Grease and An Unmarried Woman- 1978
Cats: Uncategorized|In honor of their founding year, Symphony Space is showing what they consider the best pictures of 1978. Personally, I love the almost harsh contrast between these two pictures; one a realistic look a woman who’s life crumbles and the struggle to rebuild it and the shenanigans of southern California high school students in a very romantic version of the 1950’s. The best thing is the ticket price, 1978 ticket price of $4.00 is the price of admission.
I will defend <strong>Grease as a decent picture. Although the actors playing the lead roles look like they have been left back a few years and I do not particularly like the message (Sandy’s transformation at the end, just to be accepted), the picture looks great, there are some marvelous supporting players and Frankie Avalon’s number (Beauty School Dropout) is worth the price of admission. That leaves us with Mr. Travolta’s performance. He is great, the best performance in the movie. A veteran of national tours playing Danny and having performed the role of Doody on Broadway (the role was bigger in the show and had one of the best songs in the show that is only heard peripherally in the movie), John Travolta’s performance captures the youthful energy and goofiness the role requires. This picture is safe for the tween set with some parental guidance (there are sexual innuendo’s and teen pregnancy issues all around) and it will look great on a big screen.
Sunday March 16th at 7:30 PM and Tuesday March 18th at 2:30 PM
Unmarried Woman is the opposite end of the cinematic universe. Jill Clayburgh plays Erica who’s husband announces that he is leaving her for a salesclerk he met while buying a shirt at Bloomingdales. The picture shows Erica forced to redefine herself and reevaluate life. She meets a new man, Saul (Alan Bates), an abstract painter. As she revises her life she comes to several life changing realizations, the most important is that she is not an extension of a husband but begins to assert her independence. The journey that the picture takes is worth the 124 minute running time. And as always it is fun to see New York in a different era.
Sunday March 16th at 2:30 PM and Tuesday March 18th at 7:30 PM
In addition Symphony Space will be screening (but not at the $4.00 price tag) Jonathan Demme’s new documentary Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains. Golly, he was president in 1978! Boy, do I miss him.
March 16th, 18th, 23rd and 25th at 5:00 PM
