A forgotten gem from the 1970s leads the latest in hot DVD releases.
— "Tomorrow" (HVE, 1972, PG, b/w, $29.95). This excellent adaptation of a William Faulkner short story by Horton Foote ("Tender Mercies," "The Trip to Bountiful," the "To Kill a Mockingbird" screenplay) boasts an amazing performance from young Robert Duvall as a quiet, introverted Southern cotton farmer. (Take note of his voice, which resembles the one affected years later by Billy Bob Thornton for "Sling Blade.")
The lengthy flashback story has Duvall's character leaving his father's farm to take a job as caretaker of a sawmill that shuts down during the winter. The day before Christmas, he hears the moans of a young pregnant woman outside his cabin, and he takes her in. A month or so later, she has the baby and asks him to raise the child as his own.
What follows is surprising and heartbreaking, with one last unexpected twist at the end . . . and yet none of this feels contrived; everything flows naturally and realistically.
The disc also has a wonderful sitdown interview with Duvall and Foote together, reminiscing about the film, and Duvall reveals that his favorite scene was cut. Sadly, it could not be found for this DVD release.
Highly recommended. Yes, it's in black and white, and yes, it's a slow-moving character study, but human drama doesn't get much better than this.
Extras: Full frame, interviews, booklet with illustrated text of Faulkner's short story, liner notes by Sheila Benson (L.A. Times critic), trailer, etc.
— "The Last Samurai" (Warner, 2003, PG-13; R for violence, language; $29.95, two discs). This film's major drawback is also its greatest box-office asset — star Tom Cruise. He seems ill-suited to the role of a Civil War reprobate who is recruited to train Japanese warriors, but instead learns life lessons of his own.
On the other hand, there's Japanese star Ken Watanabe, whose performance as a Japanese samurai who is not averse to Western ways is a standout. There's also an abundance of exciting action scenes and the period and scope of the story are captured magnificently.
If that's not enough, this two-disc set includes some nice bonus materials that show more than the usual making-of material; especially interesting is the History Channel documentary that compares and contrasts Hollywood's vision of Japanese samurai with reality.
Extras: Separate widescreen or full-frame format, audio commentary, deleted scenes, History Channel documentary, making-of featurettes, trailer, etc.
— "Peter Pan" (Universal, 2003, PG, $26.98). OK, first the complaints: This umpteenth version of one of the world's most familiar fairy tales is perhaps a tad too familiar, and it doesn't help that the pacing is slack in places, the ending is protracted, and the film is too long by at least 15 minutes.
Yet, having said all that, this live-action non-musical version boasts a first-rate cast, great special effects and some wonderful humor that should keep parents alert. (My favorite gags are the parrot with the peg-leg and two moments where the pirates settle in on the ship's deck to listen to fairy stories told by Wendy.)
Parents of young children should be warned that there are some dark and scary things here, and a few pirates are shot dead by Capt. Hook in ways meant to be humorous. But older kids should eat it up, and most families can watch together.
Extras: Separate widescreen and full-frame editions, alternate ending, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, bio of James M. Barrie (hosted by Sarah Ferguson), etc.
— "Calendar Girls" (Touchstone, 2003, PG-13, $29.99). Helen Mirren and Julie Walters head a terrific cast of English actors in this light comedy (based on a true story) that is a real throwback to the old 1950s comedies of Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers and Terry-Thomas.
The story has a proper older ladies club in a small village looking to do a calendar for charity, although, realistically, they realize it won't earn much. Then one of them has the bright idea of each of the 12 club members posing nude — discreetly, of course, behind baked goods and flower arrangements.
Touching and sentimental in places, and more often witty and bright, this is the kind of off-kilter, yet warm, endearing film that only the British seem skilled at creating; think "Waking Ned Devine" or "Enchanted April" or "Local Hero."
Extras: Widescreen, making-of featurette, deleted scenes, trailers, etc.
— "The Triplets of Belleville" (Sony Classics, 2003, PG-13, $24.96). This French animated feature is certainly not for everyone, but if you can get into it's oddball rhythm, it's a nice ride. This is an adult cartoon — but not in a "Fritz the Cat" way. There's nothing salacious (including the onstage nudity of 1930s star Josephine Baker in the opening sequence) and nothing offensive (although I found the frog soup a bit off-putting). But it is genuinely weird, even by 'toon standards.
How weird? Fred Astaire is eaten by his shoes.
The story here is minimal — a little old grandmother attempts to rescue her adult grandson, who has been kidnapped during the Tour de France bicycle race, and she gets help from the title characters, three sisters who have a stage act they've been doing together for decades.
But the story doesn't really matter. This film is all about style and stretching the boundaries of imagination through animation, and allowing the audience to understand what's going on by virtue of pantomime action rather than dialogue (of which there is very little).
Then there's that Oscar-nominated title tune, a catchy number that you can't help but move to (and which makes for an even weirder music video among the bonus features here).
This is a one-of-a-kind treat for adventurous animation lovers.
Extras: Widescreen, audio commentaries (for select scenes), making-of featurettes, music video, trailer, etc.
— "All Things Fair" (HVE, 1995; not rated but with nudity, sex, language; $19.95). This Swedish film by Bo Widerberg (who is best known in this country for "Elvira Madigan," a 1960s touchstone about doomed obsessive love) is a coming-of-age story, with Widerberg's trademark artsy touches, and starring his son, Johan Widerberg.
Set during World War II, the story is your basic love affair between a pretty teacher and one of her students, with a few twists. Young Stig and his classmates are sex-obsessed — and most of what they know is, of course, wrong. But Stig gets a quick education when his teacher, Viola, responds to his desires.
Later, however, he gets to know her husband, and along with other events in his life, this forces Stig to take a hard look at what he's doing. But when he tries to break it off, Viola gives him another lesson — in the area of "hell hath no fury."
There are some interesting things going on here, but, sadly, they are overshadowed by all the sex and nudity, and by the sordid subject matter itself — which, these days, is difficult to get past, despite the story being set in 1943.
Extras: Widescreen, text filmographies, etc.
E-mail: hicks@desnews.com