DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Diane Lane as FRANCES MAYES Sandra Oh as PATTI Lindsay Duncan as KATHERINE Raoul Bova as MARCELLO Vincent Riotta as MARTINI Rated PG-13 Studio: Touchstone Pictures Directed by: Audrey Wells Back to DVD Review Home |
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“Under the Tuscan Sun” is an unabashed chick flick. It is such a chick flick that writer/director Audrey Wells purposefully included a lesbian couple in the film so as not to imply that only men break up relationships. And when it comes to chick flicks, I can appreciate some - although have no desire to see others (like “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”).
Like Nancy Myers’ “Something’s Gotta Give,” this is a film for women, written by women and directed by a woman. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a good film. At least it’s not like a pseudo-chick flick like something we’d see from Wayne Wang or Robert Reiner as of late. In this sense, it is far more honest and real coming from a woman’s point of view. In fact, it’s actually a really good film - even for a “Star Wars” baby like myself.
“Under the Tuscan Sun” is based on a book by Frances Mayes, a woman who bought a villa in the Tuscan region of Italy and spent the next several months renovating the property. The original book (which I have not read) is more of a memoir about Mayes’ experiences in the renovation and how her life became rich with Italian history in the process.
In the adaptation of the film, Audrey Wells developed a story from scratch which involved Mayes’ divorce, her relationship with her friends and the colorful characters she meets in Italy during her journey. After a bitter divorce in which Frances is forced to give up her San Francisco home, she spontaneously purchases a villa in Tuscany while on vacation. As she rebuilds the house, it becomes a metaphor for her rebuilding her life.
The movie is a story of resurrection in ways that we never plan. Frances learns to love again and has her own family without the requirement of having a husband. Sure, there are some heavy-handed explanation of the symbols at the end of the film, but generally, the movie left me feeling pretty good.
I think a lot of what makes the film work is its lead actress. You see, I have been in love with Diane Lane for years. I’ve confessed this to several people, and I’ve found that I am not alone. Even terrible Diane Lane movies like “Streets of Fire” and “Murder at 1600” are fun to watch because she’s in them. (And some of her movies, like “Judge Dread,” are fun to watch because she’s running around in spandex pants.)
I remember watching a DVD of “Dark City,” which starred Jennifer Connelly years before she won an Academy Award for “A Beautiful Mind” and became a household name. In the commentary, the director mentioned that while Connelly was not a famous name, ever guy in America seemed to know who she was. I think Diane Lane falls into this category herself.
In the special features, there is a documentary “Tuscany 101,” which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the film. This is a nice, complete documentary and isn’t a token five-minute fluff piece. There is also an excellent audio commentary by director Audrey Wells. In Audrey Wells commentary, she gives some excellent insight into the making of the film and the inspirations she found while writing it.
I also learned some interesting facts that went against some of my assumptions. For example, in one scene Frances writes a post card for another person who can’t find the words. The text of the post card becomes the beginning of a voice over that eventually continues throughout the rest of the film. I felt the post card was a perfect example of a struggling writer trying to write beautiful, artistic words with phrases like “it even tastes purple” but ultimately sounding pretentious. However, Wells explains in her commentary that this was taken practically word-for-word from Mayes’ book. I had to chuckle when I heard that.
There is a section of deleted scenes, which includes three scenes with further insights into the film. While none of these scenes were needed in the film (and were thus deleted), it is arguable that many scenes in the film itself were not needed either. This is what is faced when you make a film that centers on the growth of the human spirit rather than a more standard “save the damsel in distress” plot. The only deleted scene that felt really out of place was a montage of different character from the film, inserted with the overly heavy artistic hand of everyone standing in front of a professional film slate.
The best deleted scene, however, is really and alternate scene and not found on the deleted scene menu. This scene, an Easter egg, is the infamous “Underwear Addition” in which filmmakers had to digitally clothe the naked hindquarters of one of Katherine’s lovers in order to obtain a PG-13 rating. Not only is this an interesting lesson in making special effects that don’t look like special effects, it’s also gives interesting insight into the silly reasons why the MPAA hands out R ratings.
“Under the Tuscan Sun” is an entertaining and interesting adaptation of a book that didn’t have a clear story that could be adapted to the screen. Sure, it’s not as creative as an approach as Charlie Kaufman took in writing the “Adaptation” screenplay for the book “The Orchid Thief.” But the down-to-earth story of “Under the Tuscan Sun” fit and makes a decent film - and gives the guys some bargaining chips so they can rent “Terminator 3” the next week.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1), enhance for 16x9 televisions. French language track; Spanish subtitles; English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
