32 — Wednesday, Novembew 23, 1988 ~ North Shore News

film

SHELL
SHOCKED

Film exploits tragedy
of Vietnam aftermath

Distant Thunder * (Paramount) Rated 14 years (at the Capital 6

Cinema)

THE MEN that don’t fit in — it was called ‘shell shock’ in
the world wars, but now has been labelled post-traurnatic
stress disorder for suffering Vietnam vets.

The most severely afflicted turn
their backs on society, unable to
fit in, and retreat to the wilderness.
An estimated 45,000 vets live
under these conditions.

Mark Lambert Jiohn Lithgow)
after a nightmarish five-year stint
for Uncle Sam, has spent the last
16 years in the Pacific Northwest
forests. With a couple of equally-
disturbed pals in battle fatigues, he
has created a rough facsimile of
jungle living conditions.

But after one of his friends
commits suicide, Mark bravely
decides to re-enter society. His
first step to recovery is coaxed
along by a newfound friend, Char
(Kerrie Kean), who gets him a job
at a lumber camp. Drawn to the
sad-faced loner, she encourages
him to make contact with his
estranged son, Jack (Ralph Mac-
chio).

And this is where the film begins
to unravel. Jack agrees to drive
half-way across the continent to
meet his father, but finds that
Dad’s gone AWOL. So it’s a hike
up the mountain to no-man’s land
with Char (without provisions, yet,
and the kid’s supposed to be
bright). Before having the frosty fa-
ther-and-son reunion, however,
they run into Dad’s amigos, Larry
(Denis Arndt) and Harvey (Reb
Brown), who hold them as PoWs

Children’s books for Xmas giving |

From page 28
43 pp.; ages 3 to 8; $18.95 in
hardcover) and just as much fun as
he was in previous episodes.

In Alistair Underwater (no need
to explain the locale), author.
Marilyn Sadler provides artist
Roger Bollen with ample latitude
to exercise his talent for hilarious
illustrations.

sae

While that's it for children’s
books this week, there will be one

Classic & unclassic

MEXICAN FOOD

FINALLY ....

Great Mexican food on the North Shore
Now open for Dinner, Lunch & Brunch
Coming Soon
All main courses priced from $5.00 to $8.00

3108 Edgemont Blvd, North van 988-8862

*#e* _ Excellent
“* — Very Good

** ~=- Average
* - Poor

at the camp.

Larry is the giggling Walter
Brennan-type, whose mental
health is not helped by a steady
diet of Ding-Dongs and Gummi

TIM
BELL

film reviewer

Bears. Harvey is considerably less
animated — except when he plays
“Trespassers Will Be Executed.””

The action scenes are well-
handied, with taut editing and
ear-cracking sound, but this is a
film about mental disorders and
the healing of a wounded family,
not knife fights and last minute
rescues.

On the other hand, anything
that covers up the dialogue is in
the film’s favor. How many high
school coaches say ‘toss around
the old pigskin’’?; how many
suicides are reported as “kissing
the train’?

other column on the subject be-
fore Christmas with severe! educa-
tional children’s titles featured, in-
cluding Journey Into Space and an
excellent book by the Natural His-
tory Museum on human anatomy,
Why Do Our Bodies Stop Grow-
ing?.

One final word on children’s
books though: you don’t have to
have kids to buy them — just tell
the clerk that they're for a niece/

RALPH MACCHIO (left) and john

Lithgow star in Distant Thunder.

John Lithgow makes the most of
his natural hang-dog face, and
gives the film one of its few
qualities. Ralph Macchio slouches
constantly and moans about his
fatherless life, but it hasn’t held
him back. He’s class valedictorian,
popular with students and faculty
and, to boot, some sort of sports
whiz.

it is obvious that the filmmakers
originally had the best intentions
in exploring this devastating syn-
drome but somewhere along the
way they exploited it.

Da *** (Cineplex Home Video)

Martin Sheen discovers death
isn’t the end of a relationship.
When his feisty trish father dies,
Charlie (Sheen) returns to the auld
sod and relives scenes from his
youth. Da (Bernard Hughes) pops
in and out of the picture to con-
verse with his son and offer such
pearls as this one about dying: ‘‘t
didn’t care for it.”

After much reflection, Charlie
comes to understand and accept
his father and himself, warts and
all. Of course, his father’s ghost is
all in his mind but he’s also deep
in his heart.

This is a very talky movie, but
never boring. The acting by all is
wonderful, with a memorable
camec by William Hickey as
Charlia’s first boss. There is much
humor admidst the drama, and the
Irish scenery opens up the stage-
bound origins of the play.

A real charmer.

NORTH SHORE VIEWS
West Van Gdeon: Mystic Pizza,
Madame Sousatzka, Fresh Horses.
Park Royal: A Fish Called Wanda,
High Spirits, Who Framed Roger
Rabbit (matinees Saturday and
Sunday), The Good Mother.

nephew, grandchild or whatever.
No one will ever know.

Polka Dot Door
LIVESHOW

FROM T.V. TO STAGE |
SATURDAY, |
NOV. 26-11 a.m. 87 p.m.

North Vanc. Cent. Theatre
Reserved Seats $7:00 (plus s/c)

ed

THURSDAY
DEC. 1-5&7p.m

MASSEY THEATRE
New Westminster

Genera! Admission $5.00 (pius sic}
TKTS: at all VTC/Ticketmaster toca-
4 tions, Eaton's & Woodward's, Info-
Centres in major mails.

CHARGE BY PHONE:
280-4444

EE IE ARE NE IE SOE IE RE

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a

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Comes with our shrimp and cream cheese stuffed
mushrooms appetizer with sourdough bread.

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Till November 30