A Home at the End of the World (2004)
It's hard to imagine teenage male
characters more full of love, goodness, and boyishness
than the ones at the beginning of "A Home at the End
of the World." These are wonderful characters, so
easy to fall in love with, and ones like we have never
seen before in a film. Watching the character of Carlton
(Ryan Donowho) interact with his younger brother Bobby
(Andrew Chalmers) is simply joyous during the first
fifteen minutes of the film. It's the 70's and Carlton
is such a loving and spiritual influence on his little
brother that it concerns us not even an iota when
he shares his bed with his 10 year old sibling while
immediately in the afterglow of sexual intercourse
in that very same bed. And it concerns us even less
when he gets his young charge high on "Window Pane"
acid. Carlton is such a gorgeous and happy free spirit
that his effect on his younger brother lasts his entire
life and his appearance at the beginning of this film
resonants until long after it is over.
Bobby, the young brother, soon becomes
a teenager himself (Erik Smith) and his friendship
with the nerdy, braces-wearing gay boy Jonathan (Harris
Allan) is chronicled wonderfully by the film. Yes,
it is easy for a gay man such as myself to be swept
away in the charm and joy of their romantic and erotic
friendship but it isn't the seedy quality of their
sexual coupling that makes the film so wonderful;
it is, in fact, the free, joyous, loving and open-minded
qualities of their spiritual love that makes the film
so wonderful to behold. We don't love these boys because
they are lovers; we love them because they are the
best of friends.
Add the enchanting and flawless
Sissy Spacek to the mix and you've got a group of
characters that make the film simply crackle with
energy and appeal. This film, as it begins, is about
love, acceptance, family and the joyousness of life
and while in this initial set-up, the film is nothing
but perfection. What's most magical about the film
is this: It is a story devoid of drama. There is no
angst or anger here, no tedium or ennui, no wanderlust
and no terseness. These are simply wonderful characters
growing and coming to life for us. Our delight in
sharing time with them is immense.
This initial set-up ends with a
little bit of drama but it is minor and handled realistically
and with poignancy. This moment is also the set-up
for act two in the story and the quick segue from
Bobby and Jonathan as teens into their characters
expressed as adults is, sadly, the most rough of transitions.
Immediately Colin Farrell seems horribly miscast as
Bobby. And soon Dallas Roberts comes in as Jonathan
and somehow turns the character, who was young and
dorky and naive, into an acerbic bon vivant and the
most typical of queens. Eventually Farrell is able
to transition into his role and within a matter of
moments we accept him as Bobby. Roberts warms to us
as well but his character's arc is so typical and
obvious that we soon begin to understand why he is
bitter and boring. Lucky us! Robin Wright Penn replaces
Spacek in the multi-gendered triangular union here
and helps to keep the film delightful and interesting.
The film's final stages takes us
into some interesting realms but nothing as quaint
and as hopeful as the beginning of the film ever emerges
here leaving us with a film that is realistic but
hopelessly hopeless. We love these characters so much
and are thrilled by them so seemingly effortlessly
that their eventual outcome seems almost banal and
pointless. Farrell, expressing a character that represents
nothing but lovingness and sweetness, is eventually
able to win us over with his portrayal but it seems
a long hard climb with Penn's inability to make her
character coalesce (this is also a problem derived
from the script) and Roberts inability to make us
like his sniveling, edgy queen.
There is still much to like here.
The script, while flawed, is nonetheless able to bring
us several important moments in the lives of several
friends without dredging up false drama or wallowing
in overt emotional cloying. It's nice to see a film
that doesn't rely on contrived conflicts or unlikely
coincidences to provoke interesting moments. Author
Michael Cunningham (the novelist behind "The Hours")
writes the screenplay here based on his own book and
his ability to tell an interesting story based on
likeable characters is evident throughout the film.
Still, one muses while watching the film that the
novel must be immensely more rewarding than the film.
For all it's wonderful moments and beautiful characters,
the overwhelming desire to read the novel on which
this is based after seeing the film is palpable.
The filmmaking here is quite nice
and the film always has a magical and delightful feel
but it is the characters and actors embodying them
that make the film most worthwhile.
And then there is the music. The
score by popster Duncan Sheik is quite nice (albeit
the song over the end credits is quite unexceptional)
but it is the character's love of music that really
makes the film breathtaking at times. The scenes that
remain here are always about these moments. Spacek
and her two teenage boys getting high and dancing
to Laura Nyro. The older Jonathan brining home an
album by Leonard Cohen that he found on the street.
And the film's most powerful moment is one that finds
the grown Bobby being introduced to the beautiful
piece "Music For 18 Musicians" by Steven Reich. Wow.
Now these are moments in a life. This is music that
sounds like home.
Note:
Also with Matt Frewer and Wendy
Crewson.
Actor Tom Hulce is one of the producers.
Nude scenes featuring Farrell which
were shown in other countries were removed because
they were deemed "too distracting" at test screenings
in America. Farrell voiced his displeasure at the
cuts loudly in the press.
Filmed in Toronto, Phoenix and New
York.
Viewed in Austin in August 2004.
