24 -— Wednesday, April 3, 1991 - North Shore News The red peril Excellent cast keep tale above melodrama Guilty by Suspicion *** (Warner Bros.) Rated Mature (at the Park Royal, Stanley, Richmond Centre, Station Square, Eagle Ridge and Willowbrook Cinemas). tor and, in 1951, that was a label no one in D AViD MERRILL (Robert De Niro) is a red hot direc- Hollywood wanted, {It was a time when America was sure there was a Communist under every bed. A handful of power- mad senators (like Joe McCarthy) built their careers on the smolder- ing ruins of celebrities’ lives. The unfortunates not only had to con- fess their ‘crimes,’ but had to “name names.’ No one was ex- empt (including America’s favarite redhead, Lucille Ball). If they were uncooperative, they were guilty by suspicion and sometimes jailed for contempt. David Merrill is guilty of only one crime — putting his work ahead of everything else. The sentence is a dissolved marriage and absentee fatherhood. The rewards are the best tables at the Brown Derby, the best scripts and junkets to Europe. After one such trip to Paris, he finds Tinseltown trembling as fam- ilies crumble, careers vanish over- night and friends turn on friends. it's a horror movie that svon’t stop unreeling. The former A-list film- maker is forced to dig deep into his integrity when the House Un- American Activities’ Committee asks for his help. Fine performances raise this film above the sometimes melodra- matic storyline. It's a given that De Niro would be first rate, but good support also comes from George Wendt as his best, and potentially most destructive, friend. Annette Bening is light years away from her manipulative con in The Grifters as Merrill's strong-willed ex-wife, Ruth. Gene Kirkwood as a schlocky producer provides some welcome comedy relief, having himself paged at res- taurants and promising Oscars to his unfortunate collaborators. With more than a passing simi- larity to The Front (made in 1976 by real-life blacklisted director Martin Ritt), veteran producer Ir- win Winkler’s earnest film is mar- red slightly. But not enough to make you see red, Class Action **% (20th Cen- tury Fox) Rated Mature (at the Park & Tilford, Granville, Co- quitlam and Station Square Cinemas) Capilano Voikswa T1571 MARINE DRIVE, NORTH VANCOUVER Tim Belt FILM REVIEW Remember the comedy classic Adams Rib? Spencer Tracy was pitted against Katherine Hepburn as husband and wife lawyers tak- ing opposite sides of a red-hot case. Take out the laughs, put in Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as father and daughter lawyers and you have Class Action. Except, in this case, it’s not a Classic. A throwback to the ‘60s, Jedediah Ward (Hackman) thrives on bringing gigantic corporations to their greedy knees. However, as the framed magazine covers on his walls testify, there may be a little ego stroking that goes along with the triumphs. On the other scale of justice is his daughter, Maggie (Mastran- tonio). She can’t forgive him for his affairs, although her activist mother, Estelle Joanna Merlin), did a long time ago. As if to spite her father, she defends corporate slugs through a high-powered law firm. It’s Maggie’s boss and lover (a bit of a slug himself) who gives her a controversial case defending a major auto manufacturer that con- fused making cars with making bombs. It seems a particular model has the annoying tendency to explode under certain condi- tions. If she wins, it’s partnership time. 8ut there’s a stronger motivation — Jed is the pro- secutor. And Maggie wants to beat dear old dad. Courtroom dramas usually share one problem. They involve too much talk. Class Action is no ex- ception. Gene Hackman rises pringtime mea Voilksvalue. above the material with another polished performance of easy- going charm. Mastrantonio and the others aren't quite in his league, but then again, they are hindered by the contrived plot with its instant replay conflicts. Fa- ther lashes out at daughter, daughter argues with inother, lovers bicker ad nauseam. That wouldn't be so bad except some scenes sound like they were writ- ten by a lawyer. As a matter of fact, one of the scriptwriters is a lawyer (I rest my case). In summation, Class Action con- tains class acting but little else. The James Dean 35th Anniver- sary Collection **** (Warner Bros. Home Video) “You're tearing me apart!” Who could forget those anguished words spoken by James Dean? Now, thanks to the release of East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, you can see the only three films he made. James Dean spoke for .: nation of alienated, rebellious adolescents, but, 35 years after his tragic death, his acting skills have almost been buried by an over-merchandised image. The handsome boxed set of Dean’‘s three classics and a documentary put things back in perspective. Classical Ballet Russian Style AUDITIONS For girls 10 to 15 years now being held.. Classes given for beginner to advanced students in the VAGANOVA technique by Nadya Kalmanovskaya, Director REPERTOIRE COACHING PAS DE DEUX MALINKIBALLET | Director/Patron: Ninel Kurkapkina Kirov Ballet, Leningrad CALL 689-9491 FOR APPOINTMENT ns © It’s you who counts the most SHARE IN SUCCESS If you are licensed or soon to be licensed with a sincere desire for early success and would like an opportunity to be part of our North or West Vancouver Sales Team. We invite you to investigate the TRAINING, REWARDS and SUPPORT offered by Royal LePage. CALL: Ron Bailey, Manager, West Van. 925-1441 Satnam Sidhu, Manager, North Van. 988-2022 AQUACULTURE PROGRAMS At Western Canada’s Leading Aquaculture Training Institution AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES TECHNOLOGY Mai| A 2-year program preparing students for a leading role ata technical or management level in a government or private facility rearing fish or shellfish. & nbor prvate ey ® FISH HEALTH TECHNICIAN m| An 8-month upgrading, certificate program designed for people { presently working tn the industry. pre ‘en peep | AGUACULTURE EXTENSION COURSES A range of short, intensive extension courses on specific subjects of value to present and prospective fish and mollusc culturists. Low cost of Hing, Vancouver Island lifestyle and full-facilities campus give Malaspina natural advantages. B Phone or write for full details: (604) 753-3245 Nanalmo Campus 900 Fifth Stroet Nanaimo, B.C. VOR $S5 Y.. may have seen Eco-Heroes honored in ihe EcoUpdate feature that runs every se- cond Wednesday. You can nominate your favorite Eco-Hero, the person who has taken that first small, but important, step to making a difference in the worid around us. The North Shore News thinks it’s important to recognize the Eco-Heroes in our communi- ty. If you know an Eco-Hero, please submit his or her name to this newspaper and your nominee will have a chance to win an Eco- Hero button and a Going Green on the North Shore coffee mug. Submissions should be sent to Eco-Hero, North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, V7M 2H4. Nominations can also be telephoned to Peggy Trencell-Whittaker, 986-2131, from Monday to Thursday. THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER! i sant ‘north Shore. .