BOX OF MOONLIGHT
US, 1996, 107 minutes, Colour.
John Turturro, Sam Rockwell, Catherine Keener, Lisa Blount, Dermot Mulroney.
Directed by Tom di Cillo.
Box of Moonlight is a very entertaining and life-affirming film. It was written and directed by Tom di Cillo, who made such films as Johnny Suede and Living in Oblivion, a funny parody of independent film-making. Di Cillo was to go on to make the entertaining film The Real Blonde with its critique of commercials and to make Double Whammy.
John Turturro is excellent as a very rigid and organised workman. He is criticised by his fellow workers and this jolts him. At a lake, he encounters a young man whose life is almost chaotic, stealing garden gnomes for a living. The interactions between the two men are transforming for the John Turturro character, freeing him from his rigidity, giving him a greater openness to life.
The cast includes di Cillo regulars as Catherine Keener and Dermot Mulroney. While the tone is light, at times humorous and delightful, there is a serious message about priorities in life, in values, in rigid American workaholism as well as the American free spirit.
1.The focus of the title, the box itself, the quality of moonlight? Fantasy, magic realism, transformation?
2.The credits and the helicopter flight, the beauty of rural America, the deer - and a statue? The discovery of the factory? The idea of the contrast between the beauty of rural America and industry?
3.The settings: the factory itself and its technology, the motels, the rental cars, the road, lake, the memories of the children's lake, water, the towns? The musical score and songs?
4.John Turturro as Al Fountain? His screen presence? A clockwork character, punctuality? His skills? The confrontation with the men playing ball, the 15 minutes and his accuracy? The decision to play poker or not? His being isolated from the men, the bus? The regular phone calls to Debbie, his love for his wife? Bobby and his interrogating him about the maths tables, buying him the charts? His lying to Debbie about what was happening? His seeing the cups empty rather than filled? His seeing the boy ride backwards on the bicycle? Listening to the men talking about him? His lack of imagination and humour? Yet the solemnity of his quotes with dates and time? Heading for some kind of breakdown?
5.The helicopter arrival, the job suddenly gone, the men leaving - and their praise in the bus of Al? Phone calls, lying to Debbie, renting a car, pretending to go fishing? His leaving for a quest - for what?
6.Breakdown and his being ready for anything? The drive, the memories of the lake when he was a child? The reality of the lake? Polluted, small, abandoned? The phone sex cards - and the humorous irony of his phone call?
7.Renting the car, the discussions with Doris, the issues of the keys? His return to her, change of heart, her arrival with the keys and suspicions? A judgment on what had happened to him? She from the outside, the audience from the inside?
8.The phone calls to Debbie, Debbie and her love for Al, her exasperation? Bobby and his being intimidated, respect for his father, asking about the fireworks, making mistakes with the maths?
9.The ugly lake, the couple and their talk, Jesus people, their intruding into his life, his volatility and anger? The irony of seeing the man on the television after he had murdered people withdrawing from his church? The comment on organised religion and Jesus people?
10.The encounter with the kid, the danger on the curve? The car broken down, his help, being persuaded to tow the car? Going to the garage and meeting the men - and their brutality later? Kit's house and its eccentricity, half built? The phone and tapping in publicly? Going for the swim and a sense of freedom? His missing his keys (and the irony of the kid putting them in the box of moonlight)?
11.The walk in the fields, the tomatoes and Al's caution, the tomato fight and the exuberance? Hiding in the fields, the police, the kid letting the brakes out? Their running away? His change of heart about staying? Phone calls to Debbie? Meeting the girls, the brutality towards the kid? The swim, the dancing, the sexual encounter and its aftermath? The kid's philosophy of life - or lack of philosophy? The absorbing of the philosophy by Al and its transformation? Their walk in the forest, rediscovering the factory? Smashing the windows? The symbols of breaking and breaking free?
12.The personality of the kid, background of his life, his explanation of himself, capacity for stealing, Davy Crockett outfit? The half house? Feeling free with the swim, natural? Taking the garden gnomes and selling them? The tomato fight, the smashing of the windows? His general niceness - but his being bashed and suspicions by the men at the garage? Picking up the girls, the relationship - possibility of it continuing? Kid as a catalyst for Al?
13.The women - in themselves, at the supermarket, critical of Al and the kid, swimming, the dancing, sexual encounter?
14.Al and his return home, transformed? The gift of the box to Debbie? The irony of her finding the keys? A pleasant dream of the 1990s and men in mid-life crisis?
