Waterland

Stars: Jeremy Irons (Damage, Reversal of Fortune), Ethan Hawke (Alive, White Fang), John Heard (In the Line of Fire, Home Alone). Although the first 20 minutes of director Stephen Gyllenhaal's adaptation of Graham Swift's richly atmospheric 1983 novel seems to have focused on the tawdry center of Swift's gothic philosophical saga, and left the larger story untouched, Waterland soon opens up like a Venus flytrap pulling the viewer ever deeper into its monstrous tale of implacable fate. Jeremy Irons delivers yet another top-notch performance as high school history teacher Tom Crick, who is spurred by a remark made by a sullen pupil named Price (Ethan Hawke). To wit: why study history when the world's going to end soon anyway? Crick sets aside the French Revolution to deliver his personal history, and in so doing shows his pupils that one's world can end in many ways. Back we go to the English fens, where Crick lived with his father, a sluice-gatekeeper and halfwit older brother Dick. Here Tom discovers the joys of sex with his first and only love Mary, finds the body of a dead friend washed up to shore, learns the truth about his mad grandfather, and sets in motion a course of action which will haunt him the rest of his days. Credit goes to both screenwriter Peter Prince and Gyllenhaal (who also did an admirable job adapting Paris Trout) for using innovative techniques to translate Swift's eerie epic into a haunting film. Audience: If people can adapt to the bold structure which often collapses time, they're in for a real treat with enough melodramatic elements--murder, abortion, incest, etc.--to fuel a whole season's worth of soap opera. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—May 16, 2006—Image, 95 min., R, $19.99—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1992's Waterland boasts a fine-looking transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include audio commentary with director Stephen Gyllenhaal, and an audio interview with composer Carter Burwell. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine film.]