1997’s The Ice Storm,
directed by Ang Lee.
Starring Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Henry
Czerny, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, David
Krumholtz, Michael Cumpsty, and Adam Carver.
What is it about?
The Ice Storm is
about 2 families in New Canaan, Connecticut during the 1970’s. There’s the Hood
family, lead by father, Ben (Kevin Kline), and mother, Elena (Joan Allen), with
son, Paul (Tobey Maguire), and Wendy (Christina Ricci). And then there’s the Carver family, with
father, Jim (Jamey Sheridan), and mother, Janey (Sigourney Weaver), with sons,
Mikey (Elijah Wood) and Sandy (Adam Hann-Byrd). Unhappy husband/father Ben is
cheating on Elena with Janey (who’s husband can’t be bothered to notice), while
their son Paul attends a boarding school, and is trying to get Libbets (Katie
Holmes) into bed with him, while daughter Wendy is fooling around with both of
the Hood boys. With Thanksgiving upon them, will their families be able to
avoid imploding from the consequences of the sexual revolution?
Why is it worth seeing?
The Ice Storm is
an intimate family drama about a couple of dysfunctional families during the
Nixon years in rural Connecticut. Written by James Schamus (based off of the
book by Rick Moody), he presents an erratic society tangled up in the confusion
of political turmoil and changing eras. While Watergate drones on, the glory days
of free love and happier vibes crystallize behind them.
The children/young adults in Storm don’t really sound like their respective ages. Yes, they
fumble through awkward sexuality and enjoy a bike ride through their natural
wonderland, but they’re just as likely to rage about the lies of Vietnam, drug
people to get what they want, or just blow up their toy sets with M80
firecrackers. They’re quite lacking in innocence.
The children’s behaviour really isn’t that surprising- the adults don’t fare
much better. There’s the societal strain of practices such as “Key Parties”,
where consenting adults swing with each other (sometimes wives bring her older
children to the party to participate)- a defunct custom not recommended by
marriage counsellors. But the adults also secretly cheat on each other, and the
lies build up to destroy trust- when they lecture their children about
misbehaving, it’s a miracle they even believe themselves in the moment. But
maybe they don’t.
Perhaps the America of this time was just… so absent,
whether literally or figuratively. One key scene explains this perfectly. After
a character skips out on another to run an errand instead of sleeping with
them, he kills time in his underwear, lingering around someone else’s home:
golfing, looking through their medicine cabinet, rolling on the waterbed. What
would you do if you were cheating on your partner, and were left to your own
devices in your mistress’ home? No wonder 1 of the characters in the film
expresses dismay at the idea of a man of the cloth considering participating in
their lifestyle- some of us hope there’s someone out there to aspire to, that
our morally compromised lifestyles don’t end where they start.
Brought together around a Thanksgiving setting with the languor
firmly established, Taiwan director Ang Lee showcases his sensibilities for a
wicked cast to skate through the cold realities of an evolving America.
Accompanied by a sometimes somber score by Mychael Danna, Lee takes his time,
juxtaposing his actor’s actions with the tranquility of the natural
environment, adding other signature touches of gentleness that he is so
renowned for bringing to the table. With first rate performances from his cast
(except for the always dependably awkward Tobey Maguire) and featuring way
ahead of its time comic book metaphors, The
Ice Storm is a deeply personal work, that despite some heavy handed
imagery, is possible to find shelter from no matter the severity of the
tempest.
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