SUNSHINE STATE
US, 2002, 140 minutes, Colour.
Edie Falco, Timothy Hutton, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite, Mary Steenburgen, Angela Bassett, Bill Cobbs, James Mc Daniel, Mary Alice, Clifton James, Alan King, Perry Lang, Miguel Ferrer, Sam Mc Murray, Richard Edson, Mark Blucas.
Directed by John Sayles.
Sunshine State is another fine film from writer-director John Sayles. It is an exploration of life in Florida around the turn of the century. It focuses on Florida’s past, Native Americans, Hispanics, the Spanish arriving and exploiting, the African Americans and the tradition of slavery, freeholds. It focuses on development in Florida, the exploitation of the tourist market and of real estate. Sayles has a skill with writing characters and dialogue – and exploring the ethos of various cities (especially in his native New Jersey, The Return of the Secaucus Seven) and of Texas (Lone Star) and Colorado (Silver City).
The film is in the vein of Robert Altman’s films, a vast canvas, a wide range of characters whose lives intersect in the different episodes in different parts of the city in Florida.
The film also boasts very interesting performances from such actors as Edie Falco. There is a very good role for Angela Bassett supported by James McDaniel?, Mary Alice as her mother and Bill Cobbs as the veteran of the area. Also stand-out performances from Jane Alexander and Ralph Waite.
A very interesting example of American film-making, performance, explorations of characters as well as wide social issues.
1. A Florida story, the title and the expectations, characters, issues, the work of John Sayles?
2. The picture of the town, the older area, the new, the modern style and its kitsch, the coast and the beaches, homes, the historic parade, the new development site? The musical score?
3. The narrative, the focal stories, their being interwoven, the connections, giving a panorama, a big picture as well as detail?
4. The comments on the past, Florida’s history, Native Americans, the relics, the Spanish and gold, African Americans and slavery, the coming of the developers, the building of communities and destroying them, the business issues? The pageant and the attitudes of the residents towards their historic past?
5. The chorus of golfers, their characters, their comments, ironies, attitudes towards Florida, to golf, to wealth, the wry observations, their recurring throughout the film, the end and their playing golf in the busy island in the street?
6. The world of the developers, the straightforward ambitions, the conspiracies, money, deals, the pressures? The drawing up of plans, buying up the land, Lester and his contacts? Those digging up the land? Todd Northrup and his connections? Jack Meadows, his expertise, his surveys? Earl and his gambling?
7. The focus on Earl, his frustrated suicide attempts and the comic touches? His failures? His relationship with Francine? Her considering him her greatest support and rock? Yet his continued gambling, and her believing that had given it up?
8. The family restaurant? The meals, the motel accommodation? The Temple family? Marly and her story, young, swimming, the carnival, her ex-husband – and meeting him? His music? His wanting money? His place in the pageant? His plans, his connections? Marly and her relationships? Meeting Jack Meadows? Her relationship with the golfer, his leaving to tour? Her father, his speeches, his loss of eyesight, his conservative attitudes? Marly and her visits? The story of the dead twins – the accident on the freeway? Delia and her relationship with her husband, the scenes at home, the scenes at school, her tradition of putting on the plays, the rehearsals, Falconer and her recitation, the bringing of the boy to the school, her taking him on, his willingness to build the coffin for the stage? Her dislike of the restaurant? Yet her hard-headedness in deals with the developers? The father and his friendship with the boy, discussions on the beach? Marly and her final changing?
9. Desiree and Reggie, the respectable couple, going to the toilet in the diner, her mother and her dignity, the home? The young boy and his burning the pageant? Going before the magistrate? His going to the theatre and working with Delia? The horrific back-story of the deaths of his parents? His living with Desiree’s mother, her support of him, Desiree and Reggie, Reggie working on the coffin? The good within him? The possibilities for the future? Desiree’s story, her past, the respectable family, the reputation of her father, the footballer and her pregnancy, her having to leave, her father’s death – and the visit to the cemetery? Her life, acting, TV commercials – and the visualising of one? Her settling down, marrying Reggie, coming home to visit her mother? The antagonism and the criticisms? The coffin-building? Reggie and his going back to work? Desiree and the footballer, the discussions on the beach, his job, discovering the truth about the development, the confrontation, her refusal to sell?
10. Francine and the pageant, her disappointment at the small crowds, the detail of the ceremonies, Earl and his death attempts, gambling?
11. Jack Meadows and his character, the background story, his skills, sharing with Marly, the affair, going to the turning of the sod, his moving on, another job, the farewell to Marly?
12. The turning of the sod, the protest, Doctor Lloyd and his presence in the town, with the African American community, his appeal in the church, the protest? Desiree’s mother and his friendship, the memories? The group lying down in protest, the driver, the unearthing of the skeletons and the skulls? The archaeological find? Changing the development?
13. A blend of characters, portraits, issues – the United States at the beginning of the 21st century? Florida?
