er 10,11*. Monday, September 10,1990
The Battalion
Page 7
Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) introduces
her mother (Shirley MacLaine) to her
date (Dennis Quaid.)
iu, *?d coii I
ms - Moss]
nut 'h vinl
> selling J
,ss says he]
he store’s]
'nt divide;
t and a it
plans to;
aid music
help supi
? e will re®
med.
e constaoi!
1 lineisalv
i. We’re p
?ping up,
part of be
e of pretj
CS, Mosss;
difference:
ain’t have;
and 1 U
i at this fo
who toi
>i' the lo»i
vhat cure
t you hate:
ess, whichi
-ially alter:
ing busints
ys the suet
on the peo
here and
e is and
ive us heti
hem wheth
s on them,
e music
Fisher writes
quality comedy
'/rs
ion
looked at
). He was
iliing. N,..
I known I
how it is,"
its multi-l
g them in:
catchy ho:
“Of Court
1 of bores,
th. “Of Co.
Middle-h
rffers Farri
Suzanne listens
impatiently as Doris lectures her.
By USA ANN ROBERTSON
Postcards From the Edge marks the journey of an ac
tress’ recovery f rom drug abuse. Thanks to a brilliant
cast and a scr eenplay by Carrie Fisher, these postcards
were eagerly awaited by the movie’s audience in a sneak
preview sponsored by Aggie Cinema.
Based upon Fisher’s novel by the same name, Post-
cards chronicles Suxanne Vale’s, (played by multi-tal
ented Meryl Streep), attempts to rejoin the Hollywood
scene after a drug overdose.
This isn’t just a movie about staying away from
drugs, though. It’s also an inside look into a stereotypi
cal Hollywood as Suzanne tries to rebuild her career in
a movie-within-the-movie.
With movie insurance costs rising because of actors
with drug problems, Suzanne can get a part in a low-
budget film only if she agrees to stay with a ’‘responsible
party” while the film is being shot.
The responsible party turns out to be her mother Do
ris Mann. Shirley MacLaine hams it up deliciously as
Doris, a product of the musical comedies of the 50s and
60s. She is a Hollywood creation who wants her daugh
ter to he successful, but not, as Suzanne puts it, ‘‘as suc
cessful as you.”
Doris’ jealousy and Suzanne’s resentment of Dor is’
alcoholism strain their relationship almost irreconci
lably. But they argue through their problems as they try
to understand each other.
Director Michael Nichols takes on the formidable
task of making a movie with two strong-willed women
in the title roles. He ends up not with a cat fight, but
with a film that highlights the differences in Streep and
MacLaine as Suzanne and Doris. Streep and MacLaine
keep the film perched on the edge of being depressing,
but their comedy always pulls you back.
The success of the movie lies, I think, in Fisher’s dia
logue.
“My language had this weird kind of specificity in its
rhythm,” she says in a press release, “like its own psy-
chic iambic pentameter, and it reflects the way people
talk. There’s a lot of overlapping dialogue, because peo
ple don’t wait for each other to finish sentences.”
There are scenes when every character on the screen
is talking at the same time, and it is a tribute to Sam O’S
teen’s editing ability that every voice can be heard.
What you hear are the arguments between a mother
and daughter, the pick up line and denial between a
producer and an actress, and the attempt of a director
to j|et everyone “quiet on the set."
the sleazy producer who tries to seduce Suzanne.
Gene Hackman is the compassionate director who
gives her a real chance at a comeback, and Richard
Dreyfuss is the doctor who pumps her stomach as the
film begins and later asks her to dinner.
Also in supporting rotes are Rob Reiner, Mary
Wickes and Conrad Bain, who played the father on the
TV sitcom Different Strokes. They are all caricatures of
Hollywood.
Completing the caricature, production designer Pat-
rizia Von Brandenstein creates sets rhat illustrate the
difficulty of finding reality in Hollywood’s fantasy land.
Backdrops constantly give way to reality as the
movie-within-the-movie changes. These scenery
changes show the audience that not everything is how it
seems in Hollywood. Suzanne isn’t the only one who has
trouble distinguishing reality from the script.
One reality that is easy to hear is Carly Simon’s musi
cal score. Perhaps it’s not another Academy award win
ner, like her score for Working Girl, but she continues
to produce quality work.
Quality work from everyone involved stamps Post
cards From the Edge as a movie not to be missed when
it comes to B-CS theaters.
o
n.
Phi Eta Sigma
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
MEETING • SEPT. 1 1
8:30 p.m. at Rudder • Rm. 302
Refreshments
will be
served
<f>H£
Hey. man, like don't forget—
MSC 4r
TOWN HALL
members have a
General
Committee
Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Tuesday
September 11
301 Rudder
LUNCH
BUFFET
ALL YOU CAN EAT
Great Pizza,
& Salad Bar
*#4
11 AM - 2 PM DAILY
326 Geo. Bush Dr. *211 University
Carter Creek *919 Harvey Rd.
/ * \ \
Graduate Student Organizations
at Texas A&M
Saturday, September 15
9:45 - 12:00
^ . Room 112, Eller (O&M) Building
A<V
Trying to start a new Graduate Student Organization in
your department, or trying to improve an existing GSO?
We’ve got a workshop for you! Leam how your Graduate Student Organization can
make a difference for your department. Leam what benefits GSO’s can offer your
students, your department, your college, and Texas A&M University. You'll here
representatives from the Student Affairs Office and from some of our active GSO’s.
We’ll help you understand the mechanics of forming a GSO, getting campus
recognition, and we’ll share our experiences with you.
Please let us know if you'll attend — we want to be sure to have plenty of food!
Call or write the Office of Graduate Studies, 845-3631, Mail Stop 1113.
Engineering Fair
Sept. 12 & 13, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast, a recreational wonderland,
is also one of the Southeast’s most thriving corporate en
vironments, with the Tampa Bay area being a center of
booming business activity. Join us here at Tech Data
Corporation, the nation’s leading distributor of computer
peripherals and hardware products. Rapid growth has
resulted in attractive opportunities for:
• PRODUCT MANAGERS • ACCOUNTANTS
- PROGRAMMERS • COMPUTER OPERATORS
We offer an attractive salary and benefits
package, a progressive, supportive work
atmosphere, and ample opportunities
for professional growth. To learn more
about Tech Data (and about the Gulf
Coast Lifestyle), come visit with us at
the Engineering Fair or stop by our
reception being held at Rudder Towers,
Suite 410, on Tuesday, September 11,
from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
TjTechData
^ CORPORATION
Equal Opportunity Employer.
SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE
1
Contact Lenses
Only Quality Name Brands
(Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve)
$ 128 00 TOTALCOST
...INCLUDES EYE EXAM, FREE CARE KIT, >
STD. DAILYWEAR OR TINTED STD. LENSES m
YOUR CHOICE of
< Std. Dailywear, Extended Wear or Tinted Soft Lenses
| SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES
y
« Sale ends September 28,1990
-J
t Call 696-3754
S’ For Appointment
^ CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., P C.
3 DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY
<
u)
y 707 South Texas Ave., Suite 101D
College Station, Texas 77840
1 block South of Texas & University Dr. intersection
College Station, Texas 77840
SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE
Don’t
Worry
when an accident
or sudden illness
occurs
CarePlus is open
when you need them
7 days a week
with affordable
medical care.
Faculty, staff & students receive a 10% discount
CarePlus^k
pamm v MPnir'Ai r'PMTPrD
FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER
and Pharmacy
696-0683
1712 Southwest Pkwy • C.S.
Open
8 to 8
Every Day