THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 29, 1996 TAG: 9610290032
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: 63 lines
ANY MOVIE that begins with Michelle Pfeiffer romping on the beach in slow motion is sure to get our attention.
Since there are so few movies nowadays that involve personal relationships, we are immediately prone to like ``To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday.'' Unfortunately, ``Gillian'' is filled with easily predictable stereotypes which keeps it within the realm of TV ``movie-of-the-week'' simplicity.
Peter Gallagher has been a movie star waiting to happen for a few years now. With bushy eyebrows and dark good looks, he has, perhaps, been too pretty for his own good in films like ``sex, lies and videotapes'' and ``The Player.'' He remained in a coma through most of the hit ``While You Were Sleeping.'' As the widower David Lewis in ``Gillian,'' he has his most appealing, and believable, screen role to date.
Gillian (Michelle Pfeiffer, getting sixth billing) died in a foolish boating accident two years before. Now, on the anniversary of her death, which is also her 37th birthday, her sister and brother-in-law have come calling to David's secluded Nantucket beach house, where he hides. He is happily mourning and, to be perfectly truthful, loafing.
Upon occasion, the widower sees Gillian on the beach, where they talk about extremely mundane matters. Pfeiffer apparently contributed the cameo appearance because her husband, David E. Kelley, is the screenwriter (He's also producer of the TV shows ``Chicago Hope'' and ``Picket Fences.'')
Kathy Baker is particularly irritating as the whining, meddlesome sister-in-law. She plans to go to court to get custody of the teen daughter because she feels David is too preoccupied with mourning to be a good father. Her buffoonish husband (Bruce Altman), too-obviously covets the neighboring teen girl (Laurie Fortier).
Wendy Crewson is appealing as the blind date the in-laws brought along to try and cheer up the widower for the weekend. She is a wounded woman who nonetheless will not compromise her pride by throwing herself at him.
Claire Danes, who will open later this week in a mod version of ``Romeo and Juliet,'' is impressive as the widower's teen daughter. Her gangly groping is particularly appealing, coupled with the fact that she seems more a real teen rather than another cloned actress. There is every indication that she will grow up to be a good actress.
Freddie Prinze Jr. is the daughter's date, a strangely quiet boy with rings in his nose and ears.
In a movie year dominated by angry women who find all men are jerks, it seems ironic that the most idyllic screen romance involves a woman who is dead. It clearly seeks to make its audiences want to reach for a handkerchief but its characters are so predictable that even the most caring may see the manipulation coming long before it gets there. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday''
Cast: Peter Gallagher, Claire Danes, Kathy Baker, Wendy Crewson,
Bruce Altman, Michelle Pfeiffer
Director: Michael Pressman
Screenplay: David E. Kelley based on the play by Michael Brady
Music: James Horner
MPAA rating: PG-13 (some language, a touch of sensuality, mild by
current standards)
Mal's rating: two and 1/2 stars by CNB