THE GINGERBREAD MAN
US, 1997, 115 minutes, Colour.
Kenneth Branagh, Daryl Hannah, Robert Duvall, Robert Downey Jr, Famke Jansen, Embeth Davidz, Tom Berenger.
Directed by Robert Altman.
The Gingerbread Man is based on a John Grisham story (not a published novel). It is unusual territory for director Robert Altman who likes a greater span of a society with a greater range of characters. However, he brings something of his style to this thriller.
Kenneth Branagh leads a star cast. There are very good performances by Embeth Davidz, playing against style, Daryl Hannah as a somewhat repressed secretary and Robert Duvall as a crazy father.
The twists of the plot are a bit difficult to follow but it is always interesting.
1. Robert Altman's films: scope, sweep, style, multi-charactered, overlapping voice-overs etc? Applying this style to a John Grisham thriller?
2. The work of John Grisham, focus on the law, crime, mysteries, twists?
3. The Savannah settings, the opening sequences and flying over the Savannah swamps into the city? The background of the hurricane and its impact on the city? Storms, rain, thunder and lightning? The noise of the hurricane? The city of Savannah, its streets and homes, offices? The waterfront? The musical score and its mood? The application of film noir techniques of the '40s to the '90s?
4. The title, its reference, Mallory explaining her father telling her the story? Who was the Gingerbread Man - Rick, Dixon?
5. The opening with Rick, driving, celebrity, winning cases, on the television? His relationship with Leanne and his children? Leanne and her hostility? His going to the social, meeting people, charming? The attraction towards Mallory? Her story, giving her the ride home, her fear of her father, the car, the intrusion in the house?
6. The irony of Mallory's story and her leading Rick on, seduction, using him? Mallory and her background, her relationship with her father, the disputes? Her resenting him going with the cult group? His appearance and poverty? Her relationship to Peter Randall? Stating that they were divorced - and the irony of their plotting the crime together? Her forlorn attitudes, in the rain, going home, sexual, nudity, seduction? Her hold over Rick? Its continuing, the phone calls, the dead cat, his finding her father and her reaction? The case and his being put in the institution? The clash with her husband and his testimony? Her staying with Clyde, with Lois? Lois and her suspicions?
7. Rick, his becoming involved with Mallory, putting his business instincts aside, doing everything gratis? The relationship with her, bringing her to the office, the dead cat, going out to find her father, the commitment proceedings? The case, the court? His work with Lois and their continued interaction? Using Clyde for supervision, for investigation? The continued clashes with Leanne and his forgetting the appointment with his children?
8. Dixon Doss and his appearance, mental health? Antagonism towards his daughter? With the men in the house, Rick taking the police, their all trying to escape, Dixon with no shoes and his being caught? His behaviour in the court and his answers? In the institution, his getting out, joining up with the men again? The confrontation at the retreat, his having the gun, Mallory's presence, Rick shooting him dead? The question of his will, the finding of the will and his leaving his property to Mallory? The irony of the timber on his property?
9. Rick and his greater involvement, the kidnapping of the children, his pursuing, Mallory coming by bus, their being taken to the police station? Her guiding him to where her father was, the shootout?
10. Rick's being arrested, charged? Suspicions of a lawyer? His gradual realisation of the truth, discovery of the documents? The phone calls to Mallory, his pursuit of her during the hurricane, Clyde's death, on the boat, Peter and Mallory together, Mallory shooting and killing Peter? The confrontation between the two? Her imprisonment?
11. The background on Leanne and her relationship with Rick, her care for the children, her exasperation with him, suspicions of his relationships? Rick and his taking the children from the school, the assault of the worker at the school? The children and their experience?
12. Clyde, drinking, womanising, reliable in doing surveillance work for Rick, his offhand manner, relationship to Mallory, his death?
13. Lois and the office staff, loyal to Rick, clashing with him? Support?
14. Peter Randall, his disdain of Mallory, his unwillingness to be in court? Their never having been divorced, the plot with his wife?
15. Popular ingredients of a murder mystery, investigation, a femme fatale and her deceiving the hero, justice being seen to be done?
