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Promotional Line: "Col. Frank Slade
has a very special plan for the weekend. It involves travel, women,
good food, fine wine, the tango, chauffeured limousines and a
loaded forty-five. And he's bringing Charlie along for the ride."
"A truly heartwarming story
with marvelous acting, righteousness and friendship." - Johannes
Liu.
Quote from Colonel Slade: "There
is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is no
prosthesis for that."
The film begins with the situation
of young, 17 year old Charlie Simms, a quiet student who is going
to a private, rich boy's New Hampshire prepatory boarding school,
Baird, on a full scholarship. It is the week before the long,
Thanksgiving weekend, and he is looking for a job, so he can make
some money for a plane ticket home to Oregon for Christmas. He
answers the ad offering the opportunity to be a guardian for a
blind man, retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Al Pacino),
a bitter, broken man, who drinks too much and having a lot of
trouble adjusting to not only being a blind, retired, ex-military
officer but having to live in the guest house of his niece, Karen
Rossi and her family. When their first meeting doesn't go very
well, Charlie takes the job anyway, after Karen pleads with him,
telling him that he was the only one to answer the ad, and that
she and her family really need to get away for this upcoming weekend.
A few days before he takes this life-changing
job, Charlie's life is further complicated one evening, after
locking up the school library where he works part time. As he
is walking out to the parking lot with his friend, George Willis
(Philip Seymour Huffman), they both witness at a distance, George's
close friends/Charlie's acquaintances, Harry Havenmeyer (Nicholas
Sadler), Jimmy Jameson (Matt Smith), and Trent Potter (Todd Louiso),
hanging a plastic sack, filled with an unknown substance on the
light pole, which hangs above the headmaster's parking space.
Just then, a teacher, Mrs. Hunsaker appears, and George runs interference,
distracting the woman, until the boys finish with their prank.
The next morning, headmaster Mr.
Trask (Jame Rrebhorn) arrives, and stupidly tries to remove the
plastic sack, which predictably breaks and spews paint all over
Mr. Task and his beautiful sports car, which infuriates him. He
calls George Willis and Charlie into his office, demanding to
know who they saw the night before. Because both boys claim to
not know, he meets with them individually. He offers a bribe to
Charlie, offering to get him a scholarship to Yale. If Charlie
doesn't tell, then he will face dire consequences. Mr. Task plans
a court of inquiry, with the whole school present in front of
the faculty-student judiciary committee on the Monday after the
long Thanksgiving weekend. He plans to put both George and Charlie
on the hot seat.
With this daunting problem hanging
over his head, Charlie arrives to report to the Rossi home to
begin his job as guardian for the weekend. After the Rossi's leave,
Charlie begins his relationship with Lieutenant Colonel Slade
by being taken first class on an airplane to New York by the difficult,
but charming, and apparently suicidal Lieutenant Colonel Frank
Slade, who is planning a weekend of enjoying everything in life
he holds dear, before ending his now miserable existence. He ends
his miserable existence all right but not by killing himself.
He changes his attitude and finds purpose to his existence. The
more time these two spend together enjoying fine clothes, fine
dining, the best accommodations, a tango with a beautiful woman,
a ride in a 10,000 dollar sports car (driven by Slade), they discover
other treasures of life, which are being a friend, being needed
and being able to make a difference in someone else's life, no
matter how hard it is to do. They wind up doing something phenomenal
for each other, giving each of them a life-changing experience.
This uplifting, poignant, well-written
screenplay was the masterpiece of Bo Goldman, based on the novel
by Giovanni Arpino. The dialogue in this script is especially
effective, giving the talented cast plenty to work with. Goldmanâs
talent as a screenwriter is showcased in such films as "One Flew
Over the Cuckooâs Nest," "Melvin and Howard," "Shoot The Moon,"
and "Meet Joe Black."
The fine direction was by the talented
Martin Brest, who also produced the film. His efforts guided Al
Pacino's Oscar winning performance, and earned for himself a Best
Director nomination, and a Best Picture nomination for the film
itself. He also directed such well-done films as "Beverly Hills
Cop," "Midnight Run," and "Meet Joe Black."
The actors and actresses were talented
professionals, who made the most of the fabulous script and superb
direction to bring the best of their talents to both their individual
performances and their ensemble work as well.
Al Pacino's superb portrayal of Lieutenant
Colonel Frank Slade was the crown jewel in his career, earning
him the Best Actor Academy award. His character gradually transforms
from an abrasive, bitter broken man to a fiery defender of a young
man about to be ruined because of his refusal to go against his
principles. The highlight of his performance is his fiery, inspiring
speech in front of the whole school and faculty-student judiciary
committee at Trask's court of inquiry, where he forthrightly not
only rips apart Task's recommendation that George Willis not be
punished, and Charlie be expelled, but implores the council to
think about what message that would spell out for the young men
about integrity, courage and leadership.
Al Pacino also dances a mean tango!
Chris O'Donnell is convincing as
Charlie Simms, a quiet, earnest, principled youth, without close,
real friends at school, who takes his responsibilities seriously,
and holds his own in scenes with Pacino. A favorite sequence of
scenes is the dramatic struggle to keep Slade from killing himself.
O'Donnell's reactions to the blind Slade's speeding in the sports
car are priceless, especially when they are pulled over by a cop.
Philip Seymour Huffman's fine portrayal
of George Willis Jr., jump-started his acting career. My favorite
scene with him in it is when he is on stage in front of the whole
school, with his father, who is sitting next to him, breathing
down his neck, trying to find a way to answer Trask's relentless
questions, without giving absolute eye-witness proof, which would
condemn his friends. He comes up with a unique answer, that puts
all the pressure on Charlie.
James Rebhorn, a fine supporting
character actor, does a great job portraying the angry, determined
headmaster, willing to do anything to save face and punish the
culprits.
This film is rated R, a psychological
drama for those over 17. Lieutenant Colonel Slade has quite a
potty mouth, talks of the pleasures of women, and struggles with
suicide, all adult themes meant for a mature audience.
If you enjoyed SCENT OF A WOMAN,
you may like "Cat
on a Hot Tin Roof," "Ordinary
People," "Schindler's List," "Forrest
Gump," "The
Godfather," "The
Green Mile," "The Haunting,"
and/or "Lilies of the Field."
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