6
Thursday, November 16,1995
Home Is Where the Heartache Is
In Foster’s ‘Home for the Holidays’
I have realized that it is quickly becom
ing a trend that any film nowadays con
nected to the words “Jodie Foster” has to
be amazing. This time, though, Foster steps
behind the camera, but her unique wit and
intelligence are reflected on every flame of
the film, which is hands down one of the
best films of 1995.
“Home For
The Holidays”
masterfully ex
emplifies what
so many com
edies aim for
but never quite
ION HOWIE
Movie Review
'Home For the
Holidays'
A
reach. The film begins in Chicago, where
Claudia (Holly Hunter), an aspiring artist,
loses her job and almost her mind prior to
her flight home for the Thanksgiving holi
days. Claudia knows it’s going to be hell,
especially since the whole damn family
will be there. Claudia’s parents, played
brilliantly by Anne Bancroft and Charles
Duming, meet her at the airport, and from
there begins the holiday of all holidays.
Add Claudia’s eccentric brother Tommy
9 i------ jpw'
1 A >
”Ii 1 ( '
E Holiday Open House
Friday, Nov. 17
5-9 pm
S Spirited refreshments and hors’doeuvres
452 W. Franklin St. • Chapel Hill * 933-4007
"FALL" FOR SOMEONE NEW THIS SEASON!
To be matched instantly with area
singles and to place your FREE ad
Call
1-800-461-7297
24 hours a day!
Remote*, Seefatp
Call 1-900-680-0046
$1.99 per minute
MEDICAL FIELD STUDENT
SF. 18, independent, likes football, clubs,
working out, seeking nice, spiritually orient
ed, truthful, attractive, well-dressed, athlet
ic, respectful SBM. 19-25. for monogamous
relationship. Ad#,7133
FRESHMAN AT CAROLINA
SBF, 18, intelligent, talkative, independent,
likes to shop, seeking respectable, trustwor
thy, muscular, athletic, SBM, with nice job
and car, who loves football, for monoga
mous relationship. Ad#.4529
PLAYING ON COMPUTER
SBF, 18,5'3". 110 lbs,, black hair, brown eyes,
shy, laid back, freshman student, likes quiet
evenings at home, cooking, movies, seek
ing honest, outgoing, trustworthy SBM, for
dating. Ad#.4233
ATHLETIC
SF, 19, 5'9”, brown hair/eyes, likes classic
rock, mountains, beach, hiking, camping,
swimming, running, seeking SM, to date,
Ad#,5555
(ZoKfictentieUf
We know you would rather
not discuss your personal life
with a complete stranger!
Auto Ad allows you to use
your touch-tone phone to
answer questions about your
self and your ideal mate. You
record a greeting and we
turn it into a print ad. No live
operators and no waitingl
(Robert Downey Jr.), his nemesis, a.k.a.
their sister Joanne (Cynthia Stevenson),
Joanne’sstuffyhusband(SteveGuttenburg)
and top it all off with Claudia’s nutty aunt,
and the recipe inevitably results in chaotic
cuisine.
What is so incredible about “Home For
The Holidays” is how there is so much
going on in such a limited space (2 rooms
and 3 big street scenes), and yet Foster
remarkably holds it all together. A com
mon mistake made when praising direc
tors is to say that the best directed films are
the technically superior films like “Apollo
13,” “Forrest Gump” and “The Fugitive.”
While direction was important to those
films, a film like “Home For The Holi
days” is the kind where a director’s true
colors really shine through. In this film
there are no explosions or funky special
effects. The only thing that explodes in this
film is talent and Foster takes advantage of
every situation and every actor in the film,
creating a unique balance of humor and
sentiment unmatched in recent cinema.
The Thanksgiving dinner scene is price
LOOK AT INNER SELF
SBF, 20, large frame, attractive, shy, happy,
entertaining, dentistry student, likes movies,
music, walks, rides, dining, athletic events,
seeking well-dressed, respectful, truthful,
serious SBM, for dating, maybe more.
Ad#,4200
CAU MEI
SWF, 20, s'9', brownish/blondish hair, hazel
eyes, bubbly, student/waitress, seeking
humorous SWM, for dating. Ad#,7777
OVER TWENTY-FIVE?
SWF, 20, likes going to dinner, movies, bars,
and having lots of fun, looking tor SM, pro
fessional, sensitive, honest, sincere, physi
cally fit, not a health freak, to date.
Ad#. 7400
SERIOUS FRIEND WANTED
SBF, 25, educated, serious, fun-loving,
enjoys cooking, theater, reading, looking
for a SBM, 25-35, N/S, for friendship, com
panionship, Ad#.5848
LOOK AT INNER SELF
SF, 25,5' 11 ”, brown skin, medium frame, shy
but fun, student, likes jazz, books, rides,
walks, dining out, seeking well-dressed,
non-judgmental SM, for dating, maybe
more. Ad#.4200
LOVES TRAVELING
SBF, 26,57', no children, adventurous, likes
tennis, volley/baseball, writing, photogra
phy, museums, movies, seeking attractive,
professional, outgoing SM, for dating,
Ad#.4026
NEW TO AREA
SF, 36, undergraduate student, calm, seri
ous, likes classical music, traveling, seeking
SM, for friendship. Ad#,4444
COMPANIONSHIP
SBF, 38, mother of two, enjoys movies, water
activities, good conversation, quiet wqlks,
seeking intelligent SBM, to share activities,
maybe more. Ad#,5432
FIND OUT MORE
SB mom, 38. two children, likes water orient
ed activities, movies, quiet walks, good
conversation, seeks Intelligent SBM, 37-45,
N/S and non-drinkers are preferred, for pos
sible long term commitment. Ad#,2222
DIVERSIONS Movies
less; it is during this scene when it becomes
clear that this could be the first year the
Oscars nominate an American woman as
Best Director. And what a deserving nom
ine Jodie Foster would be.
Of course Foster was working with an
ensemble of Hollywood’s most superior
actresses and actors. Holly Hunter’s subtle
performance almost matches her dynamic
work in “The Piano.” While Hunter is
funny and heartwarming, she also allows
us to see the disillusioned and disappointed
side of Claudia, without turning her into
the stereotypical depressive. It is usually
the supporting actor or actress who accents
the other performances, but in her leading
role Hunter brings the best out of everyone
she works with, a characteristic she shares
with her director.
Robert Downey Jr. does wonders as
Claudia’s homosexual brother who is ob
sessed with Polaroid Cameras and scaring
the hell out of people by dancing on their
cars. It comes to the point in the film when
you find yourself laughing before he even
says a word. And then there is Claudia’s
kooky aunt, brilliantly played by scene
stealer Geraldine Chaplin. An aging high
school Latin teacher, she takes pride in her
Fruit Loop necklace and especially in her
rendition of “We Gather Together. ” I won’t
ruin it; it is hysterical! Charles Duming
and Anne Bancroft do wonders as Claudia’s
The enchantment of the
old Bartlett Mangum
House has been revived!
After 21 years in the New
York Theatre district, La
Grillade French Restaurant
has opened in the former
location of Claire's
/Mangum House in
Durham.
Enjoy good food at
moderate prices, prepared
by our chef and partner,
Claude, who came with us
from New York.
He has fifteen years'
experience including La
Maree and Le Pavilion
Royal in Paris, and also
Emiliano and cafe Europa
in Los Angeles.
Beautiful Room
for Private Parties
The Daily Tar-Heel
Brings you:
a dating column for today’s
FUN-SEEKING
SWF, 40s, with two children, enjoys movies,
outdoors, dining out, seeking SM, with simi
lar interests. Ad#,2858
AFRICAN AMERICAN
SBF, 48, seeking educated, professional
SBM, 35-50, who is interested in and prac
tices African American culture, for com
munication, dating. Ad#,8290
TffateA
Call 1-900-680-0046
FRIENDLY STUDENT
SBM, 19, s'9', 1651b5., black hair, brown
eyes, down-to-earth, laid back, open,
loves music, dancing, friends, joking, bas
ketball, working out, Sega, seeking trust
worthy SF, for dating, friendship, possible
relationship. Ad#.7852
SPEND TIME
SWM, 20, 510", 1501b5., enjoys TV, movies,
seeking SF, humorous, tor friendship and
dating. Ad#,9lll
NO GAME PLAYING
SM, 21, attractive, good sense of humor,
outgoing, enjoys dining out, sports, theater,
seeking honest SF, who enjoys movies,
sports, to date and spend quiet evenings
together. Ad#,6635
UNIVERSITY SENIOR
SWM, 21. eqsygoing. Independent, consid
erate, enjoys cooking, working out, quiet
times, seeking sensitive. Intelligent, affec
tionate SWF, for dating, possible relation
ship. Ad#.2874
PAUL BUNYAN LOOK ALIKE
SM, 21, tall, lanky, seeking SF, who likes beer,
philosophizing, Dobermans, facial hair, for
friendship, possible relationship. Ad#.3283
WANTS TO GO OUT
SWM, 22, brown halr/eyes, tall athletic,
Intelligent, graduate student, likes music,
racquetball. tennis, squash, bars, seeking
physically fit SWF, for dating. Ad#.7362
*■ . -wf fj||jp y ..|| *. \ ,
’i& jr; t lf |1 , >.:/ {
, , M J ~
man
Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) and her brother Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.) try to achieve harmony for the holidays.
parents. From them we learn how this
nutty family has remained sane and to
gether over the years. Duming does his
best work since 1982’s “Tootsie.”
Although it sounds almost like slapstick
comedy, the true magic of “Home For The
Holidays” is found in the understated sen
timent. Chaplin’s scene in which she dis
cusses the greatest moment of her life is
lacnuaae
Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner
Closed Sundays
Lunch: II :30-2 Dinner 5-10
2701 Chapel Hill Road 403-8877
SIMILAR INTERESTS?
SM, 24, graduate student, likes hiking, trav
eling, sporting events, seeks intelligent SF,
who enjoys conversation, movies, music
and likes having a good time, for a possi
ble relationship, no games. Ad#.3109
EXPLORE UFE
SWM, 25, 6'l", 185 lbs, curly blond hair,
graduate student, likes exercising, movies,
dining out, movies, the beach, adventure,
seeking outgoing SF, for dating, maybe
more. Ad#. 1158
LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE
SBM, 26, 6*2“, 2251b5., athletic, easygoing,
gets along with everyone, enjoys movies,
reading, planes, seeking SF, attractive,
well-versed, humorous, under 35, for possi
ble relationship. Ad#.2269
PROFESSIONAL MAN
SWM, 27, professional, seeks down to earth,
attractive, physically/emotionally fit, open
minded SF, who likes laughing, movies, the
beach, tennis, outside activities. Ad#.7469
SINGLE MALE
SM, 29, nice looking but not handsome, fit
but not athletic, bright but not in Mensa.
employed but not stressed, funny but not
always, seeks SF, 18-48, with a good mind.
Ad#.4113
GIVE ME A BEEP
SM, 30,5'5", likes sports, watching sports on
TV, going to the movies, having good
times, seeks nice, intelligent SF, for friend
ship, possible relationship. Ad#.2621
HAS REAL ESTATE BUSINESS
SM, 30, 5'10", engineer, likes cooking,
movies, the beach, dancing, fine dining,
seeking sweet, nice, easygoing, energetic,
honest SF, for friendship, possible long-term
relationship. Ad#. 1152
INVITING BROWN EYES
SWM, 32,6’1\ 1851b5., brown halr/eyes, fit,
athletic. Type A personality, student, likes
working out, lifting weights, athletics,
gourmet cooking, seeks sincere, loving SF,
22-35. Ad#. 7700
absolutely heartbreaking. And when Holly
Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. embrace
after he is chastized by their sister Joanne,
the tears start to flow. Finally, in the clos
ing scene with Hunter and Duming we see
the evidence and power of true love be
tween a father and a daughter.
Above all, “Home For The Holidays” is
about family, and the fact that regardless of
Experience the iresh flavors oi the Southwest.
icke^jjurrito
* 4#4 *e MIXICAN v° 0 °
The Sinfully Best f> i,_
Value in Town! j| *
214 W. Franklin Street • 967-8899 • Open Lunch & Dinner Every Day
To listen to area singles describe
themselves or respond to ads
Call
1-900-680-0046
ONLY $1.99 per minute will be charged to your monthly
telephone blit. You must be 18 years or older and have a touch
tone phone
24 hours a day!
TAKES LIFE AS IT COMES
SWM, 32, 6'. 180 lbs., athletic, fit, laid back,
fun-loving, student, enjoys good humor,
running, biking, weightlifting, gourmet
cooking, seeks sweet, sincere, trustworthy,
communicative SF, for possible relationship.
Ad#.4104
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER
SWM, 33, 6', 190 lbs. brown hair, blue eyes,
physically fit, open-minded, easygoing,
intelligent, likes music, mountain biking, hik
ing, reading, traveling, seeking SAF, for
companionship, maybe more. Ad#.3289
NOTHING SERIOUS
SWM, 39. college teacher, part-time Airline
Computer Technician, seeking SWF to date
and have fun. Ad#,2370
GIVE ME A CALL
SM, 40, enjoys sports, going to the park,
seeking professional SF, with good sense of
humor, who would enjoy wining and dining,
maybe more. Ad#. 1028
SWEET DREAMS
DW dad, 43, 5'5“. 1501b5., long hair in a
ponytail, laid back, caring, loving, roman
tic, one child, one cat, likes the outdoors,
camping, canoeing, rack and roll/R&B,
cooking, partying, campfires, seeking SF.
Ad#.2557
Pxaftte THatc/i
We're looking out for you! We
wouldn't want you to miss out
on the love of a lifetime.
When you respond to a spe
cific voice personal ad, we
give you the option of hear
ing up to 3 more voice greet
ings which are similar in con
tent to the ad you are
responding to.
®ljp lailg ®ar Hppl
how much we try to get along there will
always be problems. Some of them can be
fixed, but some of them cannot, as Foster
and screenwriter W. D. Richter so bril
liantly show through Joanne.
The only solution is not to miss what
will definitely be hailed as one of the most
intuitive and heartwarming comedies in
recent cinema.
Att pMt steed to 4mm*
• To place a voice greeting call
1-800-461-7297, enter option 1, 24
hours a day!
• To listen to ads or leave your message
call 1 -900-680-0046, enter option 1, at
a charge of 51,99 per minute.
• to responses, call
1 -800-461-7297, enter option 2, once
every 7 days for FREE, or call
1-900-680-0046. enter option 3, any
time at a charge of SI .99 per minute.
• 7o listen to or, It you choose, leave a
message lor your Suitable System
Selections call 1-900-680-0046, enter
option 3, at a charge of $1,99 per
minute.
• For complete confidentiality, give your
Inslant Mailbox number instead of your
phone number when you leave a mes
-sage. Call 1-900-680-0046, enter
option 3. at a charge of $1,99 per
minute, to listen to responses left for you
and find out when your replies were
picked up.
• 7o renew, change or cancel your ad,
call customer service at 716-633-3209
Monday through Friday, Bam-12
Midnight EST, Scnurday and Sunday,
9am -Jvlidnight EST.
• Check with your local phone company
%£*' /oure havin9
• It your ad was deleted, re-record
your voice greeting, remembering NOT
to use a cotdless pnone. leave your last
name, address, telephone number or
use vulgar language.
• Yogr print ad will appear in the paper
7-10 days after you record your voice
greeting,
M Male B Black
D Divorced F Female
H Hispanic C Christian
W White A Aslan
S Single G Gay
WW Widowed N/S Non-smoker
NA Native * Double Dater
American
Service provided by Direct Response Marketing,
Inc., 2451 Wehrte Drive. Wllllamsvllle. N.Y. 14221