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A WALK ON THE MOON Send This Review to a Friend
-Here's a fresh and wistful romantic comedy different in its
perspective and ability to capture a slice of life set in 1969. It was a time when some
Jewish families would pack up for the summer and settle in a Catskill Mountain
bungalow colony. The husbands worked in the city and came up weekends to join the
wife, the children, and in-laws.
Screenwriter Pamela Gray has created an affectionate ode to those days centered on
Pearl, a woman who is becoming restless in the context of an unexplored life that has
settled into the routine of being a wife and mother. The catalyst is Walker, "the blouse
man" who visits the colony in his truck to sell his merchandise. He's seductive and
available, and Pearl feels stirrings bound to mean trouble as well as libido liberation.
Diane Lane endows Pearl with depth and humanity in a lovely, special performance
highlighting a film that is very much about her needs and desires. Viggo Mortensen is
every husband's nightmare as the attractive blouse man. The script also plays fair with
Marty, the husband, a very decent if unexciting man who works hard repairing television
sets; Liev Schreiber sets a perfect tone in bringing out Marty's character. Tovah Feldshuh
colorfully plays Marty's mother and avoids turning her into a mere caricature. Another
major asset is Anna Paquin as the teenage daughter busy with her own summer romantic
exploration and having to confront and learn from adult problems.
"A Walk on the Moon" takes its title from the moon landing that fired imagination that
summer. Further atmosphere, in addition to the routines of the bungalow colony ( a loud
speaker announces that the knish man is on the premises), is provided by the
phenomenon of Woodstock that separately lures mother and daughter. The music choices
are appropriate, too, and if there is an excess of plot problems, the story nonetheless
unfolds smoothly under Tony Goldwyn's sensitive direction--it's the actor's first feature
as director. Although the work is rich in nostalgia and special ambience, the problems
faced are universal.
The film arrives with excellent credentials. Dustin Hoffman is one of the producers, and
it's clear that the project represents an effort to bring the public a movie unencumbered by
the pressures of the Hollywood mill. A Miramax release.
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