BONNEVILLE
US, 2007, 93 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Joan Allen, Christine Baranski, Tom Selleck, Victor Rasuk.
Directed by Christopher N. Rowley.
A Bonneville (for those who, like this reviewer, do not know) is a vintage American car. So, this is an American road movie – with a difference. The passengers in the car are three woman of more mature age. The journey takes them from Idaho to Utah, to Arizona and Nevada (and Las Vegas) to California and Santa Barbara – with a postscript in Mexico. The vintage car serves them well.
The reason for the journey is a funeral service.
Jessica Lange plays Arvilla, the wife of an anthropologist who has died in Borneo. She has returned to their home in Pocatello, Idaho, with his ashes. The difficulty is that his adult daughter from his first marriage wants to bury the ashes in the family plot. Clash. The daughter, Francine, is played with haughty assumptions by Christine Baranski. She threatens to evict Arvilla if she does not comply with the funeral arrangements because no new will can be found leaving the house to Arvilla.
When Arvilla decides to give in, she persuades her two friends, the bumptious extraverted Margean (Kathy Bates) and the prim Morman wife and mother, Carol, who has never travelled (Joan Allen) to accompany her. She revisits the special places in her life with her husband, the salt lakes, the canyons and the lakes, Las Vegas... and, on their arrival in Santa Barbara, the urn is considerably lighter.
Along the way, there is lots of girl talk, camaraderie, some fights, drawing Carol out of her careful reserve. She is thunderstruck when she wins the jackpot in Las Vegas with a dollar from a woman whose hotel profession she misunderstood. They encounter a genial young man (Victor Rasuk) who helps them with their flat tyre. They meet a friendly truckie (Tom Selleck) who is a godsend for Margean.
The locations are attractive, the dialogue has pep but it is the strength of the four actresses who make the film.
1.A piece of Americana? Women’s stories? Age stories?
2.America: the Idaho locations, Utah and the salt lakes, Nevada and the canyons, Las Vegas, California, the beaches, Mexico? The scenery, the roads, the lakes, the mountains, the desert, the sea?
3.The title, the old car, the classic, its past, ownership, driving, experience?
4.The cast, their status? The musical score and moods? The songs – on the radio?
5.The situation, the death, Arvilla as a widow? Francine and her motivation, wanting to bury her father? The different experiences of grief? The clash, the challenge, the urn with the ashes, the planning of the service, the issue of the ownership of the house?
6.Jessica Lang as Arvilla, her age, living in Idaho, not having travelled, her marriage, going around the world, Papua New Guinea and the mementos, her husband dying in Borneo? His manuscript and her intending to finish it? Bringing home the urn, wanting to scatter the ashes? Francine’s visit, her husband, the clash, the issue of the will? Arvilla and her searching? Francine owning the house? Arvilla as a character, her friendship with Margean, Carol?
7.The house, Arvilla at home, sharing it with her husband? His moving from Santa Barbara to Idaho? The arguments, Arvilla’s search for the will, her decision about the house, to go, buying the plane tickets?
8.Margean and her background, widow, extroverted and lively? Earthy? The contrast with Carol, her devotion to her husband, never travelling, the Mormon background, the Book of Mormon? Her puritanical attitudes? Finding it difficult to relax and enjoy issues?
9.Setting out, the car, their discussions, the urn, their discussions, the decision to go by car?
10.The interactions, Carol and her concerns, Arvilla saying she was always right? Margean and her sense of freedom? Arvilla and the arguments with Carol?
11.Going to the lake, the expanses, Arvilla’s memories? Meeting Bo, the flat tyre, waiting, his help, changing the tyre? Carol and her fear? The drive, his story, searching for his father? Cleaning the car, the meal? His being an inspiration because of fulfilling his dream?
12.Eamon, in the truck, the girls passing him? The later meeting, Margean being cold, Carol and her reaction, wary? Arvilla and the plan to meet in Las Vegas? Meeting him there, his buying a suit? The meal, Margean and her flirting, going dancing? The later meetings, in the desert, a future?
13.The motels, the women sharing, arguing, the waterbed and Carol relaxing? The boat, running aground, Margean and the spoilt meal? Carol and her making sandwiches?
14.Arvilla, scattering the ashes in the various places, the salt lake, from the boat, in the canyon?
15.Carol, at the casino, the prostitute and her misinterpretation, giving her the dollar, winning the jackpot, the consequences, wondering what she would do?
16.Francine, her worry, the phone (and her eccentric call sound)?
17.Carol and the change, her getting the ashes in the desert, putting them in the urn?
18.The drive, held up by the police, arriving late, Francine and her good manners, the group gathered, her speech, thanking Arvilla, tripping, the urn breaking, the ashes scattering, the discovery of the truth?
19.Going to Mexico, enjoying the beach?
20.Arvilla, writing the letter to Francine – and the possibilities for a satisfying future?
