A

The River Wild *1/2(Universal)
Rated Mature (at the Park &
Tilferd, Granvilie, Coquitiam,
Oakridge, Scott 72, Richport,
Station Square and Clearbrook)

NOTHING LIKE a vacation
of terror to get a broken fami-
ly row, row, rowing their boat
in unison.

It may be a radica) concept in
family healing but remember that
this was directed by Curtis Hanson,
the hand behind The Hand that
Rocks the Cradle.

Gail (Mery! Streep), a once
adventurous river guide, now finds
herself up the creek (albeit with a

FILM REVIEW

paddle) i ina loveless marriage, play-
ing solitary parent since her “humor:
less husband Tom (David Straitham)
spends more time at the drafting
table than at the dinner table.

Rut Mom and Dad get together

yarnecouyver dni’) fils festival

Tal

MOTHERHOOD: AS an issue,
it ain’t exactly small potatoes.
By Kate Zimmerman
News Reporter

Film-maker Helene Klodawsky
took on a biggie when she decided to

make her National Film Board/
Studio D documentary Motherland:

Tales of Wonder, which recently”

appeared at the Vancouver Film
Festival. .

Depending on the time of day,
countless mamas might have chosen
other schtitles, from Tales oj Horror
to Tales of Stupor. Any mother of
any generation could probably sug-
gest 10 aspects of motherhood on
which a film-maker could focus,
including guilt, fear, self-esteem,
aging arid trying to fulfill one’s own
thwarted dreams through one’s kids.

Kiodawsky seems to have decid-
ed to focus on the importance of a
mother's sense of self-worth, but her
documentary slips and slides around

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le from the motherhood

the subject, not always latching on

The film-maker and her cal-
leagues interviewed over 200 women
for the movie and apparently weeded
most of them cut. The resulting work
focuses on seven mothers’ stories.

Though they represent wildly dis-
parate experiences, these examples
cannot possibly present a compre-
hensive picture of what it is to be a
mother. Mothers of color, mothers
living in poverty, mothers of autistic
children — these are all given time
and space here, but there is no room
left for lesbian mothers or adoptive
mothers or disabled mothers, equally
fascinating situations.

Motherland also attempts to
examine the burden placed on moth-
ers by decades of simplistic and
damnaging propaganda regarding how
to be the perfect female parent.

A TV series would do this gigan-
tic subject better justice. While
Motheriand is certainly compelling
-— particularly to mothers, who
rarely see thernselves poitrayed with-
out halos or devil’s horns in the mass

Some None None

Drama Lots Lots jMuch

with their son Rourke (Soseph
Marcello) for a river holiday that turns
nasty when Gwo ne'er-do-wells show
up, Although Gail hasn't tackled the
suicide run on Montana’s white water
since she was “18 and insane,” Wade
(Kevin Bacon) and his cohort Terry
(ohn C. Reilly) force her to nin the
dreaded “Gauntlet.”

This routine thriller offers Mery!
Streep’s great acting skills, but the
script wavers between predictable
and preposterous. White-water raft-
ing might be thrilling to do, but to
watch? Well. let's just say The River
Wild is a washout.

SHOWTIME HOTLINE:
Famous Players .. . 681-4255
Cineplex Odeon .. . 687-1515

CUSTOMERS
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|We are presently working in the Deep Cove
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Shaw Cable regrets any inconvenience to
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VITALIT.

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aie Di Co

media — it fails to cither present a
broad enough overview of the expe-
rience or to pinpoint a commonality. -

The Vancouver Film Festival
continues through Oct. 16.

Co

ne To A Performance
Jurgen Gothe

fave About.

Jurgen Gothe And Disc Drive,
Live, Monday October 17.

Join the CBC's most eclectic connoisseur for a delightful evening of music.
He'll introduce the VSO, conducted by its Resident Conductor, Clyde Mitchell. And
showcase an entrancing group of Canadian talent. It includes Talk of the Town
soprano Liping Zhang, local fiddler Daniel Lapp, and the VSO’s own percussion
wizard, John Rudolph. As always with Jurgen Gothe, the music will range from
zany, to folksy, to full tilt opera. Be there, 8:06 pm at the Orpheum, to enjoy this
thoroughly entertaining and unusual evening live. Just cail for tickets today.

VANCOUVER

5? MPHONY

Performing The Greavest Hits in History for 75 yeers
Sergiu Camissiona, Music Director

Ofta Aldine

®

ALR CANADA