英文影评: 不老泉 Tuck Everlasting review by James Berardinelli

英文影评: 不老泉 Tuck Everlasting review by James Berardinelli
不老泉,Tuck Everlasting

 

Note to readers: this review contains spoilers. A key plot point not revealed until mid-way through the movie is discussed in some detail; those who wish to have a "virgin" movie experience would be best served by reading this review after seeing the film.

 

Tuck Everlasting is not a typical Disney family film ?thank god. Charming and thought-provoking, this is the kind of movie with the sweetness necessary to appeal to younger (although not too young) viewers and the philosophical richness to draw in veteran movie-goers.

 

"Do you want to live forever?"

 

That question has become a prominent "payoff" line for movies and television shows, but, underneath the flip tone in which it is often asked hides a query that expresses humankind's greatest longing ?immortality. The first reaction of most people when asked that question would be to answer "yes". After all, immortality (with invulnerability and eternal youth thrown in at no extra charge) is a heady possibility. Unquestionably a blessing?or is it? Think about the price. It's not immediately apparent, but it is an unpleasant one. Never dying means never. The peace of the grave will forever be denied. Growing old with a loved one cannot happen. Life will go on and on and on, until, inevitably, one is almost guaranteed to wish and hope and pray for some way to end it all. The ancient proverb states: "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it."

 

"Do you want to live forever?"

 

No one asked the Tuck family. In the early years of the 19th century, they came upon a small spring in the woods in upstate New York. Unbeknownst to them, it was the fountain of youth ?the water for which Ponce de Leon had so aggressively sought. Drinking froze all four Tucks at their current ages. The parents, Mae and Angus (Sissy Spacek and William Hurt), remained middle-aged but spry. Miles (Scott Bairstow) was trapped in the prime of his life. And Jesse (Jonathan Jackson) was fated to exist through eternity in a 17-year old body.

 

Nearly one-hundred years later, on the eve of the United States' entrance into the Great War, a teenage girl, Winnie Foster (Alexis Bledel), stumbles upon the Tucks' house while running away from home. After living with the Tucks for a while, Winnie learns their secret. Meanwhile, she and Jesse fall in love. Then she must face a choice ?drink from the fountain and gain the promise of everlasting life and love with Jesse, or refuse and live for the normal span of human years. Circumstances present complications. Winnie's parents (Victor Garber and Amy Irving) are rich, and they are exerting their considerable influence to find her. And a mysterious Man in a Yellow Suit (Ben Kingsley) knows the Tucks' secret, and is intent upon exploiting it.

 

The romantic aspect of Tuck Everlasting, which is clearly the element that will attract pre-teen and teenage girls, is nicely developed, although it follows the familiar arc of the overprotected rich girl falling for the poor, freespirited boy (think Titanic). It's a pleasant, unforced love story ?one that sets up the characters so that the choices made have added weight. Immortality has more appeal when love is involved. Those enveloped in the pure magic of a motion picture love affair wish that things could last forever. And there's an innocence to the romance that is rarely found in movies today. Long stares and kisses do not automatically lead to .

 

For younger viewers, the immortality question probably won't mean much, but, for those who have lived long enough, it represents the film's true strength. We know from early in the proceedings that Winnie will have to choose ?and it won't be an easy choice. She is presented with both sides of the issue ?Jesse revels in the possibility of spending his unending life with a woman he loves while Angus cautions her that the Tucks don't really live anymore ?they're like rocks near the side of the river watching the water stream by. Then there's Miles, whose tragic past has left him longing for the death he can never have. Adult viewers probably won't mind the love story ?it's sweet (although not cloyingly so) and inoffensive ?but they will revel in the film's substantive philosophical underpinnings.

 

The film's star is 19-year old Alexis Bledel, who is taking a break from her TV series, "The Gilmore Girls". Bledel gives a wonderfully nuanced performance (she reminded me of Christina Ricci a few years ago), successfully conveying the uncertainty that rests upon Winnie's shoulders as she is forced to make her choice. Bledel also imbues Winnie with a spunk and charisma ?she's a tomboy at heart who has too long been imprisoned in a gilded cage. Jonathan Jackson, late of the soap opera "General Hospital", doesn't display great acting chops, but he's the kind of hunk (especially bare-chested) that young girls will swoon over. Sissy Spacek and William Hurt deliver solid support, and Ben Kingsley is wonderfully menacing as the film's mysterious stranger.

 

The movie, directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip), is based on a novel by Natalie Babbitt. It was also made into a 1980 film with a largely unknown cast. Not having read the book or seen the earlier movie, I can't comment on how closely this feature follows its source material or the earlier incarnation. However, viewed on its own terms, this is a gently engaging and thought-provoking motion picture. Tuck Everlasting is suitable for children (no profanity, no nudity, no , only a little violence), but the material is designed more for those with longer attention spans. Tuck Everlasting is at least as mature as movies like The Secret Garden and Fairytale: A True Story. The cartoonish buffoonery and mindless action of many family films is entirely absent. Disney's live-action division has a history of releasing cinematic flotsam, but this is one occasion when they have unearthed a rare gem.

 

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