6 Thursday, April 11, 2002 Raitt Finds Her Career's 'Silver Lining' By Jenise Hudson Staff Writer More than 30 years after releasing her first album, it seems that Bonnie Raitt still can’t get enough of those down-home blues. After a four-year hiatus, the eight-time Grammy Award winner has finally returned to the stu dio and recorded her newest album, Silver Lining. With an army of writers and a star-studded band , --. .rfa/bumi /rev/ews) Bonnie Raitt Silver Lining ★ ★★☆☆ (including former Beach Boys drummer Ricky Fataar and bassistjames “Hutch” Hutchinson from the Neville Brothers) in tow, Raitt and company make clear their hopes to turn Silver Lining into another best-selling album. Despite its attempts, the Raitt camp has failed to produce a musically sound album with real selling power. It’s not for lack of any quality song writing that Silver Lining ends up falling short Raitt chums out the lyrics and horn What’s Hot For Spring tfAreUrmna SCs\ < ,JL Jfr jW4mutea-v- v# * JS W H E L N t J y | R | II C Frostfrench J&iSpwm DIESEL II U If l * 'l4 IU H T j'tn,/!. | ‘ I1; Paper Denim \ M & Cloth uniquities.com chapel hill • 452 w. franklin st. • 933-4007 raleigh • 450 daniels st. • 832-1234 Friday, April 12 ~ 8:00pm - Midnight Hill Song Church ~ 201 Culbreth Road ~ www.hillsong.org wwtiteA' review/ "Kissing Jessica Stein" ★★★★☆ Single, intellectual (and hotjessica Stein (Westfeldt) works as a copy editor at the New York Chronicle. And her personality fits her job - she is a metic ulous, critical and conservative perfec tionist. Likewise, her heterosexual dat ing life consists of finding the faults in her comically faulty suitors, who are, as Stein complains, either “not funny or not smart, or not funny and not smart.” Not since “Annie Hall” have the love lives of cosmopolitan intellectuals been so artfully and comically tackled. But Woody Allen and Diane Keaton this film is not. Stein happens upon a “female seek ing female” ad in The Village Voice that includes a quote from the poet Rilke. A phone call leads to Helen Cooper (Juergensen), a well-sexed art gallery director who’s becoming “bi-curious,” shall we say, even though her venture into lesbianism is more of an experi ment than an act of true self or lonely desperation. A relationship begins and Stein pre dictably approaches sex and love with her typical organization, which includes manuals, pamphlets and a day-by-day timeline, all the while savagely teasing Cooper with her slow sexual progres sion and systematic libido. Eventually, Stein does open up and both are happier together than with any previous man. Months pass and the issues of lesbian love versus female friendship are caught on celluloid. Jessica, who remains conservative and private, is forced to grapple with friends and family members who con stantly beg to know, “Who’s the guy?” Tovah Feldshuh has several warm moments as Jessica’s Jewish mother, Gent Paid To Clean Out Your Closet No rr A “ EXCHANGE With student ID Uniqu€ clothing on Consignment 919.967.4035 • HOURS: M-SAT 10-6 4 The Courtyard, Chapel Hill • (across the street from Carolina Brewery) The James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence presents Thursdays on f h e -Z Terrace Live Music and Food Every Thursday Live in the Lounge Thursday, April 11 12:00 to 1:00 pm Robin and Linda Williams and Their Fine Group Nationally-acclaimed folk, blue-grass and country recording stars For more information on this and upcoming events please visit our website at http://www.mK.edu/depts/jcue or call 966-5110 The Johnston Center is located in Graham Memorial Hall, on Franklin *•, Street, next to the Morehead Planetarium l_a Shu omhj Ular HM and Scott Cohen compliments Westfeldt well as her present boss and former lover. As could be gathered from the film’s scant publicity, “Kissingjessica Stein" is a dime-store indie film. But a lack of financial backing means fewer studio restrictions, giving filmmakers the abil ity to create delicate, solemn moments as well as sincere, smart comedy. The innovative camera work employed by director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld also illustrates the benefits of indie auteurism. He adds more emotion to over-the-shoulder dialogue shots by often using hand-held cameras (see “Traffic”) and captures engaging, per sonal visuals of New York only possible without a large crew in tow. Technique aside, the heart of the film lies in the questions that eventually sur face. Can a straight person choose to be gay and be happy? Can someone truly be bisexual? Can two gay people “just be friends” after a breakup? The film raises these questions and doesn’t necessarily answer them but leaves the viewer pondering them while walking up the aisle. Nevertheless, it provides a refreshing, comedic and contemporary look at homosexuality and relationships that is long overdue. The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.