PS
US, 2004, 100 minutes, Colour.
Laura Linney, Topher Grace, Gabrielle Byrne, Marcia Gaye Hardin, Paul Rudd, Lois Smith.
Directed by Dylan Kidd.
Dylan Kidd made a strong impression with his first feature, Roger Dodger with Campbell Scott. It was a portrait of a callous young man, ambitious, careless in his relationships, guiding his nephew through a night on the town in New York City. This film is quite different and was adapted from the novel with its co-writer, Helen Schulman.
The film is a New York story, much of it being set at Columbia University in the Arts Department. Laura Linney is on-screen most of the time as the administrator of admissions to the department. Linney has proved to be an excellent actress during the late 90s and the early decade of the 21st century with such films as Primal Fear, The Truman Show, House of Mirth and, especially, her role in You Can Count on Me.
She can portray strong and she can portray vulnerable. The cast is strong with Gabriel Byrne playing her estranged husband. When she gets an application from a young student calling himself F. Scott Feinstadt, she recalls a relationship she had twenty years earlier with a young man of that name – who went on to have a relationship with her best friend and was killed in a car accident. She has vague feelings that this student might be the same man come back. However, the film does not pursue this ghostly line at any length, just suggesting it as a possibility.
Topher Grace (The Mona Lisa Smile) is the young man and matches the acting with Laura Linney. Marcia Gay Harden is her best friend, Paul Rudd is her ex-addict brother, Lois Smith her mother.
The film focuses on a lonely professional woman, still loving her husband, shocked to find that he is a sex addict, a moving scene where he reveals this to his wife. In her loneliness, she dwells on the memories of the past and clutches at a relationship with the young man. Ultimately, it can go nowhere and she is in danger of alienating the student who has great potential as an artist. She speaks with her mother, with her brother, with her husband, with her best friend – and from that advice she is able to make some decisions as to what her future must be.
The film is direct in its presentation, does not raise suspense about the sexual relationship, introducing it almost immediately – with the result that the audience has to think about what it means rather than anticipating when it will come to be. This is more mature writing and direction and offers more serious food for reflection about commitment, fidelity and love.
1.A New York story, academic story, story of relationships, middle-age crisis and reassessment, a story of the young?
2.The adaptation of the novel, Dylan Kidd and his New York style?
3.Laura Linney as Louise, a portrait of a middle-aged woman, thirty-nine? Seeing her initially doing her make-up, careful, her tidy room, the office, wheeling in the documents, the admissions and refusal letters, looking out the window at the students, ruefully? Fate and discovering the letter from Feinstadt? Ringing him, talking with him? Her motivation? Going to lunch with Peter, on the roof, the discussion about Oregon, the memories of their marriage, reassessing it? Her visit to her mother, her room, getting the clothes? The encounter with Sammy and her attack on him about his addiction, irresponsibility? Missy and her being her best friend, the call? Asking about quotes from Scott? Memories of Scott?
4.The memories the two women had, their relationship in high school, Louise being dumped in favour of Missy? His death in the accident? The true story and Missy’s explanation of what really happened?
5.Louise preparing for the meeting with F. Scott, the dress, suggestive, his arrival, casual approach, his joke about the slides, her watching his art through the magnifying glass? Her hopes, his walking out, her going to catch him, inviting him home to talk, his saying that he could do a portrait of her, touching her, the sexual encounter, the aftermath, his ringing his mother?
6.The significance of the sexual encounter at the beginning of the film, taking away the drama of where it might lead to the drama of what were the consequences?
7.Peter, the background of his marriage to Louise, his meeting with her, his confession about his sex addiction, her reaction, her saying that he was at step nine and his making amends, her not liking it? Her disbelief, ousting him? Going home, talking with her mother, crying, in the garden? Her mother’s advice about responsibility? The attack on Sammy, at home eating pie, his secrecy about Peter? His confidentiality? His advice to her about finding patterns? To stop feeling sorry for herself?
8.The second date, with F. Scott, learning a bit about his background, his studies, his painting? His insecurity about his painting? The meal, the kissing, his friend seeing him, the introduction? The psychic game and his talking about Missy and explaining that he talked to her on the phone?
9.Missy, coming to New York, Louise finding her, their discussion, clashes? The second visit to Missy, Missy and her commonsense talking to Louise? Missy’s own temptation to have a fling with Greg, turning back from the hotel, her being twenty years older, the reconciliation with her husband?
10.Fran, his name at home, his easily seduced by Louise, thinking about her, the second date, the kissing, his friend, fearing of being dumped? The chat with Missy? The next meeting and Louise telling him the truth? His reaction?
11.The supernatural element – suggestions of a possible ghost, of providence, of fate and destiny?
12.Louise and her reconciliation with Peter, the possibilities of a future, their both loving each other? Her farewell to Fran, kissing him? Meeting in the future or not?
13.A rounded portrait of a thirty-nine-year-old woman, her emotional loneliness, her not allowing good things to happen to her, her living in the past, her having to come to terms with the present and put the past behind her?
