An epic tale of the Trask family beginning with a wounded Union soldier (Warren Oates), the son (Timothy Bottoms) from his first wife and another (Bruce Boxleitner) from his second wife, the morally twisted woman (Jane Seymour) who marries the first son, their sons (Sam Bottoms, Hart Bochner). Based on the novel by John Steinbeck (who considered it his best work), its acclaimed 1955 film version by Elia Kazan was based on the book's last third and eliminated a major character (the Chinese servant Lee). Kazan did a masterful job with his film and by concentrating on just one section of the book, he was able to focus on details and characterization. This six hour adaptation does an admirable job distilling Steinbeck's novel but it's hampered by several things. The worst is Timothy Bottoms in the central and important role of Adam Trask (played by Raymond Massey in the 1955 film) whose acting is so awful I don't think words exist that can properly describe it and he severely compromises this version. Other performances are weak: Sam Bottoms as Cal, Karen Allen as Abra. But one performance towers: Jane Seymour in a sensational performance (in the role that won Jo Van Fleet her Oscar) aging from 16 to her 50s. As if realizing she may never get a part as juicy as this, Seymour gives it everything she's got and she's triumphant. Her performance makes this worth seeking out. Directed by Harvey Hart. With Anne Baxter, Lloyd Bridges, Howard Duff, Richard Masur, Nicholas Pryor, Wendell Burton, Grace Zabriske, Timothy Carey (who was in the 1955 film) and Soon Tek Oh as Lee.
No comments:
Post a Comment