:26 1 56, 4:46 7 26 36 4 DEMOLITION MAN (R) 11:00. 1:30.

4:20, 7:00. MALICE (R) 11:15, 1:60. 4:40. 7:16. 50 AMR.

JONES R) 11:05, 1:36. 4:26, 7:06. AMR. NANNY (PG) 7:40 THE OOOO SON (R) 1:46 7:35 THE AGE OF INNOCENCE IPG) 11:46. 2:46.

6 46, 1:46 10:20 0:56 10:10 00 FOR LOVE OR MONEY (PG) 2:10. 5:00. 120 THE PROGRAM (R) 11:20, 4:30. I 30 UNDERCOVER BLUES (PG-13) 1:00, 3:06, ANOTHER STAKEOUT (PG-13) 12:35. 6 10, 9 55 HEART AND SOULS (PG-13) 2:66 7:36 HOCUS POCUS (PQ).

12:40, 3:00, 60S. 7:16 0 30 FREE WILLY (PQ) 12:30. 2:50. 5:06 7:25, :46 HARD TARGET (R) 12 45, 2:46 4:55 RISING SUN (R) 700,145 WARLOCK: THE ARMAGEDDON (P.) 12:55, 5 30. 10:00 REAL McCOY (PO-13) 3:15.

746 0:46 10:16 0:46 0:40 KM0 UNDERCOVER BLUES (PG-13) 12:46 150, 4:86, 750, 10:05 WARLOCK: THE ARMAGEDDON (R) 720. 10 00 RISING SUN (R) 12:16 2:40, 5:10. 7:40, 10:10 FREE WILLY (PQ) 12:40, 3:00. 6:20, 8 00, 10:20 HOCUS POCUS (PG) 12:30. 4:60 ANOTHER STAKEOUT (PG-13) 12:26 5:00, 10:16 HEART i SOULS (PG-13) 246 7:30 0:30 M6 60 UNDERCOVER BLUES (PG-13) 1:50, 3:60, 5:50, 7:60, 0:50 WARLOCK: THE ARMAGEDDON (A) 5:26 10:00 FREE WILLY (PG) 12:16 2:40.

5:06, 0 55 SON IN LAW (PG-13) 3:36 7:46 0 60 HOCUS POCUS (PG) 1:36 5:46 750. 0:56 HARD TARGET (R) 12:50, 5:36 10:10 RISING SUN R) 2:66 7:40 ANOTHER STAKEOUT (PG-13) 12 45 305 7 38 John Clifford alimony commitment in Mr. Wonderful. Anthony Minghella showed he could make an extraordinary romance come alive with his first film, Truly, Madly, Deeply. With Mr.

Wonderful, he demonstrates his ability to turn in solid, journeyman work even when he can't raise a film to exalted heights. While Mr. Wonderful isn't a heartbreaker, it is a pleasant romantic comedy that won't insult your intelligence with impossible setups like those of Mr. Jones. Mr.

Wonderful is rated PG-13 despite profanity and sex. While there is no nudity, an rating would have been more appropriate. ADTSTHX-OETTYSBUHO (PG IS.OO. iTHX BEVERLY HILLBILLIES By Bob Fenster The Arizona Republic Mr. Wonderful is a sweet story with a good cast, amusing script and intelligent direction.

It has everything you could ask for in a romantic comedy except the most important ingredient magic. Some inexplicable lack of romantic spark keeps Mr. Wonderful from becoming as good as its title. The always-interesting Matt Dillon stars as Gus, an electrician for New York City's Con Ed, whose dream is to buy and renovate a run-down bowling alley with his four buddies. His problem is that he doesn't have the money to make the investment because he's paying alimony to his ex-wife Lee (Annabella Sciorra).

Although Lee is embarrassed to take his money, she needs it to put herself through college. Gus and Lee come from a working-class Italian neighborhood, and she is determined to rise above what she sees as limitations. To free himself from the demands of alimony, Gus tries to find a new mate for Lee. But as Gus becomes more involved with Lee's romantic life, it threatens his future with his new girlfiend (Mary-Louise Parker). Will Gus and lie find a way to get on with their lives? Or are they still hopelessly hung up on each other? Finding out is fun even if there is no thrill of vicarious romance.

Mr. Wonderful doesn't make many mistakes, and it does several things very nicely. The script turns Gus' career of bringing light to people into a clever romantic metaphor. Lee's attempt to escape her upbringing is delicately handled through an affair with an intellectual college professor (William Hurt). Sciorra manages to be both romantic and New.

York at the same time, and that's not an easy combination. Dillon, who always creates some- RISING SUN 2:00, 4 35, 7:10, 9:50 ANOTHER STAKEOUT PQ 1815, 7:20. UNDERCOVER BLUES PO-13 1:25, 3:25, 5:25, hocus pocus pa 1:20. 7:40 INDECENT PROPOSAL 9:45 SNOW WHITE THE SEVEN DWARFS 7:25. 8:25 HEART I SOULS PO-13 12:15.

2:10.4:05, 6:00 7:45. 9:55 THE SON-IN-LAW FREE WILLY PQ PO-13 12:00, 2:45 MS. 730 45 General Cinema BARGAIN MATINEES EVERY DAY ALL SHOWS STARTING IE FORE bm MR. WONDERFUL 12:15 1:40 7:20 9:50 PG11 MHir COOL RUNNINGS 12:30 2:45 5:10 7:25 9:40 PG tour A BRONX TALE 10:00 1 FOR LOVE OR MONEY 1:00 3:15 5:40 7:50 :55 STOKINO DISTANCE 11:45 1:00 5:10 7:45 10:05 1 DOW DEMOLITION MAN 12:00 2:30 5:00 7:40 10:10 BOUT MA JONES 12:35 1:10 5:15 7:55 10:15 1 MR. NANNY 1 15 1:20 5:20 JURASSIC PARK 2:15 4:40 7:10 MS W511 MR, WONDERFUL 12:10 2:40 5:10 7:40 10:00 WllDOW COOLRUNNmOS 12:201:005:251:00 FOR LOVE OR MONEY 1:00 1:20 5:40 1:10 10:15 A BRONX TALE 7:20 9:501 STRiKINa DISTANCE 12:40 1:00 1:15 10:25 1 MR.

NANNY 12:501:10 5:1590 MR. JONES 12:00 2:10 5:00 7:40 10:00 1 DEMOLITION MAN 11:45 2:10 5:05 7:50 SSL JUDGMENT NtOHT 11:20 2:50 5:15 7:40 10:00 HUr MR. JONES 11 40 1:05 5:30 7:55 10:15 1 THE PflOORAM 12:15 2:45 5:20 7:50 10:10 1 STRIKING: DISTANCE 12:45 1:00 5:15 7:30 9:45 1 DEMOLITION MAN 12:00 2:30 5:05 7:35 10:05 1 DOUBLE THE SECRET GARDEN 1:45 5:40 9:25 8 FEATURE INTO THE WEST 140 7:10 1 MOVIE REVIEW The Ballad of Little Jo WriterDirector: Maggie Greenwald. Cast: Suzy Amis, Bo Hopkins. Rated R.

Dynamite -k-k-trk Very Good jVjV Worth Seeing -kick So-So irk Bomb a man. It might have been more interesting if they had restructured the story like The Crying Game so that we didn't know from the very first scene JCOnSDAiE 6AUERIA 7 4343 N. Scottsdam M. 949-333 POUY GENERAL CINEMA PARADISE VALLEY Cactus St Totum Blvd. HARKINS ARCADIA LUXURY CINEMAS 40tn Street Thomas Rd.

273-7777 POUY 9967618 UNITED ARTISTS EAST VALLEY MAIL 2140N.AiaonaAe. 732-0638 UITA STttEO UNITED ARTISTS PAVIIIONS Indian Bend Pima 8d. 991-4200 steko AMC LAGUNA VILLAGE 10 AMC LAKES Baseline at Rural 9S64AMC Kay Kyrene M. Chandler 956-4AMC vim es 4 Suzy Amis portrays Josephine, who heads west by herself in 1866 but finds the pioneer trail is for men, in The Ballad of Little Jo. I Bill Foley that Jo is really Josephine.

Still, the movie gets some play out of viewing the barbarity of a man's world from a woman's point of view, although there isn't enough of this insight to fill up the movie's two-hour running time. As a tale of the Old West, though, The Ballad of Little Jo is a unique bit of history that is undoubtedly far more credible than any nonsense Hollywood will produce about women gunslingers. The Ballad of Little Jo is rated for nudity. i.ii'.f'.r-1 -ii mat it GtNERAlClNfcMA BELL TOWNE CENTRES 11 'Stock so 7th St. a Bel 863-616.

HARKINS SELL TOWER 8 Slst Avenue ABeKRd. S4J-3SX3 HARKINS CENTERPOINT LUXURY II MHI A University 9664655 POUY UNITED ARTISTS VAl VISTA CROSSINGS Southerns Vol VHto 641-0006 STIWO AMC THREE FOUNTAINS 4 IJ50S. longmore 9564AMC 5TIREO AMC METRO VILLAGE 6 OnJIslAve. soPeoria 9ZWMC mK0 AMC SUNV ALLEY 10 742CastMoln. Mesa STMCO (PQ) ttttlttWMM AMR.

WONDERFUL (PQ-131 1216. 2:46. 6:16, 7:46. 10 10 Matt Dillon is looking for a way out of an MOVIE REVIEW Mr. Wonderful Director: Anthony Minghella.

Cast: Matt Dillon, Annabella Sciorra, Mary-Louise Parker. Rated PG-13. Dynamite kirkkk Very Good kkkk Worth Seeing kkk So-So Bomb thing extra out of his comic characters, gives Gus a New York knowing-ness without becoming obnoxious. The script is savvy without ever trying to be profound. Director DSNY ANIU SNOW WHITE (O) 1:00 2:35 4:10 rAM "save gmosti Trr.

WhalEST IfiOlflOSflOWKIu I fam 1:15 3:06 4:56 FOCYK JUSTKC (BJ 7:00 fcOS jY KMC! TO worn OANOS 5:46 7:3620 RISING SOW (R) VIM DUM HARD TARGET (R) LUXURY DRIVE-INS 01 OPEN WEEKENDS WEEKDAYS 7:1 1 UNDER 12 FREE UNLESS NOTED HavdenlMcKelfes JUDGEMENT NIGHT (R) HARD TARGET (R) no paw (tac. THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES IPG) no pasMt ROBIN HOOO: MEN IN TIGHTS (PG) or disc. DEMOLITION MAN (R) THE FUGITIVE (PG13) no pn or due. COOL RUNNINGS (PG) MR. JONES (R) THE GOOD SON (R) JURASSIC PARK (PG13) FOR LOVE OR MONEY (PG) THE PROGRAM (R) L'l JUDGEMENT NIGHT HARD TARGET (R) nopuwordnc.

THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES JPG) no passes ROBIN HOOO: MEN IN TIGHTS (PQ) or disc. DEMOLITION MAN (R) UNDER SIEGE (R) no passes or disc. COOL RUNNINGS (PQ) MIGHTY PUCKS (PG) THE GOOD SON (R) STRIKING DISTANCE (R) THE PROGRAM (R) MR. NANNY (PG) THE FUGITIVE (PG13) TRUE ROMANCE (R) JURASSIC PARK (PG13) IN THE LINE OF FIRE (R) VISIT OUR SWAP MEET TONIGHT BBk AC I PI ATHX DEMOLITION MAN (R). .11:26.

2:06.4:56, 7:40, .12:00. 2 40,5:20. 6 00, At JUDGEMENT NIGHT (R) COOL RUNNINGS (PG) MALICE R) THE JOY LUCK CLUB (R). A BRONX TALC (A) AMR. JONES R) ..11:66, 2:15,6:00, 7 36.

..11:60, 2.30,6:10, 7:60, 3:46 7:00. 11:30.210.4 50. 7:30. .12:00.2:40.6:20. 1 00.

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (PG) iiiijii.i 12:40. 3 66. 7:10. iCTnwmrnfil Closed for Remodeling Will Re-open December 17, 1993 A JUDGEMENT NIGHT R) RUNNINGS (PQ) MALICE (R) 11.30,2:00.4:46 7:30. 12:16 2:45.

5:16 7:30, 12:00. 2:30, 5:16 7:46. .12:30, 5:00, 7:00, 3:00, 7:00. 11:46. 2:16 5:00: 746, THE OOOO SON (R) JURASSIC PARK (PG-13) A BRONX TALE (R) SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (PG) 7:15.

DAZEO CONFUSED (R) INTO THE WEST (PG) .1215, 3:00. 5:30. 1:00, JUDGEMENT NIGHT R) .12.15,2:40, 5:06, 7:30, A BEVERLY HILLBILLIES 10:20 10:30 10:00 10:25 10 10:00 10:16 (PG) 11:10, 6:40, 7:50, 10:00 AMR. WONDERFUL (PO-13) 12:40, 2 56 5 06 715, 0 26 A DEMOLITION MAN (R) 12:00, 2:26 4:60, 7:20. 0:46 MALICE (R) 11:46.

2:00, 4:20, 7:10, 0:30 THE GOOD SON (R) 11:20, 1:30. 9:30. 6:30. 50 AMR. NANNY (PG) 1100.

3:00. 500 A BRONX TALE (A) 3:00. 746 THE PROGRAM (R) 12 50, 5:30, 10:16 FOR LOVE OR MONEY (PG) 11:00, 1:00. 5:00 AMR. JONES (R) 12:30, 2:60, 5:10.

7:30. 10:00 STRIKING DISTANCE (R) 7:06, 0:16 THE FUGITIVE (PG-13) 7 10 10 00 Check out this Sundas edition of The Arizona Republic. Because when it comes to high-interest reading, we're Making The Connection. Discover a beautiful inn off the coast of Seattle, and that's just for starters. THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA.

Travel An operation on unborn twins is an example of medical progress. STRIDES WITH IN-WOMB SURGERY. News Meet Indian R. Carlos Nakai, a Canyon Records artist living in Tucson. A NEW AGE FLUTIST.

Arts Plus If time for practical tips and a touch of humor on dealing with winter visitors. HERE COME WINTER VISITORS. Life The Arizona Republic To subscribe, call 257-8300..