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Film Clips
JUNE 1, 1999:
THE LOVE LETTER. Releasing a film the same weekend as Star
Wars might at first seem insane, but the folks at DreamWorks
are smart enough to realize that older viewers and women are two
huge audiences not targeted by the Lucas blockbuster. Hence, The
Love Letter: a romance with 40-plus-aged characters and lots
of women. Kate Capshaw plays Helen, a bookstore owner whose faith
in love is restored when she receives an anonymous letter she
believes is meant for her. The letter is then found by several
other characters, who all interpret it according to their own
emotional needs. This premise gets tiring quickly, the main character
is unlikeable and the slow pace may make you wish you'd stopped
for coffee before hitting the theater. At the same time, there
are a number of elements that are just wacky or unexpected enough
to be enjoyable: Ellen DeGeneres, playing an overly determined
heterosexual, dispenses blunt sarcasm and practical one-liners;
there's the all-too-rare H-wood circumstance of a woman (Helen)
bedding someone half her age; a strange All-That-Heaven-Allows-inspired
feminist character (Jennifer, played by Julianne Nicholson) spouts
academic rhetoric; Tom Selleck tests his powers without his mustache;
and an older lesbian couple anchors much of the story. --Polly Higgins
TREKKIES. Fans, especially those of the Star Trek
television and film series, are often portrayed as freaks. Director/editor
Roger Nygard, however, leaves any conclusion to individual viewers
by offering a variety of footage from interviews, conventions
and ST-based social gatherings. While stars such as Leonard
Nimoy and Denise Crosby talk about their interactions with trekkies,
we get a glimpse into the lives of fans such as a self-declared
Spiner Femme (follower of Brent Spiner, a.k.a. Data); a couple
that owns and operates Star Trek Dental (an office where
employees dress in official garb amidst numerous toys and murals);
and a high-school boy who writes scripts based on the characters,
and collects paraphernalia. The overall theme stresses the multifaceted
relationships that have developed around this phenomenon, as ST
conventions, club meetings and fan-generated literature become
unifying sites where people of all races, nationalities, ages
and sexual persuasions partake in a unique cultural exchange.
Since Paramount Pictures both owns the Star Trek franchise
and released this film, you might expect a biased portrayal. Instead,
this well-organized and often hilarious documentary offers substantial
evidence as to the marketing genius behind supporting a phenomenon
that not only reaches uncountable subcultures, but encourages
fans to approach their passion with open wallets. --Polly Higgins

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