MUSIC FROM ANOTHER ROOM
US, 1998, 104 minutes, Colour.
Jude Law, Jennifer Tilly, Gretchen Mol, Martha Plimpton, Brenda Blethyn, Jon Tenney, Jeremy Piven, Vincent Laresca, Jane Adams, Bruce Jarchow, Jan Rubes, Judith Malina.
Directed by Charlie Peters.
Music From Another Room is an unusual romantic comedy. It was written and directed by Charlie Peters (who wrote some not particularly startling films like Blame It On Rio, Hot to Trot, Krippendorf’s Tribe, though he wrote the interesting The One and Only, based on George Hamilton’s life, in 2008). The cast is eclectic, Jude Law and Brenda Blethyn coming from Britain to play central roles. Jude Law is a mosaic worker who encounters a family that he had met as a little boy. Brenda Blethyn and Bruce Jarchow are the parents, the children include Jeremy Piven who was a bully when he was young, and his fragile wife, Jane Adams. Martha Plimpton is a strong feminist. Jennifer Tilly is blind. Gretchen Mol is the young woman whose birth he assisted in – in one of the oddest birth sequences in film, as a little boy, helping to unloosen the embryo as it was about to be born, causing the mother, Brenda Blethyn, to be laughing at the absurdity of the situation. As he returns, he falls in love with the young woman, Gretchen Mol, who is engaged.
The film shows some of the oddities of this family, the melodramatics. It also shows the young man in love, his pressurising the young woman, her succumbing, and then their having to sort things out, thinking they should separate, but finally deciding to be with each other.
The performances are interesting, especially since the characters are so eccentric.
The meaning of the title comes from a comment by Jude Law about what love is like, hearing music in another room, singing along with it, the melody remaining inside the person even when they can’t hear the music.
1. A light drama? Serious and comic?
2. The Los Angeles setting, light and airy, bright, the city and the suburbs, homes, workplaces, the bakery, the bookshop, the theatre?
3. The title, the music, singing and love?
4. The Swann family, the mother and her exuberance? The father and his professorial abstract style? Billy and his snide remarks, Karen as tough, Nina and her blindness? Anna and her taking responsibility? The opening with Danny and his father, the death of Danny’s mother, his age, the reasons for his coming, the family’s expectations, the setting?
5. The jovial family, Billy and his bullying? The importance of the birth sequence, his hand, Anna’s birth? The comments, Grace laughing? Danny’s father and his pride?
6. Twenty-five years later, Danny returning, his girlfriend, the suddenness of the separation, the job opportunity and his being asked to wait, seeing the notice in the bakery, the baker and his wife, their kindness, his renting the room, helping with the deliveries?
7. The Swann family, the changes, Danny asking directions, Anna and her offhanded manner? Nina and her meeting Danny, her blindness?
8. The delivery of the cake, crashing into the car door, the family taking him in, reviving him, the welcome, their reactions to seeing him again?
9. Grace and her illness, Richard and his continuing abstract and detached? Billy, the doctor, irresponsible, his daughter, the behaviour of his wife, her becoming hysterical, pulling the gun? Karen, trendy, comments on food, feminism? Her putting on the play? Nina and her coping with her blindness? Anna and her responsibilities, for her mother, for Nina? Her relationship with Eric, the announcement of the engagement at the meal?
10. Danny and his infatuation, everybody realising it, his behaviour, the poem? Talking things over with the baker and his wife? The cake?
11. Nina, Danny reading to her, Anna Karenina? Going to the park to get the atmosphere, Nina’s fear, the bee and her hysterics, calling Anna? Her going to the dance with Danny, the atmosphere of the ball in Tolstoy’s novel, her fears, sitting things out while Danny was forced to dance? The Hispanic types, forcing Danny, the girl, the knife and the cut? Jesus and his looking across the room, his approaching Nina, not realising she was blind, talking, getting her to dance, her confidence? Their going to the hospital? Anna and her upset, Nina choosing to go home with Jesus, Jesus courting her? Their talking, his taking her to the kitchen? The bike, her reaction, her riding the bike along the streets, the family’s reaction? Her sudden marrying Jesus? Telling her mother? The message to Anna, showing her the mosaic that Danny had worked on?
12. Karen, her sardonic comments, putting on the play, Anna doing the costumes, the character that Danny was playing, being persuaded to go on stage, the mask, his being bashed by the women? Chasing Anna, adrift in the street?
13. Billy, his manner, warning Danny? His wife, the gun, the final confrontation, actually shooting him?
14. Anna and Eric, Eric and his money, helping the family, formal? Anna and the discovery of passion? Her overhearing Danny and Eric talking about the book gift? Eric and his accepting Anna’s decision?
15. The mosaic workers, giving Danny the two-headed coin, Danny talking, confronting Anna, her calling tails? Later use of the coin, heads?
16. Grace’s death, the emotion, her love for Richard? Anna absent, blaming herself? The importance of Grace in her illness, saying she was talking to Nina about Anna, urging Anna to change?
17. The future for Anna and Danny? At the station, the reconciliation? The happy ever after, after the crises?
