"Every agent and distributor in Hollywood thought our film was dead. They said the picture was tainted and would never get made. They said nobody had the guts to make the film. - Carl Mazzocone Producer

The director of "Boxing Helena" had something to prove before she rolled the first take. Much more to prove than many other first time directors. For this woman, this director, is Jennifer Lynch, daughter of one of the late 20th centuries most unique cinematic visionaries: David Lynch, director of "Eraserhead," "Blue Velvet," and TV's "Twin Peaks." That, my friends, is no small cross to bear.

Of course, many said Lynch (Ms.) failed miserably with "Boxing Helena," and they may be partially right. For the first hour and a half, Lynch doesn't give us much but beautiful cinematography. The film has a lush, classical, red look to it that owes more to Bertolucci than Lynch (Mr.). Of course, this only proves that Lynch (Ms.) knows how to obtain the services of a first-rate Cinematographer and Art Director.

The story we are force-fed is so contrived, and so unbelievable, that it is hard not to laugh out loud at times. Worse yet, it is quite possibly the most misogynistic film ever made. This film treats women 100 times worse than any film by Lynch (Mr.). It implies that all women are heartless, cruel idiots that couldn't recognize love and adoration if Cupid himself poked them in the butt with an arrow. In fact, if a man had made this film, he might have been burnt, quite literally, at the stake. Still, this may be slightly forgivable in that the film bashes men almost as harshly. The main male character here is a stupid, whinny, Momma's boy who doesn't know the first thing about women. And if all this trite fodder isn't bad enough, then there's always the acting.

Lynch (Ms.) again proves her eye for the classically beautiful by casting Julian Sands ("Warlock") in the lead role of Dr. Nick Cavanaugh. Sands, with his lanky, blonde hair constantly hanging about his face is always alluring to the eye. It's his poor acting, mouthing the lackluster script, that really fails him. At times, Sands seems to be the perpetrator of the world's biggest in-joke. At other times, he seems to be taking the film's silly dialogue way too seriously.

As the titular Helena, Lynch (Ms.) casts Sherilyn Fenn who is immediately recognizable to Lynch (Mr.) fans as Audrey Horne from "Twin Peaks." Fenn is in way over her head here. The elements that make her compelling in her earlier works make her flacid here. She has about as much charisma and sparkle in this film as a wet herring. Fenn, who will surely go on to prove herself an intriguing ingenue again someday, seems as confused by the material here as we are.

Lynch (Ms.) originally wanted to cast the always horrendous Kim Bassinger in the title role and, indeed Ms. Bassinger seemed to be set to do the job. At the last minute, due to her new manager's insistence (he reportedly said "they'll throw tomatoes at the screen"), Bassinger stepped out, a lawsuit ensued, Fenn got the role and Bassinger lost her ass in court. In the end she owed the producers of this flick something like $7 or 8 million. Bassinger claimed to have concerns over the film's nude scenes and called it "the strangest piece I ever read" in court. But Ms. Bassinger has been nude before (and probably isn't that well-read!) so those statements can surely be discounted. That being said, it must also be noted that the film, which originally was rated NC-17, had to be edited to achieve an R rating.

In the end, strangely, "Boxing Helena" almost works. Close to the finale, the strange relationship between Nick and Helena suddenly comes to the forefront as an odd analogy for all male/female relationships. Suddenly, Lynch's (Ms.) screenplay seems to be more than just this gothic-inspired homage to 70's horror flicks and actually becomes something resembling a film with a point. Then the bomb drops and explodes leaving the production wounded in it's quake.

The end of the film is as unbelievable and as hackneyed as one can get. The plot-twist here, which I should revel but won't, is so tired, so typical, that one can't believe Lynch (Ms.) is actually evoking it. However, against all convention, it does work. It makes the analogy more of an analogy and the story much more solid. Too bad one has to sit through the tortuous film to get to it. Obviously, however, there are too many problems with the script to actually give it much praise.

Lynch (Ms.) does have strong points here. Her direction is consummate, albeit stagnant. This staleness results quite possibly because the film is probably purposefully un- Lynchian (Mr.). Lynch (Ms.) has an extremely odd tale that calls out loudly for quirky, oddball touches to accent it. If Lynch (Ms.) would have just given into the temptation to emulate her father and not worried about what the critics would have said, she may have made a remarkable film here. Lynch (Mr.) fans, and "Twin Peaks" fans in particular, should be well aware that Lynch (Ms.) has the ability to follow in her father's footsteps. Her book based on the "Twin Peaks" TV series ("Laura Palmer's Diary") is masterful in it's Lynchian touches. Her film, however, is an unusual case of a first- time filmmaker showing too much restraint, trying desperately too hard to be mainstream. This may be as much the producer's fault as Lynch's (Ms.).

Surely, Lynch (Ms.) will go on to make many more films in her career. Let's hope she gives us a little of that Lynchian magic that we so desperately need in movies these days. One day, Lynch (Ms.) may prove herself to be the unique force in cinema that her father has become. Until then, "Boxing Helena" only serves to remind us of what could have been and what may yet be to come.

Notes: The film also stars Kurtwood Smith, Bill Paxton ("Weird Science") and Art Garfunkel.

Before Bassinger, Madonna was also rumored to be interested in the lead role. Producer Mazzocone said that when she dropped out, it cost him "half a million dollars."

Bassinger was found guilty of "breaking an oral agreement" (make your own joke) and ordered to pay $8.9 million in damages by a jury. A judge later reduced that amount to $7.4 million.

Lynch was awarded a Razzie for Worst Director of 1993.

Considered one of the 10 Worst Films of 1993 by Joe Leydon of "The Houston Post."

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