 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
THE NEWCOMERS
Produced by Peter Beckwith, David Giancola, and David Peters
Directed by James Allen Bradley
Written by Garrett Clancy and Tony Jiti Gill
Edited by David Blanchard
Director of Photography -Courtney - Kate Bosworth
Mack - Jeff Fahey
Sam - Chris McCoyYou know when your sitting in front of your TV watching a "shoot 'em up" action flick or a "bloody" horror film and your grandma comes walking in shaking her head and she asks you, "How come you don't ever rent any nice movies?" If you're like me, you probably set there and wonder to your self, just what in the hell is a nice movie anyway? Well, I think this mti Home Video release of THE NEWCOMERS, from Artist View Entertainment, is one of those kinds of film that your grandma was talking about. You'll just want to give this movie a big hug because it's so nice!
The Docherty clan is your typical all American nice family. They have a spacious clean home, they eat dinner together at the dining room table, the sister and brother are close and get along really well, and both of the kids are smart and well behaved. I have to admit that I have never actually met a family this perfect. ROSANNE, THE SIMPSONS or even MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE seem to be more of a realistic portrayal of the modern middle class family to me. The Docherty's are so apple pie that I had to keep reminding myself that this movie doesn't take place in the fifties.
Just because you're nice though, that doesn't necessarily mean that you'll live a problem free life. There are people out there gunning to make you miserable just because they can, no further motivation is required.
So when big stupid jock Rocco, played by Jamie Benti, gets his advances spurned by daughter Courtney, played by Kate Bosworth (BLUE CRUSH), he decides to get revenge by stealing a couple of computers from school and blaming the theft on Courtney's current boy friend. His plan is foiled, however, when Courtney's younger brother Sam, played by Chris McCoy, witness the crime and turns the buffoon in. Thinking everything is finaly over and done with, Sam soon finds himself being terrorized as a target for revenge.
I guess since this is a film geared toward the whole family, director James Allen Bradley chose to keep things from getting too scary. The big stupid jock Rocco, with his thick Boston accent, is so over the top that he's more comical than threatening, even when he's trying to run Sam down with his sports car. Actually, the whole town of Boston looks both clean and safe, so it's kind of surprising when mom, played by Elizabeth Duff, and dad, played by Matt McCoy (THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE), decide that living in the city has gotten to be too dangerous and a move to the country would be best. I bet they could have gotten that big stupid jock for attempted murder and continued to live in the otherwise nice area of Boston with minimal Hassal, but no, the Docherty's instead decide to run away from their problems. What they don't realize, at least at the time, is that there are jerks to be found everywhere, even in the country.
Things look great at first, a big gorgeous house, ponds, a small river, fields and woods for Sam to explore, and a new pet dog named Chaser, but things quickly turn sour thanks to Mack Wetherton, played by Jeff Fahey (LAWNMOWER MAN). Mack is a man haunted by his wife's death and who takes his misery out on the new neighbors across the street. I suspect this is because he sees them as the perfect all American family, the kind of family his might have been if things had turned out differently. We learn that Mack's wife drank herself to death, and even though it's never explained wether he was the cause or just not part of the solution, it's obvious that Mack blames himself, and has become quite bitter.
Things soon begin to go steadily down hill for the Dochertys, starting with the dad discovering that his new promised job has been sabotaged by Mack. This results in the mom having to take a waitress job where she becomes an easy target for Mack's stinging remarks. Even poor little Sam has to put up with the bullying from Mack's son Gill, played by Billy Kay (HALLOWEEN RESURRECTION). The only Docherty family member not being directly repressed by Mack Wetherton is daughter Courtney, but she's to busy going through mall withdraw to notice.
Unlike the big stupid jock in the beginning of the film, Mack's son Gil and his two buddies are much more fleshed out. Instead of just being rotten to the core, they're revealed to be a not all that bad trio of boys. Sure, they pick on Sam and try to make his life miserable, but away from him we see the bullies playing, laughing, and having a good time just like ordinary kids. Even when they do sometimes get into trouble, like when they almost start a forest fire with stolen fire crackers, it's the unexpected result of typical young boy mischief, not malice intent. So why then do these otherwise decent kids feel the need to terrorize Sam? My guess would be that Gil's behavior is an extension of his dad's bitterness, and Gil's two buddies are just followers who do whatever Gil does. Three kid's behaviors all affected by one adult's influence. Something to think about the next time you see a child behaving badly. Resist the urge to smack the kid and smack the parent instead.
Mack, on the other hand, is one dark and miserable grown up. With his glassy eyes and unshaven face, you just know that he has got to be an abusive and violent man. While watching TV together, even Gil tries to sit as far from him as possible, the space between them paralleling the emotional void between father and son. Never once though does Mack strike, or even threaten physical harm to anyone, yet the fear of the possibility is always there. So consumed with anguish and guilt, Mack probably doesn't even realize how his actions are affecting the behavior of his son, or how he's perceived by people around him, or maybe at this point in his life he just doesn't care.
THE NEWCOMERS (spelled THE NEW COMERS on the cover) is a well-made movie about giving new people a chance, facing up to problems instead of running away, and just riding out the bad times because fate and luck will always turn around eventually. Rated G, it's a good film for the whole family to watch together, not unlike an After School Special. Honestly though, with the lack of adventure and fantasy elements, I can't see to many kids sitting through this more than once. Those DVDs on your shelf of TOY STORY and SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS are just too powerful to resist. That's not to say that THE NEWCOMERS isn't good, but if you were a kid which one would want to watch over and over again? Your grandma is going to love it though.
Scott Roberts
4-19-03
Scott_R_SSR@Yahoo.com