The Member of the Wedding (1997)

Pretty Good

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Movies on demand is currently resurrecting this 1997 cinematic version of Carson McCullers brilliant 1946 novel THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING. McCullers herself adapted the novel for a Broadway production 1950 with a cast that included Ethel Waters, Julie Harris, and Brandon deWilde: Waters, Harris, and De Wilde repeated their roles in the 1952 film version, winning an Oscar nomination for Julie Harris. There was a 1982 television adaptation starring Pearl Bailey, Dana Hill, and Howard E. Rollins, Jr. and then came this 1997 film version, adapted by David W. Rintels (from the novel and not the play) starring Anna Paquin, Alfre Woodard, and Corey Dunn.The story takes place over a few days in late August in the South of the 1940s, telling the story of 12-year-old tomboy Frankie Addams (Anna Paquin), who feels disconnected from the world; in her words, an "unjoined person." Frankie's mother died when she was born, and her father (Enrico Colantoni) is a distant, uncomprehending figure. Her closest companions are the family's African American maid, Berenice Sadie Brown (Alfrie Woodward), and her six- year-old cousin, John Henry West (Corey Dunn). She has no friends in her small Southern town, and dreams of going away with her soldier brother (Matt McGrath) and his bride-to-be Janice (Anne Tremko) on their honeymoon in the Alaskan wilderness. It is a tender tale of the complexities of growing into adolescence, the hurtful encounters that are destined to come, and how one tomboy is transformed by the aura of a wedding.The film is tightly acted and Anna Paquin is convincing as the metamorphosing Frankie to Jasmine, but her very affected southern accent is troublesome. Alfre Woodward brings a different kind of dignity to her role as the benevolent Berenice. Corey Dunn is excellent as John Henry; there is no evidence in the searching that he is still acting or alive. For those who have not seen the original play or film this at least provides a peek into the genius of Carson McCullers and for that alone it is well worth watching. Grady Harp

Paquin's accent isn't great, although she is a reasonably affecting Frankie. Julie Harris she is not, but she has her moments. Woodard is terrific as Berenice, as far as she was allowed to go.But the novel, which is a dreamy, exquisite book, has been eviscerated. Not only did the writer (or more likely, the producer or the director or Hallmark) simply lop off the rest of the story, but Berenice's big scene, wherein she tells of Ludie's death and her subsequent, hopeless search for "pieces" (as she says) of him, has been eliminated, except for a fragment plopped (why?!) at the beginning of the movie.Really, I think there should be a law against hacks putting their hands on art. Everything Mrs. McCullers created -- the characters, the pathos, the heat and boredom of that summer, the depth of their sorrow, longing, restlessness, disappointment... oh! and the plot -- has been diluted for easy consumption by the public, most of whom, alas, will not even know the difference. Which, I suppose, is why, and how, the perpetrators of this pale fraud justified this sorry mess. Shame on them.Read the book and then (and only then) see the original movie. Please.

This could have been a wonderful version of McCuller's novel if Pacquin had not been so terrible in the role of Frankie. She may have been good in her first role in "The Piano", but she has not become a good actress. Her acting ability has not grown...it has diminished. In this play, her acting is painful to watch. One can 'see' her act which is not pleasant. She just doesn't have the talent to pull it off. As a young Jane Eyre, it was also painful to watch her. For anyone who has seen the original version of "Member of the Wedding" with Julie Harris will know what I mean. Harris was incredible and it would be hard to match her performance. Pacquin just seems to be a lightweight playing against the extremely talented Alfre Woodard. I love this play and it just made me sad to see Pacquin do such a terrible job with such a fascinating character.

Carson McCullers would be proud of this film, one of the best made for television I've ever seen. The stunning actors have little room to move around (this was a play), but they managed to capture and hold my attention and pity. The subtle gender-identity issue was brought out well by Anna's great acting, but she almost lost me at the start with her horrible Southern accent. Once I accepted her bad accent, she more than made up for it with her made-real-for-me portrayal of Frankie.