| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 2:19 pm |
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Entertainment 
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'Lymelife': Few things new in coming-of-age tale As "More Than a Feeling" chugs on the soundtrack and sport coat collars widen into straitjackets, we recognize the 1970s on the screen. That's the era; the location for "Lymelife" is the Long Island suburbs, where angst is growing like weeds.Those weeds hide the presence of the deer tick, the insect that spreads the newly identified Lyme disease. The locals are nervous about the bugs, and other things. Our guide to this world is 15-year-old Scott (Rory Culkin), whose parents (Alec Baldwin and Jill Hennessy) appear to be drifting apart. Scott's older brother (Kieran Culkin) is back on leave from the military, just long enough to assess the deteriorating situation at home -- and help his brother deal with a bullying schoolmate. One character actually is suffering the effects of Lyme Disease: the father (Timothy Hutton) of the girl ("Nancy Drew" star Emma Roberts) Scott has a crush on. Cynthia Nixon plays her bored, frustrated mother. Hutton gives his best performance in years, and he couldn't look worse: bloated and groggy, he wanders through the woods around his property, sometimes packing a rifle. He has one scene, facing down Alec Baldwin in a tavern, that truly wakes the movie up. Baldwin's on his game, too. The movie needs waking because "Lymelife" treads such well worn, "Ice Storm"-like turf. The problems of young Scott aren't in any way unusual, even if Rory Culkin (part of the acting family that includes older bros Macaulay and Kieran) gives a quietly convincing performance. But "Lymelife" isn't a waste, either. Filmmaking brothers Derick (director) and Steve (composer) Martini, who wrote the script together, have considerable savvy about assembling a movie like this. Plus, they grew up on Long Island, and know something about the habits of the natives. The scenes have snap, and the momentum builds to a concluding sequence that challenges the audience in a way that was common in the 1970s, but maybe not so much today. In short, a well-executed exercise, but somewhat small potatoes. If the particular vibe of the late '70s means something to you, that might be enough to justify a look. |
- A revolutionary 747
- Fire breaks out at Everett car dealer
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries
- A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood
- Snohomish County's bargain housing won't last
- Boeing's 747-8 takes off after weather delay
- Plan for I-5 closures this week
- A new bowling alley for Monroe?
- Lake Stevens man homeless after fire
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged
- Vote on school levies by Tuesday
(11) - A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood (10)
- Everett police officers cleared in 2008 shooting death (5)
- 1949 travel aid shows how few places blacks were welcome in Washington (4)
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged (4)
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries (4)
- County archive software paid for but waiting for set-up (3)
- Three politicians who want Gregoire's job in 2012 (3)
- Toyota has powerful D.C. friends (3)
- Snohomish County's bargain housing won't last (3)
- Edmonds educator, famous announcer dies
- Mill Creek to appeal ruling on annexation
- Through the air, with the greatest of ease
- E-W thriving under new coach
- The path to citizenship
- EUUC puts on ‘Pants & Shoes’
- Wolfpack wins the ‘Battle'
- Lynnwood’s annexation plans OK’d
- Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital celebrates expansion, national award and 100 years of service
- Business Licences Feb. 2010
- Technology tips for launching your own business
- Business Events Feb. 2010
- Tech Talk: No excuse today for going without a Web site
- State already raising fees and rates that restrict business growth
- Some legislators again targeting people’s initiative petition rights
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