The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 119

14-TV DES MOINES SUNDAY REGISTER I MAY 22, 2005 STATE TV FEATURE STORY Russo's 'Empire Falls' gets all-star treatment from HBO By John Crook Zap2it An all-star cast brings to vibrant life Richard Russo's "Empire Falls" in a funny and achingly beautiful -part adaptation airing Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29, on HBO. Set in a declining Maine mill town, the TV movie stars fourtime Oscar nominee Ed Harris as Miles Roby, the central character, who is in a kind of emotional paralysis as the story opens. As a boy, Miles showed great promise for a successful life far beyond his struggling hometown, but fate and family obligations born out of long-buried secrets have forced him to remain in Empire Falls, where he scrapes out a living running the Empire Grill for Francine Whiting (Joanne Woodward), the iron-willed widow whose family owns anything worth owning in Empire Falls. At the center of Miles' life is his sensitive teenage daughter, Tick (Danielle Panabaker), who is angry about her parents' imminent divorce and her mother's (Helen Hunt) approaching remarriage to another man. Miles' mother, Grace (Robin Wright Penn), died when Miles was a young man, but his irascible father, Max (Paul Newman), is still around, doing halfhearted odd jobs in exchange for beer money.

TV Pipeline Pipeline Jesse L. I Martin is still in 'Order' By Jay Bobbin Zap2it What happened to Jesse L. Martin of "Law Has he left the show, or is the new actor only temporary? -Doris Hannon, Downey, Calif. Don't worry; Martin will be back in the fall. He was written out of the season's final episodes of the NBC show so he could go off and make the film version of the stage hit "Rent." That's also where Taye Diggs headed when he finished the season's episodes of his UPN show "Kevin Hill." Michael Imperioli, Martin's "Law Order" fill-in, has his own day job to return to namely, the HBO series "The Sopranos," on which he's resuming work in his regular role as Christopher.

In 1976, NBC aired a miniseries called "The Moneychangers" starring Kirk Douglas and Christopher Plummer. Is there any way to get a copy of it on VHS or DVD? -Robert Wilk, Shirley, N.Y. Based on Arthur Hailey's best seller about the banking industry, that drama is a favorite of ours, too. It was made by Paramount Television, and Paramount Home Video has made no plans to release it at Four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris stars as Miles Roby, the central character in "Empire Falls," a stunning adaptation of Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. It premieres Saturday on HBO.

Helping Miles at the diner is his younger brother, David (Aidan Quinn), who bitterly remembers how determined their mother was that Miles would escape the dead-end existence in which he now finds himself. "Miles is really stuck when this thing starts," Harris says. "He's got nowhere to turn, doesn't see any way out of what he's doing, even though he's not very happy. During the course of this thing, he gets unstuck." Getting unstuck for Miles requires uncovering and confronting some startling secrets that explain the complicated ties between his own blue-collar family and the elite Whiting clan, including Francine's late husband, C.B. (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and their daughter, Cindy (Kate Burton), who was disabled in a childhood accident and harbors a desperate, unrequited love for Miles.

As fans of Russo's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel know, there is a startling act of school violence near the end of the narrative, but apart from that, the story unfolds with the quirky, unhurried pace of small town life. Dramatic tension arises not from explosions or car chases, but from the resentments, passions and private shames that run through Empire Falls like the Knox River. That "Empire Falls" remains so utterly engrossing for its three-hours-plus running time is both a tribute to Russo's writing -he wrote the teleplay as well and to the dazzling ensemble of actors, who manage to convince us that they've shared life experiences for years, even for generations. That's possible in large part because executive producer Newman and director Fred Schepisi gathered the entire cast together in New York for extended rehearsals before moving to the Maine filming location. "We knew we had to concentrate on and bring about (that sense of interconnected lives), particularly as many of the characters don't actually play scenes with one another and yet they have a large effect on one another," Schepisi says.

"We started out with a reading with the entire cast, and it was so successful and helpful to everyone that we insisted on having another one soon afterwards. That let everyone understand what the connections were and what their place was in the overall this point. By the way, the saga was produced by Ross Hunter, who also oversaw the Oscarwinning 1970 big-screen version of Hailey's "Airport." 1 would like to know the name of the singer who performs "I Want a Man," the theme song of the new version of "Kojak." -Madelyn Vlasek, Riverview, Fla. Her name is Tweet, and if you watch USA Network enough, you're likely to get a glimpse of her. The network is running a music video of her singing the tune, featuring many scenes of actor Ving Rhames as their new Kojak.

Is Georgianne Walken, one of the casting directors of "The Sopranos," the wife of character actor Christopher Walken? -Jamie Quaranta, Shelton, Conn. You're quite the credit reader. Indeed, they are husband and wife, and they have been since 1969. They met while both were in a touring company of the classic musical "West Side Story." Send questions of general interest to TV Pipeline, Zap2it, 333 Glen Glens Falls, NY 12801, or e-mail to Writers must include their name and city. Personal replies cannot be sent.

Soap Talk Carlos Bernard helps save the world By Paulette Cohn ther" and "Butch Cassidy and Of the season-four finale, Zap2it the Sundance Kid." airing Monday, May 23, all he Still, he majored in art in will say is: "It is my favorite of Little did Carlos Bernard re- college following in the foot- the four years. It is very cool. alize the favor "The Young and steps of his painter mother You will like it." the Restless" did by releasing and didn't get into acting until Dear Paulette: On "Pashim from his contract in 1999. after graduation. But once he sions," what happened to my If that hadn't happened, the made up his mind, he did it favorite character, Precious? I former Rafael Delgado would- right, getting a master of fine miss her.

Thank you. -J. n't be starring as Tony Almeida arts degree from the American Blue Island, Ill. on "24." Conservatory Theater. Dear Reader: Bam Bam, It appeared to "24" fans that "I just thought if I was going who played Mrs.

Wallace's he was being dealt a similar to go do it, I wanted to get all (Kathleen Noone) caretaker, fate on the hit Fox series when the training I could," he says. Precious, has been officially his character was sent to prison "I wanted to do it full retired. By the way, she is a at the conclusion of last season. Bernard is enjoying all the he! The 7-year-old orangutan But he knew it wasn't so. action Tony is involved in this has been sent to an animal "Because of how the season season as he and Jack (Kiefer sanctuary in Florida.

ended, the producers needed a Sutherland) race to save the couple of episodes to work the world, especially since in real Send questions of general character back in," admits the life, he has had to cut back on interest to Paulette Cohn, actor, who had been sworn to his activities. Soap Talk, Zap2it, 333 Glen secrecy. "I was on crutches in the Glens Falls, NY 12801, Growing up in Illinois, second season as a result of a or e-mail to was a long way from basketball accident," he says. bune.com. Only questions Hollywood when he became "A bad broken ankle and a bad selected for this column interested in acting after see- dislocation, so it could go real- will be answered.

Personal ing such films as "The Godfa- ly easily." replies cannot be sent..