Wednesday. October 31, 1990 - North Shore News - 29

Sentimental Journey is sweet but not syrupy

Avalon *** (Tristar) Rated G (at the Park Royal, Vancouver Centre,

Station Square and Guildtord cinemas)

ANDS UP all those
who long for the
good old days.

You know, the time when the
Fourth of July was a day of cele-
bration, not sales ... when strang-
ers helped you find your destina-
tion if you were lost ... when fa ni-
lies toughed it out together and
supported each other.

As Sam Krichinsky (Armin
Mueller-Stahl) tells it, 1914
Baltimore was Paradise.

Now, in the late ‘40s, the fabric
of America has not so much
changed as unravelled. Children
change their family name (trom
Krichinsky to Kaye) and marry
almost on whim. At least that’s
what Sam’‘s son Jules (Aidan
Quinn) did, much to his father's
dismay.

However, Jules is happily mar-
ried to Ann (Elizabeth Perkins)
and, as modern couples are apt to
do, they don’t share Sam’s en-
thusiasm for living with the rela-
tives. As Jules becomes more suc-
cessful selling appliances, they
decide to uproat from Avalon, the
street that has housed the Krichin-
skys since before the First World
War.

Nostalgia is an almost guaran-
teed, even easy, way to latch onto
an audience. But Barry Levinson’s
autobiographical Ava/on goes
beyond mere rose-tinted memo-
ties of childhood. He draws a
comparison between the family
and America. Civilization was
stronger when families were big,
boisterous affairs and television

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hadn't replaced dinner conversa-
tion,

Not that it was perfect, mind
you. The conversations are largeiy
the same old arguments and
stories that everyone has heard a
thousand times before. The men
decided what to do with the pool-
ed resources, while the women
cooked and cleaned. Still, childeen
would care for their aging parents
and people died in their own
beds.

The core of this film is the char-
acters, dozens of colorful brothers,
aunts, mothers, and relatives of

every description. They are funny,

_ touching and exasperating. Levin-

son directs a superb cast which
includes joan Plowright as Sam’‘s
very vocal wife, Randy Newman's
bittersweet score perfectly accents
the storyline.

Although sentimental, the film
never gets syrupy and, unlike most
memories, remains honest.

The Magnificent Ambersons
**** (RKO Home Video/
Criterion Laser Disc) Unrated

Following a similar theme to
Avalon, we witness a family’s
disintegration — only this time it’s
because of their inability to
change with the times.

TIM
BELL

film review

Tim Holt is the spoiled, upper-
class snob who stubbornly keeps a
“common” auto inventor Joseph
Cotton from his mother (Delores
Del Rio). Agnes Moorehead as
sheill, lonely Aunt Fanny is a
standout in an excellent cast.

Even though Orson Welles
thought the studio butchered his
fiirn after a disastrous premiere, it
holds up remarkably well.

NORTH SHORE VIEWS
West Van Odeon: White Palace,
Sibling Rivalry, Postcards from the
Edge
Park Royal: Avalon, Ghost,
Memphis Belle
Park & Tilford: tienry & June,
Pacific Heights, Night of the Living
Dead, The Witches, Miller's Cross-
ing, Marked for Death, Sibling Ri-
valry, White Palace
Showtime Hotlines: Famous
Players 681-4255, Cineplex Odeon
687-1515

We've discounted the remainder
of our 1990 stock.

PLUS! We'll include the FREE use of a cellular
phone. All you pay is the airtime.

OFFER EXPIRES NOV 4, 1980

PLUS PDI. & FREIGHT — $695

(5 PASSENGER, 5-SPEED)
LEASING AVAILABLE AND BANK FINANCING oO. A.C.

Mon. Thurs ~
Fri., Sat.