Depending on your personal family history, a story like the one told in the 2021 film Passing may not be too eye-opening.
Based on the 1929 Nella Larsen novel of the same name, Passing is the directorial debut of British actor Rebecca Hall. Hall also adapted the screenplay. Passing premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
I must be in the mood of coming of age tales lately. This Don Petrie entry was originally released in 1988; I was a pre-teen at the time, and while I remember the film’s theatrical run, it was something that plainly I was not interested in – I was in the waning years of my “Star Wars” phase. Several years on, I caught Mystic Pizza on cable TV and soon learned the error of my ways. Thus making this once “personally overlooked” film a staple in my home video collection.
For those who do not know, the town Mystic, Connecticut and the pizza parlor of the title actually DO exist – several train journeys to New England prove this out. In our story, we explore the lives of three young Portuguese-American women working at the parlor – sisters Kat (Annabeth Gish) and Daisy (Julia Roberts), and their best friend, Jojo (Lili Taylor) as they deal with trials and tribulations of growing up in the seaside community.
A lot is also made of the women’s ethnic heritage in the film, as it is used to constantly contrast with the Anglo-American culture that surrounds them.
When you look back at this film, it is obvious that this was a star-making vehicle for many of the lead actresses, especially Annabeth Gish. While she is perfectly suited for the role and did a great job as the ‘academic’ sibling, Julia Roberts’ free-spirited portrayal of Daisy clearly demonstrates the “it” I am sure so many Hollywood producers clamor for. I know it sounds trite now, given the 22 years of perspective and all, but you can kind of see it.
So if you have overlooked this title, I recommend seeking it out.
Fun Facts:
Please be sure to check out Todd Mason’s blog, Sweet Freedom, for more overlooked and under-appreciated titles.
This week’s pick is the 1950 “women-in-prison” drama Caged. The film stars Eleanor Parker and was directed by John Cromwell. Screen writing credits are attributed to Virginia Kellogg based on the story Women Without Men written by Kellogg and Bernard C. Schoenfeld (source: Wikipedia).
Many of my “younger” readers may know her as the almost stepmother of the vonTrapp children in The Sound of Music. This role is definitely a great departure from that more glamorous role and we see our protagonist transform from an innocent who falls on hard times, to a prison-hardened dame who is destined for a life of crime.
How does it all go wrong?
19-year old Marie (Parker) takes part in an attempted robbery with her husband. Unfortunately, their plans are thwarted and her husband is killed. It is then off to prison for Marie who soon finds out that she is pregnant. She is determined to keep the child but circumstances arise to make this impossible. As a result she is faced with no choice but to give her child up for adoption.
This event combined with the harsh and brutal treatment she receives at the hands of inmates and guards, transforms Marie into a woman who is destined to be on the wrong side of the law. At the conclusion of the film, she is seen leaving with some “hoods”: her desire to get out of jail has lead to her make a Faustian deal with some less than above board people. The result is an indebtedness that she will have to pay while she is on the “outside.”
For her performance, Eleanor Parker received well-deserved recognition in the form of an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. There was also a Supporting Actress nod for Hope Emerson as the sadistic prison guard.
What resonated with me about this film is that for its time, it must have been a somewhat shocking look inside a woman’s prison. Some of the goings-on are obviously played up for dramatic reasons, but it still works on many levels.
