COURIER-JOURNAL Wednesday, June 29,1983 8

'Superman IIP Jamie Lee Curtis a Victim Loses Steam By Michael Gallagher The second plot, in­ By Michael Gallagher "Trading Places," however, the important element is not Of Chauvinism, Corporatwhat's being looked at but ites effec Greet upon the lookerd. An d And Henry Hen evitably, has to do with the New York (NO — There's a Victorian era anecdote machinations of a set of about a country vicar of stern mien and righteous character here, too, the director, John Badham — or his editor or New YOrk (NC) — villains — a ruthless tycoon who was invited to a gala at the local manor house. The producer — chose to give us a lengthy closeup of the "Superman III" (Warners), (Robert, Vaughn) intent on latest Parisian fashions were very much in evidence, it woman herself. the latest and perhaps last of doing all manner of nasty seems, and the lady of the manor, somewhat apprehensive In both cases, the U.S. Catholic Conference was obliged the Superman movies, is by things to the economy of the as to how the clergyman might be viewing all this, turned to to give an O, morally offensive classification. The industry far the weakest of the three, a world with the aid of an him with a tremulous laugh and asked, "Vicar, have you rating, moreover, is R. muddled, unfocused picture incompetent dishwash­ ever in your life seen such a sight?'' In either movie, the simplest sort of editiing — editing, that keeps promising to de­ er-turned-computer-wizard "No, Madam, I haven't," answered the worthy man. moreover, that would have improved both pictures in terms velop into something enter­ (Richard Pryor). "Not since I was weaned." of their respective genres — would have gained an A-II, taining but never delivers. Not only are these villains I thought of the perspicacious vicar the other night at a adolescents and adults, classification and a PG. Instead we For one thing, it has two pallid and quite unformida- screening of "Trading Places" when, about a third of the have an O and an R. plots which, despite the best ble, but the Newmans, after way through, the female lead, Jamie Lee Curtis, casually Granting that hip producers today don't care at all about efforts of writers David and coming up with the promis­ bared her torso in front of Daniel Aykroyd and — what kind of classification the U.S. Catholic Conference Leslie Newman, never quite ing idea of a woman who eventually anyway — millions of moviegoers throughout gives out, why, nonetheless, were they willing to incur an R come together the way they respects Superman but is on the Free World. Then about 15 minutes later, she did it from the Motion Picture Association of America? An R is were meant to, a failure that the verge of falling in love again, for the benefit, presumably, of anybody who supposed to shut out all adolescents under 17 who aren't pretty well exemplifies where with Clark Kent, don't happened to be at the popcorn stand the first time. with a parent or guardian, and a restriction like this would "Superman III" goes awry. pursue the idea at all. Now, to be fair, Miss Curtis was playing a prostitute, presumably cut into the very audience at whom these two It's chock full of happenings, Another clever twist that and prostitutes do this sort of thing all the time, I movies are primarily directed. far more incidents than even doesn't come off is having understand. Miss Curtis herself, however, is not a I think it indicates that the R classification has become a film three times its length Superman develop a nasty prostitute, and reputable directors, including the most largely meaningless in terms of actually keeping any but could adequately develop. side, thanks to that trusty famous, have had no difficulty in effectively conveying unescorted toddlers out of movie theaters. Just look The first and by far the device of Superman lore, what's needed in such an encounter without requiring around at the audience the next time you see an R-rated most promising plot line has Kryptonite radiation. actual on-screen nudity from their actresses. On the film and judge for yourself. Superman-Clark Kent The Newmans do follow contrary. So if producers have good reason to believe that even the (Christopher Reeve in as this out, but after a good What a good director would want to emphasize here youngest of teen-agers won't be held back by an R good form as ever despite the start — Superman develops would be the reaction of the man, in this case a stuffy classification, then why not toss a bit of sexual exploitation flaws of the movie) going five o'clock shadow, his young WASP suddenly reduced to wretched circumstances. into the mix and maybe draw in more kids than you would back to Smallville for his costume becomes seedy look­ The focus, therefore, should be upon him and his have otherwise? A cynical bit of calculation that manifests high school reunion and ing, he straightens out the astounded reaction and not upon Miss Curtis and our as little regard for basic esthetic consideration as moral running into a beautiful Leaning Tower of Pisa on a not-so-astounded reaction. We should be taken up with its ones. classmate (Annette O'Toole), spiteful whim — it palls and effect upon him, and not, willy-nilly, with an assessment, In the meantime, in a day when a woman's awareness of the prom queen, whom he culminates in a boring and however objective, of Miss Curtis's attributes. her rights and dignity has supposedly reached stratospheric had admired from afar. Now drawn-out battle between a Questions of morality aside, then, the scene would have levels, we have the ironic phenomenon! of talented and a single parent — her good and bad Superman in a been far more effective in terms of the comedy genre to vibrant actresses being asked to shed their clothes at the husband, the prom king, junkyard. which the movie belongs if the actress's nudity had been male-chavinistic whim of even the most mediocre of having abdicated after three The realistic quality of the suggested rather than shown. directors or at the command of greedy and cynical years — she takes one look violence in the junkyard bat­ Let's take another movie of an entirely different sort, producers. A further bit of irony is that Miss Curtis, who at Clark and reciprocates his tle, and some aspects of "Blue Thunder," whose thin, implausible plot is no more made her way up through a series of cheap horror movies, regard, which, Clark finds, Superman's conduct while than an excuse for some spectacular stunts in the skies managed to avoid nudity until this, her first big-budget has not waned at all over the under the influence of the above Los Angeles. As a mindless action movie, it's pretty film. years. Kryptonite rule out younger good entertainment. Early on, however, two policeman If the Motion Picture Association of America wants the (In case you were wonder­ viewers. The U.S. Catholic hover in their helicopter outside an apartment window public to maintain even a mimumum regard for its ing about poor Lois Lane, Conference has classified it watching a naked young woman performing some exotic classificaton system, it must do at least one of two things played by Margot Kidder, A-II — adults and adoles­ calesthenics. and preferably both: (1) impress upon theater owners the she's' off to Bermuda on a cents. The. Motion Picture Again, to be fair, there is a plot link. At that very importance of enforcing the restriction embodied in the R story, limited to making brief Association of America rat­ moment a crime is being committed not far off, and so the classification; (2) do something to check the flood of appearances at the beginning ing is PG — parental guid­ two enthralled officers incur official disfavor. As in R-rated movies cynically aimed at younger teen-agers. and end.) ance suggested.

Blockbuster 'Cajun' A Fresh, Delightful Just Doesn't Work Cajun, by Elizabeth Nell four generations, down to latter that seems, at least to Portrayal of Franklin Dubus. Seaview-Putnam 1916. Thoughtfully, an elab­ this reviewer, to be brought A Biography of Benjamin Frankliri, by book a good candidate for an academic (New York, 1983). 417 pp., orate genealogical table is in only to hold the reader's Ronald W. Clark. Random House (New supplementary reading list. $17.95. provided, as many of the interest. York, 1983). 530 pp. $22.95. In almost unbelievable fashion Franklin Reviewed by characters bear the^ same If Mrs. Dubus had stuck to Reviewed by Richard Philbrick managed to be at the core of virtually Patricia B. Hoffman names. the story of the Cajuns in­ NC News Service everything of significance that happened to Americans from the unrest preceding the NC News Service Along with the family stead of attempting to tell the Just as George Washington often saga, Mrs. Dubus has given tale of too many people, her appears to be best remembered for cutting writing of the Declaration of Independence The Cajuns of the title to the adoption of the Constitution. To were the French settlers in us generous helpings of the book would have been more down a cherry tree, so Ben Franklin is to history of Louisiana, in­ successful. Unfortunately, many the wise man who said, "A penny read of him as he rose from printer's Nova Scotia expelled by the apprentice to elder statesman is to have a British in 1755. The entire troducing many historical she has opted for a "block saved is a penny earned.'' That's a pity figures, such as Jean Lafitte, buster" in which the charac­ because, as this biography proves magnificnt view of a crucial, stirring period colony was forced .to move of American history. away from homes and farms, the pirate. Unfortunately, the ters don't come alive to us, abundantly, Benjamin Franklin is one of incurring dreadful hardships history and the narrative are and the chunks of history the most fascinating characters in this Clark's skill in portraying Franklin as a in their attempts to find a not well integrated, which aren't really woven into the nation's history. leader of the American colonists is what new land. Many settled in makes for somewhat dis­ narrative. He played with lightning, as every fifth makes this biography a pleasure to read. Louisiana, where their origi­ jointed reading. We do learn, There's material for half a grader knows, and, yes, he was easily Whether the philosopher-diplomat-scientist nal title of "Acadians" was however, a great deal about a dozen novels in "Caiun." On charmed by attractive women, but that is on the road to supress attacks by Indians corrupted to "Cajun," a period that is relatively un­ the whole, it is not a success, scarcely begins to characterize him. or at a dinner in the villa of a French term still proudly used by known and glossed over in in spite of the \u 's obvi­ Frafiklin, says the author without nobleman the author provides all that is their descendants. American history. ous knowledge ' .^ back­ qualification,*was a genius. necessary to make the picture not only Mrs. Dubus, a Louisianan, On the human side, every ground. By even the most stringent standards he complete but vivid. begins her four-generation possible action is brought in: (Mrs. Hoffi^ao is a free was an outstanding scientist. As a diplomat One highly interesting product of the saga with the expulsion of the duels, suicide, adultery and a lance writer and critic based no American has ever surpassed him. The author'szeal to present the pertinent Langlinais family from Nova great deal of sex. It is the in Indiana.) electricity conductors used today to protect background is that in doing so he touches Scotia — Claude, Mathilde buildings against the ravages of lightning upon much of the religious complexity of and their baby son. This brief are very much like those Franklin designed. the colonies as they moved to unite. section leads into the Capsule Movie Review f t ! As deputy postmaster-general in North It is important to remember that the established family prospering America during colonial days he set up Quakers of Franklin's hometown, "OctopnSsy«{MGM.lIA> *>* * SS^-fll pigeonhqle manual sorting techniques to Philadelphia, viewed warfare from a far in its new home, Attakapas, Superagent James Bond (RogCTModre) ik once^agaui or not far from New Orleans. process letters that survived little changed different standpoint than the heirs of the To this remote location the trail of m international ^Bsain^'ihlC^enwo^ai until the U.S. Postal Service introduced Puritan tradition in his native Boston. And come Noel and Helene de an East German circus, a m^veffck Sovjii multiple position letter sorting machines in nothing in either heritage prepared him for Clouet, fleeing from the revo­ the 1950s. the Catholicism he encountered as the lution in France. They are a Franklin is an ideal and obvious model colonists' representative in France or the complete contrast to the for a story of a boy born poor and with no Anglicanism he met while a colonial agent happy, hard-working Ca­ advantages who by striving mightily in London. juns: ill-matched in every became a tremendous success. Clark, No one should say that having read wisely, subordinates that aspect of the great about Franklin there is no reason to do so way, the aristocratic emigres Founding Father's life to a far more find great difficulty adapting again. His life was far too full and complex engrossing account of how Franklin to be recounted once and for all. This book to the rough existence of -Sejtj m utilized his extraordinaray talents. farming. double ente ~" is a fresh, delightful portrayal of an The author traces the his­ The extensive footnotes and endlessly captivating character. tory of these couples and comprehensive bibliography lend credence (Philbrick is NC's book review their descendants through at every turn. With the index they make the coordinator.)