I watched the Steve Martin movie Leap of Faith today for the first time in years, and just as I remembered the many viewings prior to it, (for it was a regular on mainstay basic cable television growing up)-I thoroughly enjoyed it. It lacked every stylistic trick that most character driven cinema tends to lean on these days. Ya know, the very obvious feel and tone where the DP (Director of Photography) clearly is a New School graduate, and believes we live in a patriarchal hell-hole. But, the enjoyment was much more than just a stylized rebuke of shallow modern cinematic trends.
It had wide shots of the heart-land of America. Beautiful wide landscapes, without narrative. It showcased the rural downtrodden as beautiful, soulful, and interesting people. It examined gratitude, faith, humanity, and love. Without one ounce of a lecturing pretense to any element of the story whatsoever. What first started off as a nostalgic viewing that seemed to be a perfect hour and a half to fill up the early afternoon on the Friday after Thanksgiving, soon turned into a deeper experience. This movie is far from an Academy Award winning production, on any level; and yet it was quite possibly the most meaningful, and enjoyable time I have had in front of the television in quite some time.
Steve Martin, that’s the answer, for he is a generational talent, a hidden genius of sorts. For he is a published writer, a renowned artist, and award winning musician on top of his well known forays into acting and comedy. And, well yes, Steve Martin of course carries the film because in many ways he is genuinely a next level talent that can raise a mediocre script into something deeply human, but the answer was even beyond him. It was simply a timeless tale. A simple story being told. Something that could have been told and mis-told many times over around a fire a thousand years ago, a hundred years ago, or even today with friends, and family. It was straight forward, and you knew where it was going the whole time, and yet it still made you smile, and maybe even crack a tear if you allowed it. It had no agenda, and I think therein lies the rub. It was agenda-less. It was pure story-telling.
We unfortunately live in an age where an agenda-less story is tossed aside as insensitive, behind the times, and not deep enough to be considered worthy of anyone’s time, and energy. This is not conjecture, or false wonderment on my part. I’ve lived in LA, and caroused around NYC in my twenties as an actor. Writers and producers, were and are my peers; and they are very much wrapped up in stories with a message. Agendas where they can claim it will make tangible change in the streets. This is not a political grievance either, I just plainly find it sad for the future of movies. Universal human storytelling no matter your superficial sexual, race, or ethnic identity used to matter. It used to bring us together, and let us laugh, cry, and enjoy small moments of time together no matter our partisan differences. That is clearly all but lost, with a few directorial and acting exceptions.
I wish I could tie this one up with a neat and tidy bow where I lay out some ideas where this could change for the better, and unfortunately I have nothing. I will say this though-- watch old movies. Enjoy art, music, and movies of all kinds. Stray away from modern movies drowning in a political statement all the time. Maybe choose a fun Steve Martin movie from 1992 every once in a while, ya never know it may have you feeling more than you would have ever thought or imagined.
CHEERS // HAPPY THANKSGIVING
A M E R I C A N // M A N I A C
Comments