Hoffman portrays complex "Tootsie ' theme well
By FRANK BRUM
Assistant Arts Editor
A great film has the ability to entertain on a purely .
emotional level while it makes an important statement
about people and the society in which they live. Tootsie
is such a film.
For starters, Tootsie is unequivocally the funniest mo
tion picture of 1982. Its superb screenplay, a wonderful-.
ly complex maze of mistaken identities and miscon
strued intentions, focuses upon an unemployed actor's
most desperate attempt to find work as an actress.
At age 39, Michael Dorsey finds that his perfectionism '
has ostracized him from the casting directors and pro
ducers in New York City. Both his friends and his acting
students recognize his brilliance as an actor, but that's
not paying the bills. Besides, Michael is yearning for an
acting challenge. So he creates a new identity in the form
of an overweight, unattractive, but forceful, woman
named Dorothy Michaels and, as Dorothy, lands a lead
role in one of daytime television's most popular serials.
Problems inevitably arise. Dorothy becomes a na
tional heroine as a result of her soap opera character's
refusal to let herself be dominated by the male
chauvinists around her. And Dorothy's similar off
screen attitude wins her the friendship of the soap's
leading lady, Julie Nichols. To complicate matters,
Michael falls in love with Julie.
Review
To further twist the plot, Julie's widowed father is
hoping to make Dorothy his second wife, and Michael's
best friend and sometimes lover, Sandy, wants to know
where Michael is spending all of his time.
Although the core of Tootsie' 's story is rather farcical,
the film proceeds to make many shrewd observations
about sex roles in our society while satirizing both the
acting community and the glorification of celebrities in
America. Best of all, Tootsie does all this in a manner so
warm and lighthearted it is never the least bit offensive
or didactic.
More than anything else, Tootsie is a film about per
sonal growth through a broadening of perspectives. As
Dorothy, Michael experiences humiliations and situa
tions he never before recognized, and these revelations
create a new sensitivity in his character. Becoming
Dorothy also serves as a lesson in values for Michael.
Because Dorothy is his creation, Michael takes great
pride in endowing her with virtues he himself never ex
hibited. He lets his defenses down and learns how to be a
sympathetic and principled, yet flexible, human being.
Dustin Hoffman manages to create two distinctly dif
ferent characters without ever losing a sense of the link
which bonds the two. When he is Dorothy, he is at his
very best, subtly letting the responses of his masculine
alterego show through an ambiguous glance here or an
almost imperceptible twitch of his lips there.
As Julie, Jessica Lange tugs at the viewer's heart
strings with her loveliness and vulnerability. The
supporting cast, headed by George Gaynes, Dabney
Coleman, Ten Garr and Bill Murray, is outstanding.
Director Sydney Pollack keeps things moving at a
ferociously funny pace, but the essence of Tootsie is ac
tually quite serious. Tootsie demonstrates that human
beings can escape stereotypical existences and ignore
society's meaningless role distinctions. When Michael
and Les, Julie's father, meet after Les has discovered
that Dorothy was in fact a man, the initial tension be
tween the two and Les' hard feelings dissipate as each
man recognizes the mutual enjoyment of their time
spent together. In much the same way, Julie realizes that
the friendship she had with Dorothy can become a
courtship with Michael. After all, the same emotional
bond is present. -.
Because of its faith in human sensitivity and its ability
to see beyond superficial gender distinctions, Tootsie
leaves one with an emotional high which lingers long
after leaving the theater. This is entertainment at its most
rewarding, and American moviemaking at its most skill
fully exuberant.
Tuesday, January 18, 1983The Daily Tar Heel3
Young UNG wrestlers
get boost from Michaels
nurse
From page 1
The master of science in public health,
nursing program, specifically geared to
education, is a two-year program, Hind
man said.
If the public health nursing department
one of nine departments in the School
of Public Health is dissolved, the
courses will probably be dispersed
throughout the school, Ibrahim said.
The move will also open up the possi
bility of establishing a doctoral program in
nursing, an increasingly important pro
gram for public health nurses, he said.
Ibrahim said there was a need for more
public health nurses, especially for those
with doctoral degrees.
"We're responding to that need,"
Ibrahim said. "Having a national reputa
tion poesn't mean we can stand still and
watch it. We need to expand and improve
on it."
Proposed oil fees would up gas prices
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON The Reagan
administration is leaning toward tax in
creases in fiscal 1986 and beyond
that would impose fees on crude oil and
tack a 1 percent surcharge on personal in
come, administration sources said Mon
day. The oil fees could raise gasoline prices
by 12 cents a gallon.
At the same time, the administration is
likely to seek a six-month delay this year in
cost-of-living raises in pensions for Civil
Service employees, veterans, and railroad
workers, as well as in the disability pay for
coal miners with black lung disease, the
sources said. Congressional analysts said
that would save $1 billion in the current
year.
The six-month freeze in the automatic
yearly inflation triggers would parallel a
similar delay for Social Security recipients,
a move proposed over the weekend by a
national commission and endorsed by
President Reagan and House Speaker
Thomas P. O'Neill Jr., D-Mass.
The sources, who did not want their
names used, said the cost-of-living delay
also might be extended to other federal
programs with automatic inflation trig
gers, including food stamps.
Administration officials said Reagan
has not yet given final approval to the con
tingency taxes, which would raise approx
imately $40 billion in each of the three
years, if needed to keep the annual deficits
under $100 billion. But a presidential okay
is expected.
The president's proposed budget for the
fiscal year that begins next Oct. 1 is to be
delivered to Congress on Jan. 31,
Faculty members
to give free concert
Cellist Brent Wissick and pianist
Michael Zenge will give a free concert
tonight at 8:15 in Hill Hall auditorium.'
Wissick and Zenge are both members of
the UNC music department faculty.
Band to perform tonight
The Shake, a popular student rock
band, will perform tonight at 9 in the
Great Hall of the Carolina Union. The
free concert is being sponsored by the
Union Social Committee, and students
may bring wine or beer.
By MICHAEL PERSINGER
Staff Writer
Early this season, the UNC wrestling
team was struggling through a schedule
that included several of the top teams in
the country, and they were doing it with a
lineup that included several freshmen.
That early-season experience is begin
ning to pay dividends for UNC wrestling
coach Bill Lam, with the most recent and
impressive returns coming last weekend in
the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va.
Lam said he was pleased with the effort
of this young team, and proud of the way
they are coming together.
"We start the ACC season next week
against Duke in Durham, and I think we
are coming together as a team at just the
right time," Lam said. "With a team as
young as ours, you can never be sure just
how good you will be. We're getting good
leadership from our older guys, and the
freshmen are really coming along."
The Tar Heels are getting some leader
ship from an unexpected source, in the
form of two-time All-American Jan
Michaels. Michaels was considering sitting
out the '82r'83 campaign, but he has
decided to go ahead and wrestle this
season.
"We were really planning on redshirting
him this year, but he has a wife and a
decided that it would be in his best interest
to go ahead and let him wrestle this year,"
Lam said.
The decision paid off in the Duals
when Michaels whipped Old Dominion's
Scott Giacobbe to secure the champion
ship for the Tar Heels.
The Duals turned out to be a showcase
for all the Tar Heels, both young and old.
The leaders throughout the tournament
were co-captains Bill Gaf fney and Bob
Shriner, both of whom were 3-0 for the
tourney.
Tar Heel wins by freshmen Chip Mc
Ardle, with a major decision over Joe
DaBiero, and Leo Palacio, a pin of Brian
Barrett, along with wins by sophomore
Matt King and junior Wes Hallman staked
North Carolina to an early lead, and UNC
never looked back. Victories by Gaffney,
Michaels and Shriner sealed the Mon
archs' fate.
With the learning experience of the
tough early season slate now behind them,
Lam expressed only one concern.
"The only thing I was worried about in
terms of the schedule was that you can
learn to lose just like you learn to win, and
we lost a few to some tough teams early,"
Lam said.
Now, it seems, the North Carolina
wrestling team is learning to win, and it's
not a moment too soon.
Photographers needed; apply at 'DTH'
Anyone interested in becoming a DTH
staff4 photographer should come by the
DTH office by Wednesday and speak with
Al Steele, Experience is necessary. All per
sons should bring a portfolio, clips, and
other comparable material with them.
lnJAl3T A SUFJirJJEE CAMP JOB?
Positions available (male-female) Specialists in all athletic
areas; Assistants to Tennis Pro; Golf; Gymnastics; swimming
(WSI); Smallcraft (sailing-canoeing); Riflery; Archery; Arts and
Crafts (general shop, woodworking); Ceramics; Sewing; Com
puter Science; Photography; science (general electronics);
Music; Dramatics; Pioneering; Tripping; General Counselors,
20. Camp, located in Northeastern JRerinsYlvania (Poconos).,
For- further-information write torrs.rs End camp, c7o
Beach take. inc:, 'A202l5 Adams StreetBrooklyn, N.Y. 11201.
A Rhm by WERNER HERZOC 258 PG
ENDS
THUR
2:15
4.00
A Hm by Rner Werner Fiwunder LOLV
P .... V .mm.Tmmmwmm.', -
The Carolina Union Presents
V
ELLIOT ROAD at E. FRANKLIN
967-4737
$2.00 TIL 6:00 PM EVERYDAY!
3:05 5:10 7:15 9:20
Sally Field
James Caan
Kiss Me Goodbye (pg)
3:05 5:05 7:05 9:05
Eddie Murphy
Nick Nolte
48HRS(R)
3:10 5:10 7:10 9:10
DOLBY STEREO
AREA SHOWING
The Dark Crystal pg)
7
T
1 r
.SIM""
CAROLINA CLASSIC
Gone With the Wind
2:00 only
r aitffl.ifft-:
Susan I I 6'00
Anton 7;45
Spring Fever 9-30
m mwro. i 1
iai Huaua ITKHT w
Burt I I Goldie
Reynolds Hawn
Best Friends
2:30 4:45 7:00 9:15
fPGl
Mario's-
Volunteers Needed
to Work at
MURDOCH CENTER
(Regional Mental
Retardation Center)
Meeting:
Jan. 17 or Jan. 18
7:00 pm
205 Student Union
Stop by Room 102
Campus Y for
more information
r9MlUr
Italian Restaurant
announces it's
All Day Tuesday Special!
allti ie spg::e7ti you c.in eatiI
with our
delicious meat sauce,
udw;u uieciu anu saiau yLaq
beverage not included 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
near Harris Teeter in 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.
new section of Kroger Plaza 11:30 a.m..-10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
929-9693 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Sun.
L
I fiM I
a Carolina Union Presentation
Monday-Saturday Special
Sizzlin Sirloin, Jr.
and Salad Bar
. only $2.99
with baked
potato or trench
fries and texas
toast
ooo
V
M
. - ...... j:
STEAK HOUSE
VJB FZIFfF CTJ P1AWE
324 Rosemary St.
Chapel Hill
K v v ;.v- '.. . - ,.
r.
M ym tiEnnimEi rSdDch KIDi?r?nir gGto nflaS .
rinq this ad for $2o IFF
your very own ticket for the
11 p.m. performance, Tues., Jan. 25
by
An evenings of Sequined Tulips, Etc.!
Advance ticket sales only. Coupon must be presented when purchasing tickets for
discount one coupon per ticket. Don't wait! Tickets on sale now.
after all elliott rd. 929-0217
music nightly in "after all cafe at no cover charge!
Student !2-price discounts Thursday evenings!
Coming January 19th
r .ii
'AXiKl lvON ITlJCb. "vSWIi'i ..j f LSI.
A totally tifw concdfJt fo Chapel HilTs flight life!
m 5!c- Cm &gi
I mm ilkf iJOfw-, wmi te vMtob
Sec Wednesday DTH for details.