BEYOND THE SEA

US, 2004, 120 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Brenda Blethyn, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Carolyn Aaron, Willie Ullrich.
Directed by Kevin Spacey.

While this film is about singer-entertainer, Bobby Darin, the first comments should focus on Kevin Spacey. He has co-written and directed this biopic and tribute to Darin. He places Darin-centre screen. However, his performance and direction, his singing and his dancing are of top order. Nobody has doubted his talent (think of his Oscars alone for The Usual Suspects and American Beauty). But, Beyond the Sea crams in two hours of Spacey skills for audience pleasure and admiration.

The screenplay is cleverly contrived. It has Darin himself re-living his life with his boyhood self (William Ullrich) as a counter-conscience. However, there is a line, reprised right at the end, that memories are like moonbeams and we can do with them what we will.

Darin was born in 1936, a sickly child whose mother taught him to find strength in music and imbued him with the ambition to outclass Frank Sinatra. He died after heart surgery in 1973. He had become a teen idol, a popular crooner, a film star with an Oscar nomination (Captain Newman MD), Grammy award winner, had married Sandra Dee and had a son. But his career was during the changing 1960s and his style went out of fashion. He devoted himself to politics and finished by writing anti-war songs. As this film is released, had he lived, he would only have been 68.

Spacey sings many of Darin’s songs. He has studied Darin’s voice, delivery, contact techniques with audiences and his orchestrations. It is a very careful rendering of Darin’s music. The screenplay, as it moves from memory to memory (and some fantasy) uses the songs to illustrate situations and themes.
Spacey also capitalises on the political themes of American involvement in Vietnam as a parallel to the involvement in Iraq.

Kate Bosworth gives a convincing interpretation of Sandra Dee, already a film star but only sixteen when she met and married Darin. The film shows his emotional wooing of her but does not shy away from the expected marital troubles, careers and pressures of being on the road and Dee’s loneliness and drinking.

Spacey has assembled a top-notch supporting cast. Brenda Blethyn shows oomph and verve as Darin’s mother while Caroline Aaron brings a certain monstrosity as well as pathos to his sister, Nina. Bob Hoskins is at his best as his brother-in-law and John Goodman is John Goodman as his manager (who served as adviser to the film). Greta Scacchi outdoes Bette Davis or Angela Lansbury as a domineering mother.

While Bobby Darin’s music may seem too 1960s for modern tastes, Beyond the Sea will be nostalgic for many. And Kevin Spacey is worth seeing and hearing.

1.The achievement of Kevin Spacey, the multiple contributions to the film?

2.Bobby Darin, audience knowledge of him, as a singer, entertainer, person? The effect of the film on the popularity of Darin and his career, songs?

3.The title, the range of Bobby Darin’s songs throughout the film, the history of his life through song, the range, his being a rock ‘n roll idol, his moving to standard crooning, ballads, anti-war? Kevin Spacey and his rendition of Darin’s voice and style?

4.The period settings, the 1940s, Brooklyn, the houses and streets? The 1950s, recording studios, television studios, film sets? The Italian sequences? The nightclubs, the Copa Cabana, the environments of the nightclub world? Wealthy homes? The 60s, Big Sur, the sea coast, the 1970s, the protest era? Décor, costumes, hairstyles, cars…?

5.The structure of the film: the initial waiting for rhythmic beat, his beginning to sing, his style of contact with the audience, eyes, sounds and interjections? The band? His stopping, audiences seeing it was a film set, the extras, his anger with the band? With Steve, with Dick? The criticism from the cameraman and Steve and Dick defending him? The boy, his younger self, beginning a dialogue with his younger self? The blend of reality, fantasy? Interpretation?

6.The theme of Moonbeam Memories and manipulation of these for all kinds of purposes? The reprise at the end? The result as an interpretation of Darin’s life?

7.The sick boy, the doctors and his hearing the verdict? Polly and her devotion to him, Nina and Charlie and their love and care? Ill for so long, his mother teaching him music, Polly and her singing, dancing, playing the piano, the constant practice? The Copa Cabana, Frank Sinatra’s poster? Her urging him to greater things? His friendship with the members of his band, with managers, Steve, Charlie? Their continued loyalty to him?

8.The dance sequences, the choreography, dancing in the Brooklyn streets? Polly’s death, the younger and the older Bobby at her side?

9.Branching out in his career, change of name, Mandarin to Darin? Television, the recordings, the failures? Singing, ‘Splish Splash’ and the audience swooning…? Success, teen idol? Rock ‘n roll? His skill in singing, communicating? The beginning of a career, the group helping him, the role of each in their assisting him?

10.Come September, going to Rome, meeting Sandra Dee, his being rude, introducing himself over again? The encounters with Mary, her style, domination, determination? Protection of Sandra? His wanting to go out, the permission, sharing things with Sandra, her fascination with him, the press conference – and their running? On the water, Mary’s reaction, anger, their marrying secretly, Sandra only sixteen? The first night, her timidity, his image of the sword and putting it on the bed, chivalry? The revelation of the character of each in the courtship and the marriage?

11.Mary, her character, hard, only hearing about her for the rest of the film? Her accepting her place as grandmother?

12.The 1960s, the respective careers, Sandra Dee as Tammy and Gidget, her films? Darin and his acting, the scene from Captain Newman MD, the Oscar nomination, the party, his not winning and his rage?

13.On the road, Sandra in the audience, the birth of the child? The bonds, tension for Sandra, so much travel, smiling in response to Bobby? Her beginning to drink, smoke, her hardness, language? Darin and his capacity to smooth things over, in the hotel, Steve walking in…?

14.The character of Steve, friend, loyal, manager, the bookings, exasperation?

15.Charlie, his relationship with Nina, his continually there, the garbage man, turned friend, manager, always helping, especially at the end with the health issues?

16.Dick, his musical skills, with the band?

17.Nina, at home, a loud and domineering personality? Her disappointment at not getting a good table at the Copa Cabana? Bobby in politics, her deciding she had to tell him the truth? The effect on her telling him? His reaction? The going to the Copa Cabana and his acknowledging her as his mother, her repeating this and her tears?

18.The Copa Cabana and its importance, outdoing Sinatra, the initial success, Sandra present, Nina and the table? His later return to the Copa Cabana and his failure?

19.The interest in politics, his career declining, changing tastes, the decline of the nightclubs? His being at home, the domestic scenes, playing with his son? Supporting Bobby Kennedy, the interviews, Bobby Kennedy’s death and its effect on him?

20.The fight with Sandra, the clashes, their both leaving, returning, reconciling? The divorce? His retiring to the caravan, to the Big Sur? His memories? Charlie’s visit?

21.The return to the Copa Cabana, the people talking, booing him? His ballad? The party at home, his son seeing him with Sandra? Her comment on people seeing what they hear? His going to Las Vegas, his success? His declining health?

22.The build-up to his final illness, death, the plaintive song? The visuals?

23.The film continuing, the revival of his life in his singing, the two Bobbys and their singing, alive? Moonbeams?

24.The subsequent information about each of the characters?