Unstrung Heroes

Since this story goes back and forth between a comedy and a really sad, dramatic story, I guess you could call it unique. The drama is much more at the end involving Andie McDowell's character.

Supposedly, this is a true-life story of Steven "Franz" Lidz and his wacky family - the kid (Nathan Watt), the father (John Turturro) and the two uncles (Maury Chaykin and Michael Richards.). The story has a lot of Jewish flavor and religious themes, pro and con. It's not an easy story to explain so I won't go past what I've said that it's simply an interesting portrait of a different-kind of family with lots of laughs early on but tears later.

You could get an idea early on that it's kind of a sweet movie, but there are some uncomfortable scenes in here. There is a little bit of about everything, guaranteed to strike everyone's emotions somewhere along the way. The story stayed with me long after I first watched it.

Based on Steven Lidz's memoir of his childhood in New York. His father is (we are told) a brilliant inventor; Steven adores his mother and is adored in return. Steven's relatives include two genially crazy uncles, Danny and Arthur, who live together in an apartment across town. Precise diagnoses are never discussed and their behavior is seen from the point of view of a boy, but they both appear to have variants of schizophrenia, Danny being paranoid and Arthur more undifferentiated. Steven's almost blissful family life is cruelly interrupted when his mother becomes ill with cancer. Unhappy with his home life after the change, he 'runs away' to live with his uncles. Their apartment is a crowded archive of their mental illness. Steven is alternately fascinated and mortified by their bizarre behavior, but by sharing their world, he becomes a better person. This movie has no real plot or payoff, but it is captivating and moving. My upbringing was completely different from Steven's, but as a member of a Jewish family that has produced both some very bright people and some very crazy people, I can say that the film conveys the accuracy of 'felt life'. It is the antithesis of today's usual deadly conformist, formulaic and violence-ridden Hollywood films.

Nathan Watt does a very good job as Steven. John Turturro as his father is part of the long and distinguished tradition in American film and television of Italians playing Jews (and vice versa); he's done it at least once before ("Barton Fink"). You can't help but see a bit of Cosmo Kramer in Michael Richards's performance as Danny. Best of all was Arthur as played by that shambling, rumpled Canadian bear Maury Chaikin. Most of the IMDb reviews rave about Andie MacDowell, but this Jewish reviewer feels that in fact she was woefully miscast as Steven's mother Selma; in her looks, her speech, her mannerisms, her body language, and her demeanor, she totally fails to convince as a New York Jewish woman. This was the sort of role that should have gone to someone like Lisa Edelstein, Bette Midler, Tovah Feldshuh or Debra Winger.

OH! How could anyone NOT love this movie? It's so good. Andie MacDowell and John Turturro make such a cute movie couple. The real show stealer was Michael Richards. Through the movie, you're not saying, 'Hey, why is Kramer being serious?' Instead, you say, 'Wow, Michael Richards is a good actor.' This was a rare opportunity to see him do a better-than-Kramer-by-not-being-Kramer performance. I would love to see him do more serious work like this. It's very tearful at the end. Parts are mildly funny, but this movie is pure drama and it's beautiful.

What is it about these movies that touches one so much? I think it's because of the lack of more movies like these and also because of the innocence in them, that we as adults want to hold on to. This movie was a baggage of surprises for me...Finding Andie McDowell play a role very different from the ones she has so far played. It was a pleasure to see a mainstream Hollywood actor like her act in a movie that is not very commercial. It is a children's movie, but is thankfully devoid of the new-kid-on-the-block talk we hear in so many "children's" movies. Learning later that Diane Keaton was the director was another really pleasant surprise! She has done a very commendable job with this movie! What I liked about this movie was how a child's world was captured, with the camera almost being a character in the movie as it explored places hitherto unknown...the camera was almost made to be an extension of Steven's character, with he, like Alice in Wonderland being awed and overwhelmed by the absurd world of his uncles and other adults. Nothing in the world could have accentuated the beauty of this movie than Thomas Newman's music. This man is a maestro of sorts! His music for the movie 'Corrina, Corrina' is one of my favorites! Interestingly, even in that movie, his best renditions are while showing the world through a child's eyes(Tina Majorino). Newman's music brings to the movie an other worldly quality. It lends to the otherwise mundane lives of the characters an aura of mystery, magic and a celestial quality that makes them so memorable! He is really one of the best Hollywood music directors at the moment and I only hope that he continues to spin his magic as he has been doing for so long!

Nathan Watt as Steven has given a really sensitive performance..he's the main protagonist of the movie, it is his world we are drawn into. Kudos to him for such an endearing performance! Michael Richards is excellent as the phony-bashing uncle of Steven's!! He's getting better everyday, with his recent portrayal of Mr. Micawber in the latest version of 'David Copperfield'. The rest of the cast, all of them are really good! The last scene, when Steven is watching video tapes of his mother with his father is one of the most touching in the movie... This is one of those movies that celebrates the innocence of a child and a few adults who want to retain that innocence in a superficial and phony world.

Thank you Diane Keaton! This movie is outstanding! My mother passed away from Cancer in 1983 when I was only 13 years old. This movie explains exactly how one can feel as a young kid.(i.e. 'going crazy'-Uncle Danny, the need to find pleasure in 'simple things' –Uncle Arthur).

I have seen this movie about 20-30 times and it gets better each time.

I'm not sure why this movie is not more accepted 'main stream' or why it did not do better---financially-when it was in theaters----but I really appreciate Mrs. Keaton making this movie.

From the need to find God, the frustrations and anger that the father faced, and the need to just be a kid and try to enjoy life while you watch your mother pass away, this is exactly how you feel when going through this.