Rating: 

The Info

Directed by: Mark Pellington
Written by: Ehren Kruger
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis
Produced by: Tom Gorai, Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson

The Nutshell

A history teacher suspects his new neighbours of being terrorists, leading to the disruption of both family's lives.

The Review

    Hollywood specializes in making three distinctly different types of film: the romantic, the comedy and the action film. For each of these genres, there is an unspoken list of plot devices and character types that a typical filmmaker can easily use to make a modest commercially successful film. When it comes to action films in the 90’s, the preferred bad guy is the terrorist. Think back to the biggest blockbusters of the 90’s and you will notice lots of terrorists lurking in the cinematic shadows. Air Force One had ‘em, True Lies had ‘em, heck even the more cerebral eXistenZ had terrorists. The reason Hollywood uses terrorists as bad guys is simple. Terrorists are perceived by the public to be insane followers of anarchy, using a confusing political stance to promote chaos, thus it is a given that audiences will instantly dislike them. They are just so obviously bad.

    It is thus with much anticipation that I go to see Arlington Road, which strives to understand our perception of terrorism, instead of exploiting it. Road takes a hard look at where our beliefs come from, why we react negatively to anything termed a ‘terrorist’ action. Arlington Road asks you to consider your beliefs about safety. Do you feel safe, right now in your own home? Probably yes, as do I. But why? Director Mike Pellington and writer Ehren Kruger point their fingers at the U.S. government for allowing us to be lulled into a false sense of security. How is it that they solved the Oklahoma Federal Building bombing so quickly? Can that really be the end of the story? While not every theory put forth by the filmmakers, through Michael Faraday (Bridges), the protagonist, seems plausible, it is enough to get your brain ticking.

    Faraday teaches an American History course on terrorism. He is plagued by the memory of his late wife, an FBI agent killed thanks to the bungling of a check on someone flagged as a possible terrorist. He vents his grief by opening young students’ minds to the dangers in our society, trying to come to terms with a loss that will never leave him. Problems begin when Faraday begins to suspect his new neighbours, Oliver and Cheryl Lang (Robbins and Cusack) of being involved in a conspiracy. Various clues point to foul play, including hidden blueprints of office buildings, name changes from the past, and a connection to Oklahoma City. While each fact has a plausible explanation if taken on its own, Faraday can’t accept that so many individual suspicious facts can point to anything but terrorism. The path his overactive mind takes us down leads to tragedy, misunderstanding, and danger to his family, including son Grant and girlfriend/grad student Brooke (Davis).

    Pellington and composer Angelo Badalamenti (a favourite of director David Lynch) begin Arlington Road with a montage of reverse-negative stills that one would expect from a Nine Inch Nails video, or a dark brooding film like Se7en. However, after disturbing and unsettling you, the film’s tone perceptively lightens. Other dark cinematic touches can be found throughout, such as the amplification of a man’s breathing in one scene to heighten the effect his fear has on the audience, but the film seldom again reaches the creepiness of its beginning. The mystery as to whether Faraday is right in thinking he has anarchistic neighbours is solved about halfway through the film, allowing the fallout from his accusations to fill the remaining time.

    Arlington Road won’t win any acting awards; only Tim Robbins comes across as convincing. Jeff Bridges tries very hard in what is a challenging role, but never quite seems into it. Hope Davis and Joan Cusack are relegated to the unfortunately-standard role of “supportive female companion”. Why couldn’t it be a female history teacher? Why couldn’t Jeff Bridges suspect Joan Cusack of being the main bad “guy”?

    The film’s message is its saviour, making Arlington Road one of the more intriguing productions of 1999. While the plot may at times seem contrived and cliched, a subtle moment in the film’s dying moments puts everything into the proper perspective. Don’t get me wrong here; do not go looking for a major plot twist in the final scene, as in several other blockbusters of 1999. There is no big trick to “get” here, simply a moment where the filmmakers pull their story, and their message about our society, together into a flawed but thought-provoking study of terrorism.

Copyright - Tim Chandler

Press "back" to return to your previous page, or click on a link:

Adventures in Cinema front page - Max'd On Movies - The O.F.C.S.