Conference bookie::movies

945.0. "The Journey of August King" by TROOA::BUTKOVICH (blink and I'm gone) Mon Sep 18 1995 13:11

    The Journey of August King (***.5 out of *****) - This is it, my last   
    movie at the Film Festival. I am movied and popcorned out and gave away   
    my last 3 sets of tickets. This last movie stars Jason Patric, Thandie   
    Newton (she was in the Australian movie "Flirting" with Nicole Kidman -   
    a good rent if you get the chance) and Larry Drake ("Benny" from L.A.   
    Law). The setting is North Carolina, 1815 and slavery is very much a   
    part of life in the American South. Runaway slaves are hunted down and   
    dealt with very harshly. Patric plays August King, a mountain man who   
    is returning to his homestead after picking up supplies. He comes   
    across Analees who is a runaway slave.  Drake is the rich plantation   
    owner, Olaf Singletary and when he discovers that Analees is missing,   
    he sets up a reward and soon the entire community is on an intensive   
    manhunt. August is a very quiet and unassuming man, and the movie   
    basically deals with his change of heart.  At first, he just wants   
    Analees to leave him.  Although he won't turn her in, he doesn't want
        to face the consequences of helping her. Soon after, he develops   
    affection for her and is willing to conceal and attempt to find safety   
    for her. The director (John Duigan) told us that the film took 45 days   
    to shoot and that it poured rain for 39 of those days. I was amazed   
    that this didn't really show in the movie - the North Carolina   
    landscape is glorious.  One of the slight criticisms I have with this   
    movie is how many people August and Analees kept meeting up with in the   
    middle of the forest - it was like rush hour on the 401! The acting is   
    very good, especially by Newton and Patric was his usual intense self.   
    I wonder if this guy will ever do a movie where he gets to crack a   
    smile or two?