Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

Vu Lowrll. April 12. /MO. np H
£NTERTAINMENf
Modine & Cage take off in 'Birdy'
BySlrpixnIlnurr
Biniy. directed ty Alan Patter,
startinjt Maahcw Modine and Nicolas
Cage. i* a faviiutm,; motion pirure.
Il combines sironi image* with dark,
humor in produce an cn:hrullin|>. if
finally perplexing, mull.
The story. set in a low cr claw seclion
or Philadelphia dunnp ihc tire
*5O*-C4tl> '60s, concern* a lecnagcr.
Bird) Citmhcw Modiru). who u
obsessed v. ah bird* and with the concept
of flight.
He lite* 'or ihcdieamof llightand
spend* mo*t jf fci» ),fe stud) ing bird*
afkl creating contraption* he hope*
will enable him i.> fly. Hi* dream* at
night arc occupied entirely by (light.
and his bed u limply a mattres* perched
on Ion of the large bird case
that dominate* his room.
Ai Cotumbau (Nicola* C«je) i* a
typical, girl-crazy. *trcc!-»uc
teenager, a product of his poor,
working-class environment.
Although the movie faiU to explain
exactly why. the two boyi qukkly
becomc friend*, and are veen cha.*
ing around together on lit son* of
wild pigeon-catching ad.cnturcs.
Ahhough A) never really understands
Birdy's ot*e».jon. the c»o become
Ium. He spends all hi* waking
hour* *ilcn»ly squatting like a pigeon
and refuvet t.i respond lo an>onc or
anything.
h-\ond recognition heciu*e of w\crc
facial injunc*. i* brought in a* a la»t
retort — a final attempt at coating
Birdy out of hi* shell. After vc*cral
s kpent trying lo elicit some
response fnxii Rirdy. Al finds his
own vitality to be draining, and he i*
no longer \urc of his unity. In the
process, Al discovers that he is
much more dependent on Birdy than
Birdy u on him.
Much of the film reflects the day*
of their youth. In between the
flashbacks come scenes of the two in
the hospital "cell" in nhich Birdy is
caged. The movie begins and ends in
the present, but often the flashback.*
arc MI extensive and invoked that it
become* easy to forget (tut they are
only flashbacks.
Image* of flight constantly flash
throughout the film a* Birdy fanusues
about seeing things from *
her style and material reflect her
words.
Unlilkc movt female comic*.
Pounditonc. usually dressed ir> a
Miff-shouldcrcd jacket with dark
slacks, dclitcn lines r>ot about relationship*
with men, but with her
parents.
"When my mom go< really :n*J.
*be"d \ay 'Your butt u my meal."
Not a particularly aitrj tisc phra*c.
And I always wondered. Now what
w.nc* goes with that.?"
Ptxindstonc began her career in
comedy in Boston where
"...cuuomcrs at the rc«aurani
bird's viewpoint. Some of the in»t*t
thrilling rcuncnto arc *ap)cncc* wcr
a* thouph thrubgh the c>c* of a bin.1
rapidly \*«opinp do*n and ihcn
awtTxjing toward the open %ly.
Itmlv i\ fU*lev\ a* a petnal piece
I; ctcrucuungly faithlul to the crj
tn Ahich it i* *d. It i* a ftipjunc
dtjnu *ilh a MCJJV On* l JCIHHI
colorful, \ivid (lavhback* hroken up
by n*)re drairutic Mrenc* in llirdy'*
cell.
Al'* monologue*. IK* "convcrwlion*"
with the unre»pon*i*c Birdy,
a.T remarkabl) well-directed. A
rcilivtic degree of a«:ti\it> i* num-
Uincd liiroughout Al'* hopele**
ihicai* and dopcralc-plcading for
II inly to return and re*pond t.i die rral
wttrld.
Emotion* flow like water in /W>.
pcrtupt a linlc loo pmfuwly. with
each character roller-cuaMcring fnwn
despvrdrace to ehtion: from hope
to hopelessness, and back again.
Modine and Cage turr> in superior
pcffornu.icc*. Modine skillfully
handle* Bitdy'% ecvtaiy and overwhelming
optimism ai the mere
thought of bird*, while at the um;
time con\c)ing hr* pitiful MKUI inep(nnt.
NkhoUv Ca;c pta>* Al (o
the hilt, outwardly jaunty and confident
but inwardij confuved a* a
tecnagrr; entirely o\ct*helmed bv
circurmurvc » a )ou'hful but ravaged
Vietnam veteran.
Jtihn Haikint u alui excellent a*
Dr. Wei**, the mental htn
tempered with dashes of unexpected
humor, and seems to build ilielf tn
a dev»*tatingly dramatic conclusion.
Inucad. it i* capped off by a bijarre.
Modine and Nicholas C*ge orr friends In "Birdy."
p*)chiatri\t, who i* the neatest thing
to a * illain in the mo* ic. He originally
bring* Al to *ec Bitily. but then
dcvidc* that Birdy n * hopclc*.* va.*c
and that Al mu*t leave agjin*t hi*
wishes.
The final *cene of BinJy i* absolutely
pcrplcimg. The movie itself
i* *ironjj and high') diairalic.
lightly humorous finale: ronfuunrt. to
uy the least.
Nevertheless. Biniy is a spellbinding
film; sometimes adventurous
anl ciciling. uvnetimes poignant and
moving. Birdy ¥ j provocative, witty,
touching, aid a thoroughly excellent
film.
She's laughing her way to the top
O
where I buved dishes would search
me out so I could fool around with
them and make them laugh." Sh.
auditioned in variou* night club*
and cvertual!;, sUrtcd to net j«»b*
here anmcwh:rc d*c.* "
That "MHncwhcTc clve" wa* San
l-anciwo. and I'iHJ.kJvinnc recall*
the fitM time *hc pc(fs..rvil i>n ltn:
wcu Ciuvt. al The Other Cafe, in
the winter ol !*)St).
"The juj^nce response *a* *o
diltcrcni fn^ Bo*ton. anJ I v.av to
earned," vhc recalled. "It wa% such
a go»xl feelinr like 1 wa* finally going
io *«c accepted completely.
There was a Tnitight Z*me aura
JNHU K. ! saw tin* epi^udc where
th» guy had. like, a deformed face.
He hod worm* on hi* lace, or
umv.tl:uig. and hi* father signed
him c,. for an eichangj pri>fram
with another planet because he had
such a PHjgh time on thi* plinet. and
a* hc'v'ctjniing off the ramp. tl.c*e
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On the We*l Coast, Poundvtoic
found ffiendly cmwd* who *cemcd
lo apprcwiaic her gentle "ktd shier"
kind of humor She alu» fount] influcmul
friend*, one «>f them Robin
William*, who connected her with
wmc high powered managenKnt.
Th.-. consequently led lo »\Hjr»iJ.
\ikhtt -r.
"Hey. I'm d.nni what 1 likeiodo-
ihctinl) ihm^: I an rcall* do well -
and nia'v-.p a li ing nil that Wltcrc
can you find a better deal?" she
asked.
"AV*nt»TrJk wn i • thinj; about
women comics, i>i it's my favorite
mif.g tlut an)body hit ever written,"
Pourtdtcnc said excitedly. "I
c*en carry it around."
She read the clipping.
"...Margaret Smith and the offbeat
Paula PoundMonc are two New
W«e ct«nic* whtne rc*pectivc
»i>l»:» nuLt- their pcrkkr *inuall> it-
TcU-vcni f • ihm hunxir "
"Vtr • zr, pr>^d ol ifut." heatn-
«rd (\HjivJ»l'*r»c. "jitd itul'* ihc way
it «.h.Ki!J tv "
S'l'l-IPI I HOI
I-J R u o i •: M i
"I'ONV K/\K I MARIMY
n/\V UD KRN I !•: *J I MMY
J KAN DUK-ll.l PAUL
ORAOK JANICE WHNUY
PAUI.INP: KARI:N I 985
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