THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 1995 TAG: 9511100059
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
IN THE PAST decade, there has been an endless series of adventures featuring coming-of-age boys. Studios claimed that only adventures starring adolescent boys sold tickets - primarily because boys refused to go to see movies that starred adolescent girls.
Now, Hollywood seems to be hellbent on making up its past neglect of little girls. ``Now and Then,'' as a kind of girlie version of ``Stand By Me,'' is currently doing well at the box office. ``The Baby-Sitters Club'' didn't do as well. Now comes ``Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain,'' a film that is aimed at the Nancy Drew fans.
Personable performers Christina Ricci and Anna Chlumsky play two 13-year-olds who flee simple-minded and abusive adults to search for gold on Bear Mountain. They believe in the legend that a mountain woman remains there, even though arithmetic would suggest that she'd be somewhere near 150 years old.
The resulting film is diverting enough in a smallish way, but it has trouble deciding whether it wants to be fantasy-adventure or social comment. Including an alcoholic mom and her abusive lover is a heavy note that doesn't quite fit.
Ricci, who was so impressive as the evil Addams Family child and had a successful date with Casper earlier this year, plays a city girl who befriends a country misfit (played by Chlumsky, who gave Macauley Culkin his first movie kiss in ``My Girl''). They are an unlikely pair, but they bond.
The setting is Washington state, an excuse for gorgeous scenery, most of which is too far in the background. The set for the mountain's interior, though, looks more like a plaster set. Falls and boat crashes are so clumsily done that trick photography and stunt doubles can easily be spotted.
Both girls' characters are minus much-needed fathers. Brian Kerwin is the local sheriff who is Ricci's mom's potential boyfriend. Chlumsky mom is an alcoholic (played by Diana Scarwid, who was Joan Crawford's hapless daughter in ``Mommie Dearest''). Adding to the all-too-realistic plot is the fact that her boyfriend, played by David Keith, is an abusive type who beats Mom.
The mixture of fantasy and levity doesn't really work. ILLUSTRATION: MOVIE REVIEW
``Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain''
Cast: Christina Ricci, Anna Chlumsky, Polly Draper, Brian Kerwin,
Diana Scarwid, David Keith
Screenplay: Barry Glasser
MPAA rating: PG (abusive adults, alcoholism subplot)
Mal's rating: 2 Stars
Locations: Chesapeake Square, Greenbrier in Chesapeake; Janaf in
Norfolk; Lynnhaven 8, Kemps River, Pembroke, Surf-N-Sand in
Virginia Beach
by CNB