reviewed by: Charity Bishop
       

This was a film that did not make a big fuss in theaters. Audiences either warmed to it immediately and embraced it, or disliked it as overly sentimental drivel. I seem to waver somewhere in-between, because on one hand it is an astonishingly moving story about how one woman's life impacts everyone around her, and on the other it is a story of unbearable loss.

It is the final days of Ann Lord's (Vanessa Redgrave) life. Heavily medicated and dying from cancer, she is hallucinating memories of her past and the misfortune that parted her from her "true love," Harris (Patrick Wilson). It is a name that her two daughters Constance (Natasha Richardson) and Nina (Toni Collette) have never heard before. In 1953, Ann (Claire Danes) went to the coast for a weekend to stand as maid of honor to her best friend. Having known Lila (Mamie Gummer) and her brother Buddy (Hugh Dancy) since she was in pigtails, Ann never imagines that what transpires that weekend will change the course of her life forever. She is introduced to the temperate Harris, who becomes fond of her almost immediately, threatening her relationship with Buddy, who has harbored a secret love for her from childhood.

Bits and pieces of this seep through into the modern world, fascinating her daughters, Nina in particular, who wants to know more about her mother's secret past. The result is a film that takes place in two different times, blending back and forth between memory to the current surroundings with surprising fluency. It was a nearly impossible book to adapt and so major changes have been made to the overall structure, while the heart of the characters remain true to the book. In some respects, I was much more interested in Ann's past, but her daughters' personal issues were gripping enough to hold my interest in the modern scenes. Perhaps the most marvelous thing about this film is its amazing cast. This is the only film in which mother- Redgrave and Richardson share a touching mother-daughter scene. And that is not the only family presence in the film -- Gummer depicts the younger Lila, while her mother, Meryl Streep, portrays her in her older years.

It's at best a momentary presence and in some respects Streep is under-used as a result, but nevertheless the resemblance between them is astounding. Also notable is Glenn Close in the role of Buddy and Lila's wealthy and suitably repressed mother, who breaks the audience's heart in a moving scene of absolute grief, and I must mention Elieen Atkins as the caring nurse. But I think the true shining performances here is from Danes, who can be wonderfully sweet and carefree one moment, and full of broken dreams in the next. The scene where she tries to fix dinner and finally sits down to sing, repressing tears, to her daughters is incredibly poignant. The film has both good and negative points. For one thing, it can be depressing because basically you are reflecting on a woman's life at the end of it and even though there is no death scene, the audience has grown to love Ann so much that we feel the sting of loss when she is gone. There is also a devastating accident that results in the death of a main character. But it also reconciles hurt feelings between the daughters, and has a strong message about the importance of family. Nina discovers she is pregnant, and makes it quite clear that abortion is not an option.

Negative content is not overly graphic but does flow through an undercurrent of mild suggestions. There is one f-word, one abuse of God's name coupled with a profanity, and a handful of curse words. Someone is hit by a car and left to die in a heap on the pavement. Brief backside nudity is glimpsed when someone jumps off a cliff into the sea below; a girl removes her outer clothing and leaps after him. It's implied that Harris and Ann engage in premarital sex. (Kissing, then waking up under the covers together the next morning.) A more serious relationship is never pursued. What might disconcert audiences more is when a drunken Buddy tries to kiss Lila, then turns and kisses Harris instead. It is never quite clear whether his feelings for Harris are anything more than brotherly affection, but Lila reassures him several times that if he "is" that way, he should not be ashamed of it.

If you have lost someone recently -- within the last two years or so -- do not watch Evening. It is quite sad throughout and might bring back personal feelings of loss. But it is a surprisingly moving film whose message is unclear, except to leave the audience with a sense that they have experienced something meaningful.