Cast:
Charles Durning...............Skippy
Peter Falk....................The Pierman
Denis Leary...................The Fireman
Robert Forster................Joe Pitko
J.J. Johnston.................Stan
Tony Mamet....................Dale Katzman
Jack Wallace..................Fred
George Wendt..................First Mate Collins
Andy Garcia...................Guigliani
Roberta Angelica..............Prostitute
Diane Fabian..................Janice, age 50
Lori Gordon...................Janice, age 18
Steven Grayhm.................Fred, age 18
Jason Jazrawy.................Joe Litko, age 20
Patrick Patterson.............Janice's Husband
Directed by: Joe Mantegna
Written
by: David Mamet
Rated
R for strong language and some sexual content
Running
Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
A
swath of self-absorption is inherited by many stories told
on the big screen. The most important moments of a movie character's
life generally happen within the running time of said movie.
Anything that takes place off screen is considered superfluous.
Of course there's nothing wrong with that, but I am consistently
fascinated with the way writer David Mamet utilizes the above
notion in reverse. He creates unique personalities whose most
memorable moments happen before the story being told, and
who subsequently pass along their knowledge, experiences,
hopes, fears, and prejudices to other characters during the
course of the film. While most commonly known for his rich
vernacular vocabulary that gleefully makes up his characters'
dialogue, he also tells stories that occupy a higher level
of profundity than most other movies.
Based
on his stage play of the same name, "Lakeboat" is
a textbook example of the above. The movie doesn't contain
a familiar narrative arc, but plays more like a loosely-structured
series of disquisitions; some humorous, some serious; some
that are of relative consequence, many others that are trite;
some that are lightweight and innocent, and others that brood
over the past.
The
basic story involves a young graduate student whose summer
is spent working on the Seaway Queen, a Lake Michigan freight
boat. The student is named Dale Kurtzman and is portrayed
by Mamet's younger brother, Tony. While on board, he meets
the boat's brawny, loud-talking workers, all of whom offer
unsolicited advice to the fresh-faced newcomer as well as
engage in various bouts of contention involving everything
from women to their work to their favorite booze to who is
tougher: Clint Eastwood or Steven Seagal (and Shirley Temple's
name somehow gets tossed into that mix.)
The
ship's crew is headed by the fastidious Skippy (Charles Durning)
and his steadfast assistant, First Mate Collins (George Wendt).
Below deck lives the ship's fireman (Denis Leary), who collects
porn magazines and possesses a conspiracy theory for just
about anything. Also on board are Stan (J.J. Johnson), the
kind of patterer whose vocal decibel level fluctuates freely
from loud to louder to stentorian, and Fred (Jack Wallace),
whose avuncular advice somewhat offsets his inherent lack
of a politically correct mentality. (When Dale first introduces
himself to Fred, he is greeted with: "Jewish, huh? Hey,
there's nothing wrong with that," as though the student
incorporated an apology into his introduction.)
However,
the most fascinating character is the intelligent, well-read,
sensitive yet inarticulate Joe, played by Robert Forster in
a marvelously understated performance - delicately haunting,
touching, and subtle. Joe is a soft-spoken, worn man who as
a teenager was probably the kind of high school outsider we
were all aware of at some point ... the strange kid who never
showed his emotions, was most assuredly brilliant and was
probably a passionate gatherer of insight. He's a decent man
who still loves to read and gain info, but houses an unusual
habit of saying the most outlandish things while endeavoring
to make sense. At one point, he and First Mate Collins speculate
on the time it would take to be rescued if the boat were to
sink. "The water wouldn't be as bad as the boredom. The
boredom would kill you, I think," Joe observes, following
it up with: "You know, I knew a guy who ate a whole chair
just because no one stopped him."
It
is the steadily developing friendship between Joe and the
wide-eyed Dale Kurtzman that gains the most strength, and
will ultimately house the most potent lesson. Joe's inability
to express himself is bred from a childlike innocence he was
somehow never able to shake, yet it is that very social naivete
that unwittingly reaches out to the bright young student and
facilitates a bond where life's teachings can be exchanged.
The
movie was helmed by actor-turned-director Joe Mantegna, who
sees the honesty embedded in David Mamet's dialogue, and understands
that it embodies a life of its own. A less-knowledgeable director
might have tried to hammer home the "point". Mantegna
is smarter than that, as he realizes that lessons are welcomed
by those who learn them, and not the product of preachment.
One
of my favorite scenes has Dale diligently cleaning the kitchen
as Skippy enters. "You want to know a trick for getting
that stain out?" he offers, then proceeds to show the
kid a better way of wiping down the oven. "You remember
I taught you that, okay?" The word selection there is
perfect. "You remember I taught you that." It emphasizes
the humanistic need for affirmation. "Lakeboat"'s
best sentiment is its understanding that one's value as a
human being isn't something to be earned ... it's something
to be realized.
Copyright 2001 Michael Brendan McLarney
Critically
Ill
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