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| Majestic, The |
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  (8/10)
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Runtime: 150 |
| Public Rating: 6.93 (29 votes) |
Director: Frank Darabont |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Drama/Romance |
Year: 2001 |
| Writer(s): Michael Sloane |
| Reviewed by: Movieman |
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The Majestic is set in the 1950s during the black list days in Hollywood where everyone from producers to famous actors were subpoenaed to testify in front of a committee, giving the names of those they know who may be a part of the communist party. Included on the list of people under investi-gation was Peter Appleton (Carrey; The Truman Show), a B-movie screenwriter making his way up to the A-list and willing to do anything to get there.
One night after having a few drinks, Peter takes a ride out of town and swerves from hitting a possum and plummets his car over the bridge into the raging river below. He gets knocked out from drifting in the river and wakes up and is taken to the small town of Lawson, California where everyone recognizes him as a war veteran who was thought to be MIA. Lawson had lost 60 some of their young men to World War II and had endured much heartache with no good luck until seemingly now. The entire town is delighted to have the war vet they know as Luke Trimble back including Luke's father, Harry (Landau; Ed Wood) and girlfriend, Adele Stanton (Holden). Trouble is, with the hit to the head, Peter has lost all his memory as he is introduced as one of their own and forms an attachment with all the town's people.
Peter now known as Luke, forms attachments with the town's people and works with Harry and the rest to reopen an old, run down theater named "The Majestic". Together, Luke and Harry fix the place up and make it as good as new. Unfortunately, Peter's past comes back to him and his troubles also come to Lawson.
Frank Darabont who brought us The Green Mile and one of the top movies on the Internet Movie Database and my list, The Shawshank Redemption, directed The Majestic. In all of these films Darabont gives us the feeling of friendship and unity, thereby giving the audience a warm feeling from the heart. While the path taken in the films, and the genre for that matter, were different, the underlying mechanism of friendship is there. Nothing is truer than in The Majestic where Peter/Luke makes so many friends who believe in him and adore him that it rejuvenates the town and he feels important to so many people.
It takes, however, certain actors to pull off a film like this. It must be someone who captures the audience's attention and makes them believe in him and the hope he finds what he is ultimately looking for. The Majestic found the perfect man in Jim Carrey. Carrey is one of the most under appreciated and underrated actors currently in Hollywood. Over the years he lost respect amongst Oscar voters probably because of his silly antics in Ace Ventura and Batman Forever but clearly overlooked him in my favorite film of 1999, The Truman Show. For the first time I saw what a talent Jim Carrey really was and immediately vaulted him to former Oscar winners Tom Hanks and even Jack Nicholson. Jim Carrey gives an Oscar performance that should be recognized with the likes of past Oscar winners.
The supporting cast also provides some of the best performances that enhance the movie so well along with Carrey. Martin Landau gives a moving and excellent performance as Luke's father including a heart-ripping scene that screams Best Supporting Actor all the way. Landau is a classic actor who gives his all to the film and makes those around him better and vice versa.
Other actors around Carrey and Landau, some well known, others who seemed to come out of nowhere. One of the staples in movies (and currently on TV) is Ron Rifkin. Rifkin can be seen on "Alias" as the SD-6 bad guy but his films tell the story. He has been in numerous films including L.A. Confidential, The Negotiator and one of my favorites, Boiler Room as the father of a stockbroker involved in illegal activities. Ron Rifkin may not be leading man material but he sure does add depth to any supporting cast. The one actor who came from nowhere had the biggest impact on me. Laurie Holden plays the girlfriend of Luke who falls in love all over again with Peter. Holden's biography is a list of small movies and guest shots on "The X-Files" but she finally gets her chance and makes the most of the opportunity. Holden has the beauty, elegance and suave to pull off the part as she had great chemistry with Jim, making it over the hurdle that some films fall from.
Strangely enough, The Majestic was written by Michael Sloane, a screen-writer who had written only one film prior, Hollywood Boulevard II, which seems to me like a B-movie and Sloane makes to the big time. Sloane apparently worked on the first draft while director Darabont put the finishing touches on it. The script is smooth with the dialogue crisp and to the point while the plot moved forward nicely through the two and half hours.
Overall The Majestic has everything you need in a great film. Oscar worthy acting and set work to a simple yet effective screenplay. It's a classy film with a message America needs right now to remember why and what our soldiers are fighting for overseas not only in Afghanistan but throughout the world
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