SYNOPSIS
Adapted by author Richard Russo from his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Empire Falls is a portrait of the gritty drama and human comedy that make up life in blue-collar America. On a daily basis, goodhearted restaurant manager Miles Roby (Ed Harris) tries to keep his Empire Grill going, even as the wealthy and powerful Mrs. Whiting (Joanne Woodward) makes life difficult for him. On top of dealing with Mrs. Whiting, Miles has to keep tabs on his old man, Max (Paul Newman), who is always getting into trouble. But Miles has something much bigger than just restaurant receipts and his cantankerous father on his mind – ha can’t shake the ghosts from a tragic past that keep his fate inevitably tied to Empire Falls.
CRITIQUE
Miles Roby and his daughter, Tick (Danielle Panabaker) are out for a drive, and Tick asks her father, “Did you ever imagine more?” Miles smiles and, after a hesitation replies, “Nobody ever imagines less.”
Empire Falls was hit hard when the factories and the mills closed their doors, the absence plunging the town into uncertainty. Successes are few and far between, and people seem to be just getting by. Miles has been managing the Empire Grill for more than twenty years, under the thumb of Mrs. Whiting, the town matriarch. Miles went to college, and the implication is there that he had the potential to be more than the manager of a diner.
As we open the story, Miles has just returned from a vacation to Martha’s Vineyard, the site of a key event in his life, and many old feelings have been dredged up. The Vineyard was the site of his mothers last, only happiness. Like the town, Miles has fallen on hard times. He is divorced, struggling to keep his diner afloat, and trying to keep his father out of trouble.
That is exposed as the film progresses. In the beginning, we get a lot of back-story and a lot of exposition. All that exposition enriches the atmosphere and some of the characters, but it also makes it seem as thought they are trying to film the entire book, paragraph by paragraph. There is an old school quality to Empire Falls, of taking a popular, prize-winning novel and adapting it so faithfully, word for word. There was a time where a project like this was an event (which, for HBO, it was), but those days are largely over.
Mrs. Whiting taunts Miles, and she enjoys doing so, but at the same time it almost looks like esteem. She wouldn’t give the time of day to most of the denizens of the town, but she does to Miles. Joanne Woodward is excellent as the film’s villain, and she seems to relish the role.
The other major antagonist in Miles’ life is Jimmy Minty (William Fichtner), the town policeman. Jimmy is dimwitted, but he is not so stupid that he does not know the power he has over Miles simply by being a cop in the pocket of Mrs. Whiting. He is too dumb to know any better, and that is what makes him dangerous.
In the middle of all this is Max. Newman loses himself in the role, so much so that we almost do not recognize him. Max has made a fish story out of his own life. He was obviously not the best father, but he and Miles get along. Miles is obsessed with Key West, and sees himself as a kind of Hemmingway character. One might almost think Max has lost his mind, which might be true to an extent, but there is enough lucidity to know that Max is simply in his own world.
The cast is superb, the biggest reason for watching this film. There are some glaring flaws that bring the film down from its otherwise lofty perch.
The voice over is a bit much, and it sounds less like someone telling us a story than someone reading us a book. The same is true for much of the dialogue. There are passages of dialogue that do not sound like people talking to each other; it sounds like an internal monologue, thoughts that would never actually be spoken the way they are here. Perhaps the problem was in having Richard Russo adapting his own novel. In the commentary he says things that make it seem like this was his first screenwriting experience. Perhaps he was too close to the material.
Ultimately Empire Falls has the feel of an epic soap opera. The story is interesting, and the parallels between time and characters are rich, but the melodrama peaks at the wrong times. This could have been great, but they juuuust missed it.
THE VIDEO
Empire Falls is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen ratio. The transfer is sharp and the warm, rich colors in the film are well rendered. The black and white levels are also stable, which is important, considering the key scenes that take place at night.
THE AUDIO
This DVD offers tracks in English 5.1, English 2.0, and Spanish 2.0. The presentation is clear through all channels, and is presented without major defects. Much of the soundtrack is devoted to dialogue, but the audio is solid all around.
THE EXTRAS
Audio Commentary With Director Fred Schepisi and Writer/Author Richard Russo: The writer and director talk about shooting the film, working with the actors, and adapting the book to the film. Feature length, this is an interesting track.
Behind-the-Scenes – The Making of Empire Falls: The actors talk about the story, the story, the story, the novel, working together and other insights into the making of the film. This plays like part making-of, part sales reel. This is too superficial to be of anything more than minor interest. (12:00)
FINAL THOUGHT
Empire Falls is a competent television movie. The acting is the best thing about it, with the entire cast shining. The writing could have been improved, and the deficiencies in the script make all the difference. The bonus material is also weak, and adds little to the DVD.
