Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 7A-2

123456 2 CHICAGO FRIDAY By Robert K. Elder Tribune staff reporter Most movies about suburbia, especially in the wake of carry an undercurrent of unhappiness, an omnipresent chill of regret. Yet Rose Safety of feels vibrant, even though her characters are constantly in danger of capsizing under emotional strain. this tension that underlines director skill: Her characters remain familiar, yet fresh. We feel we know them almost instantly, as if Troche invited us for dinner among newly acquainted friends.

In Safety of Troche follows four neighboring suburban families in their overlapping journeys through loss and reconciliation. Although an ensemble effort, Glenn Close provides the emotional core of the film as Esther Gold, the mother of troubled teenager Julie (Jessica Campbell) and comatose Paul (Joshua Jackson). story is told in flashback and it ties together the characters. The neighbors face their own trials as Jim Train (Dermot Mulroney) faces a career crisis and Annette Jennings (Patricia Clarkson) copes with serial abandonment. More families and sub-stories bubble up, including a disturbingly hilarious romance between a boy (Alex House) and his fussy doll, Tani.

Like Robert which weaves together a selection of Raymond Carver stories, Safety of overlaps tales from A.M. short story collection of the same name. most ambitious film to date, accomplishes the singular feat of adapting insular material while showcasing the own sense of intimacy and thematic structure. Obvious anti-materialism permeates Safety of but Troche remains more interested in her complicated relationship to material goods. This is more than reworking of the Zen warning, more you own, the more it owns For young Jake (House), his developing, confused sensuality culminates in fantasies with plastic Tani, while guitar serves as an icon of parental favoritism for Julie.

Paul himself symbolizes, perhaps cruelly, the ultimate vegetative state a certain security for his mother, who takes odd solace in the fact that the worst has happened. a twisted, damaged bit of emotional logic that haunts Esther. Later, she tells neighbor Jim that when he prays to God, God gave Esther her son back, but only in a state author Homes describes as living odd that short stories hit the silver screen first, especially since her novel End of was such a big blockbuster. Then again, perhaps dark, empathic character plays have proved intimidating for Hollywood. Troche does lighten tone slightly, creating a cohesive community of characters rather than pods of loners.

And to her credit as a screenwriter that she takes pages of inner monologue and injects a mental landscape into nu- anced action and exchanges between actors. Lesser writers might have tried unnatural soliloquies to impart the same information, but Troche trusts her instincts and her cast, including some of the best child talents in memory. If she stumbles at all, in juggling too many characters. By the end, we figure out who belongs to which family, but confusing in the first half hour. Troche also employs a clumsy rock song as a bridge between story arcs and to bookend the film.

If anything, the weakness of the ballad (the lyrics are something bland about angels, sleeping and love) detracts from Safety of emotional crescendo. Whether moviegoers see film as a gothic suburban tale or a human drama, Safety of is presented with such confidence, such care, that we love all of the characters, even if we like them. Esther Gold (Glenn Close) holds a familiar guitar, one of the objects that figure into Safety of REVIEW selects common objects to bare the soul Safety of Directed and written for the screen by Rose Troche; based on the book of stories by A.M. Homes; photographed by Enrique Chediak; edited by Geraldine Peroni; production design by Andrea Stanley; produced by Dorothy Berwin and Christine Vachon. An IFC Films release; opens Friday.

Running time: 2:00. MPAA rating: (sexual content and language). Esther Close Jim Mulroney Annette Jennings.Patricia Clarkson Paul Jackson Helen Kay Place Olyphant Troche follows four neighboring suburban families in their overlapping journeys through loss and reconciliation. PRODUCED BY DAVID HOBERMAN ASHOK AMRITRAJ EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JANE BARTELME QUEEN LATIFAH PRODUCTION DESIGNER LINDA SCENNA COSTUME DESIGNER PAMELA WITHERS-CHILTON CO- PRODUCER TODD LIEBERMAN MUSIC BY LALO SCHIFRIN MUSIC SUPERVISOR MICHAEL QUARNJEAN SMART AND JOAN PLOWRIGHT EUGENE LEVY DOWN THE LATIFAHSTEVE MARTIN A FILM BY ADAM SHANKMAN A DAVID HOBERMAN ASHOK AMRITRAJ PRODUCTION TOUCHSTONE PICTURES PRESENTs movies.yahoo.com/house DIRECTED BY ADAM SHANKMAN WRITTEN BY JASON FILARDI Distributed by BUENA VISTA PICTURES DISTRIBUTION PICTURES IDE PLITTING NEE LAPPING ELLY A CHING AUGHS Mose Persico, ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT OUTRAGEOUS Jim Svejda, RADIO SOUNDTRACK FEATURES THE HIT SINGLE BY QUEEN LATIFAH, "BETTER THAN THE AND NEW MUSIC BY EVE AND JADAKISS, FLOETRY, KELLY PRICE, CALVIN RICHARDSON AND MR. CHEEKS RIVER EAST 21 Near North BURNHAM PLAZA Chicago CHATHAM 14 Chicago FORD CITY 14 Chicago SW LAWNDALE 10 Chicago LINCOLN VILLAGE Chicago 62ND WESTERN Chicago SW VILLAGE NORTH Chicago WEBSTER PLACE Chicago ARLINGTON THEATRES Arlington Heights BLOOMINGDALE COURT Bloomingdale CANTERA 30 Warrenville CHARLESTOWNE MALL 18 St.

Charles CHICAGO RIDGE Chicago Ridge CINEMARK Melrose Park CINEMARK Woodridge COUNTRY CLUB HILLS Country Club Hills CRESTWOOD Crestwood CROWN VILLAGE 18 Skokie EVANSTON CENTURY 12 Evanston GARDENS CINEMAS AT OLD ORCHARD Skokie GOLF GLEN Niles HINSDALE Hinsdale LAKE ZURICH Lake Zurich LINCOLNSHIRE 20 Lincolnshire MARCUS ADDISON Addison MARCUS CHICAGO HEIGHTS Chicago Heights MARCUS ORLAND PARK Orland Park NORRIDGE Norridge NORTH RIVERSIDE No Riverside NORTHBROOK COURT Northbrook QUARRY 14 Hodgkins RANDHURST Mt Prospect RICE LAKE SQUARE Wheaton RIVER OAKS 7-8 Calumet City ROUND LAKE BEACH 18 Round Lake SHOWPLACE 16 Crystal Lake SOUTH BARRINGTON 30 Barrington 30 SOUTHLAKE Merrillville STREETS OF WOODFIELD Schaumburg WOODRIDGE Woodridge YORK Elmhurst YORKTOWN Lombard STARTS TODAY FOR SHOW TIMES, CALL THEATRES OR CHECK INDIVIDUAL THEATRE ADS. NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT TICKETS ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT. Watch the Academy Awards March 23 on ABC at 7:30 A COMIC KUNG FU David ACTION AND NONSTOP Jim RADIO ONE OF JACKIE Elvis Mitchell, THE NEW YORK TIMES ONE-TWO PUNCH OF Dean Richards, RADIO, CHICAGO A COMIC KUNG FU David ACTION AND NONSTOP Jim RADIO ONE OF JACKIE Elvis Mitchell, THE NEW YORK TIMES ONE-TWO PUNCH OF Dean Richards, RADIO, CHICAGO THUMBS EBERT ROEPER RIVER EAST 21 Near North CITY NORTH 14 Chicago LINCOLN VILLAGE Chicago CANTERA 30 Warrenville CHARLESTOWNE MALL 18 St. Charles CINEMARK Melrose Park CINEMARK Woodridge CRESTWOOD Crestwood CROWN VILLAGE 18 Skokie EVANSTON CENTURY 12 Evanston GARDENS CINEMAS AT OLD ORCHARD Skokie LAKE ZURICH Lake Zurich MARCUS ORLAND PARK Orland Park NORRIDGE Norridge NORTH RIVERSIDE No Riverside NORTHBROOK COURT Northbrook ROUND LAKE BEACH 18 Round Lake SHOWPLACE 16 Crystal Lake SOUTH BARRINGTON 30 Barrington 30 SOUTHLAKE Merrillville STRATFORD SQUARE Bloomingdale STREETS OF WOODFIELD Schaumburg WOODRIDGE Woodridge YORKTOWN Lombard SEE IT NOW! LINCOLNSHIRE 20 Lincolnshire MARCUS ADDISON Addison MARCUS CHICAGO HEIGHTS Chicago Heights QUARRY 14 Hodgkins RANDHURST Mt Prospect RICE LAKE SQUARE Wheaton FOR SHOW TIMES, CALL THEATRES OR CHECK INDIVIDUAL THEATRE ADS. Watch the Academy Awards March 23 on ABC at 7:30 ABSOLUTE DELIGHT! Clay Smith, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD Ssssee it today! Ssssee it today! disney.com/junglebook2 CHARM AND IMAGINATION! Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES CHATHAM 14 Chicago CITY NORTH 14 Chicago FORD CITY 14 Chicago SW LAWNDALE 10 Chicago ARLINGTON THEATRES Arlington Heights CANTERA 30 Warrenville CHARLESTOWNE MALL 18 St.

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