Cast: Jim Carrey, Martin Landau, Laurie Holden, Bob Balaban, Gerry Black, Jeffrey DeMunn, Catherine Dent, Hal Holbrook, Ron Rifkin, David Ogden Stiers, James Whitmore
Director: Frank Darabont
Producer: Frank Darabont
Screenplay: Michael Sloane
Cinematography: David Tattersall
Music: Mark Isham
U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
Once in a while, a movie arrives on the scene that immediately causes critics far and wide to compare it to the work of a legendary director, such as Hitchcock, Wilder, or Welles. In this case, it's Frank Capra. Typically, an effort associated with Capra will fall into the feel-good category, may engage in shameless manipulation, and will bring to mind words like "wholesome" and "sentimental". In the harsh, practical-minded age we live in, these films don't come along often, but The Majestic is definitely one of them. And, in the post-September 11 world, where cynicism is passé (at least temporarily), the movie may have an easier time finding its audience than it would have had four months ago. This modern example of Capra-corn may now be smiled upon rather than scorned. The Majestic has all the elements to be a crowd-pleaser. The only potential negatives are its languorous pace and long running time, which may cause some MTV-bred viewers to squirm in their seats.
For some time (at least since he turned his back on Ace Ventura), it has been my contention that Jim Carrey has the capacity to be a fine dramatic actor. The Majestic gives him the opportunity to show this. Sure, he has starred in other non-comedies, but, even in The Truman Show, he was given some latitude to introduce humor. In The Majestic, he plays it 100% straight, never making a funny face or cracking a joke. In the process, he shows that, much like Tom Hanks, he can project the kind of clean-cut, positive image that will remind viewers of Jimmy Stewart. Indeed, had Capra been given this script a half-century ago, that's precisely whom he would have cast.
The Majestic takes place in the early 1950s. The Cold War is well underway and Sen. Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist fervor is at its peak. No one is safe from government bullying - especially in Hollywood, long viewed as a hotbed of seditious activity. Screenwriter Peter Appleton (Jim Carrey), whose movie, Sand Pirates of the Sahara, has just reached screens, is no exception. Years ago in college, he attended a pro-Communist meeting to impress a girl. Now, that simple action has come back to haunt him, as he finds himself blacklisted and called to testify in front of Congress. The night when Peter learns that his life will never be the same, he drinks himself into a stupor, then crashes his car into a river. He wakes up on a beach with no memory of who he is. But the citizens of the small, nearby town have no such uncertainty - he is Luke Trimble, a war hero who was reported missing in action 9 1/2 years earlier. Luke is welcomed home by everyone, including his aging father, Harry (Martin Landau), the mayor (Jeffrey DeMunn), and the love of his life, Adele Stanton (Laurie Holden). With the help of the townsfolk, Luke and Harry set to work restoring the local movie theater, The Majestic, to its former glory. But not everyone believes in the miracle of Luke's return, and the government is looking for Peter Appleton.
Director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), working for the first time without a screenplay developed from the "serious" writings of Steven King, creates a vision of 1950s small-town America that is probably more inspired by nostalgia than reality. This is the kind of place that was gently mocked by the movie Pleasantville a few years ago. It's a community of trust and fellowship, where grudges (if there are any) don't last long and people help out one another. You don't need a diver's license to get work, and money is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Aside from Carrey, who carries the movie, the cast is comprised primarily of solid character actors. There are veterans like Martin Landau as the father whose dreams are fulfilled by the return of his beloved son, James Whitmore and David Ogden Stiers as upstanding citizens, and Hal Holbrook as one of the chief architects of the anti-Communist movement. The freshest face belongs to Laurie Holden, whose list of credits is confined primarily to TV series and telemovies. She combines spunk and wholesomeness into the image of a perfect 1950s, liberated woman. She and Carrey make an appealing couple.
The film is at its best during its lengthy middle section, as the resurrected Luke brings hope to a community that lost 62 young men during World War II and has never fully recovered. In return, the town opens Peter's soul, which was closed down as the result of living within the jaded confines of Hollywood. Like Cinema Paradiso, The Majestic celebrates the glory of older movies. The final act, which takes place under the long shadow of McCarthy-ism, is a little overwrought and preachy. It tries too hard to manipulate viewers into standing up a clapping. It's Scent of a Woman without the "hoo-ha!" There's also a big, heartfelt speech about liberty in America and the Constitution that, despite not saying anything terribly profound, will probably reach today's audiences in ways screenwriter Michael Sloane couldn't have predicted when he wrote it.
Most people will leave The Majestic with a smile reflecting the warm glow within. The film is unashamed of its feel-good intentions and, in that, is a throwback. There's no sex or violence, and very little in the way of profanity. Had The Majestic been made in black-and-white with a less high-profile cast, one might have assumed it to be the product of Hollywood during a kinder, gentler era. For those craving a large helping of nostalgia with a topping of crowd-pleasing patriotism, there are few choices better than The Majestic.
© 2001 James Berardinelli