THE ICE STORM
US, 1997, 107 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci, Jamey Sheridan, Adam Hann- Byrd, Henry Czerny, Allison Janney, Katie Holmes
Directed by Ang Lee
A movie for and about, although the teenage characters, played very well by a talented cast, do get a great deal of attention. It offers an opportunity for adults to re-assess the moral upheaval of the 1960s and the consequent changes in American society and the repercussions for middle-class morality and family life in the 1970s. The Ice Storm is set in the era of the Watergate investigations when the national morality, from the President down, was under scrutiny and found wanting.
The focus is on a small Connecticut town and its upwardly mobile community. It shows traditional families beginning to be more overtly dysfunctional than previously, dramatising the passing of the comfortable portraits of the 1950s. The characters in this film all married in the mid to late 1950s. They have moved from principled parents to laissez-faire and permissive parents.
The Ice Storm is based on a novel by Rick Moody and adapted for the screen by James Schamus, the longtime production partner with Ang Lee. What distinguishes the movie is director Ang Lee's fine staging of dramatic sequences and his attention to detail and emotion so that, while often quiet, even slow, the film builds up to a deeper than usual depiction of families and their failures.
Lee has had a very successful but exceedingly wide-ranging career. Prior to The Ice Storm he made The Wedding Breakfast and Sense and Sensibility. After The Ice Storm he made Ride with the Devil, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hulk. The adult cast is memorable, especially Joan Allen as the repressed wife. The younger cast, Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci, Katie Holmes were already shaping successful careers.
1. A strong film of American life? The background of the 50s, the changes of the 60s, behaviour in the 70s? The perspective of the 90s?
2. The work of Ang Lee, his Asian sensibility and art in interpreting American morals?
3. The title, the situation of Thanksgiving and the storm in Connecticut, the context for the action, the symbol of the storm, the silence, interior breathing? The situation for the death which could serve as a catalyst for change in the families?
4. 1973, manners and morals, the focus on the detail of décor, costumes, music, hair etc? Suburban life, traditional marriage, affairs, sexuality? The change to key parties and the public morals? Television and its absorbing of young people? Experiments?
5. The background of Watergate, seeing President Nixon on television, the status of public morality because of Watergate? The coming resignation, the coming fall of Saigon? Hopes, new inventions and technologies and cultural change?
6. The focus on three days in November, the opening with the train, Paul's journey, the arrival - and coming back to the arrival at the end of the film?
7. Paul reading the Famous Four comics, his comment on the plots, the characters, the philosophical implications? His quoting Dostoevsky in the tutorial? At college, the lectures, tutorials, writing stories? The device of having Paul deliver speeches about the human condition throughout the film, his comments about the Negative Zones and people freely going into them, free will, error, betrayals? Possibilities?
8. The portrait of American families, neighbours, the community? Affluent, ambitious? The fact that the couples generally married in the mid to late 50s, experienced the change of the 60s, had become more lost in their approach in their own lives, how to deal with their children, permissive in themselves, double standards of strictness for their children? Reprimanding them? The children, sexual experimentation, a permissive background, no guidance to help them, receiving reprimands from their parents, the ineffectual sex talk on the part of Ben for Paul and Paul saying he was sixteen already?
9. The Hoods, the nuclear family, seeing them at home, the phone calls to Paul, food for Thanksgiving? Paul and Wendy and their relationship, the phone, calling each other "Charles"? Paul's arrival home, going into his room, the talk with Wendy, hearing their parents bickering, the tension, wondering about divorce? The parents going out, to the dinner, the talk and the gossip, Wendy on the phone when they returned?
10. The revelation of the affair between Ben and Jane, the nature of the relationship, its origins? His talking incessantly, her saying she didn't want another husband? Her boredom? The deceit on the part of each of them? Elena knowing, her tension, preparing the meal, her angry response to Ben? Whether to go to the party or not? Her being at the book store, seeing Wendy ride past on the bike, the sense of freedom, her going on the bike herself, the shoplifting incident? The meeting with Philip, his appreciation of her, invitation to the church? The afternoon with Ben and Jane, her getting up, abandoning him, his wandering the house, Wendy and her watching television with Mikey, taking her home, carrying her? His lying about the mug, Elena's realisation and being hurt? The build-up to the Thanksgiving Dinner, Wendy and her Grace? The time for a family to be together and united?
11. The portrait of the Carvers, Jane and her self-absorption, her affair with Ben, her distant attitude towards her sons, thinking Mikey was a dreamer, inability to talk to them as a mother? Tom, his love for Janie, his skill at inventions, silicone, his going on trips, the boys not noticing that he was away, his talking with them about science? His knowledge of the affair or not? Jane and her leaving Ben in the bedroom, the incident with Wendy and Sandy in the bathroom, her outrage? Her attitude towards the children and the way she talked to them?
12. The key party, the information about it being prevalent in California? Ben and Elena arriving, the possibility of leaving, their going back to the car, going in? The hostess, her eagerness, the mother bringing her young son? Doug and his rivalry with Ben, his discussion about golf? The party, the small talk? Ben and the key situation, Jane going with the young man, his getting up drunk and falling over, apology? His retiring to the bathroom? The various couples going? Tom and Elena left, their talk, going for a drive, the fumbling incident in the car, apologies, Elena going back to the bathroom to get Ben? Her realisation about herself?
13. Mike and Sandy, their age, their friendship with Wendy, putting her on a pedestal, Mikey watching TV with her incessantly, the attempt at sex without going all the way, Wendy and her motivation for taking Sandy to the bathroom? Going to bed with him? The boys' relationship with their mother, his being a dreamer? His explanation of the ice storm, his phoning Wendy, going out, the exhilaration, bouncing on the diving board, the breath, suddenly seeing the electric wire, his death?
14. Paul, at home, studying? At school, the discussions with Frank, sex, drugs, Frank's super self-confidence? The girl's advice about Libbitz? In the tutorial, her comments on Dostoevsky, explaining the idiot, talking with her? The visit, Frank being there, the drugs in the bathroom, her passing out, his waiting, rushing for the train, going home?
15. Wendy, her age, sullen attitude, knowledgeable, her comments about politics and Nixon? Her cantankerous Grace about exploitation of the Indians? With Mikey, the bathroom with Sandy, going to the pharmacy and shoplifting? Her love for her father and his carrying her home? The end, Mikey's death, its effect on her?
16. Frank, super confident, the contrast with Paul? Libbitz, her background, wealthy, pleasing the lecturer, the night at home, drugs and her passing out?
17. The night of the ice storm, Mikey dying, Elena seeing Wendy in bed, Ben finding Mikey dead, taking him home, Tom and his grief, Jane and her lying in bed, with no feeling?
18. The supporting characters, Philip as the minister, his being at the party? The hostess and the other couples, Doug and the background of work and rivalry?
19. Waiting at the station, travelling in the car, the glimpse of Paul and the ending of the film?
20. A critique of American society and mores? Moral issues of sexuality, marriage and the family?
