Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
See Critic’s Choice. (Pipers Alley, 9:45 am)
Digging to China
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Directed by actor Timothy Hutton, this tale of emotional bonding between a precocious ten-year-old girl (Evan Rachel Wood) and a mentally retarded man (Kevin Bacon) functions mainly as an actors’ showcase. Wood is right on target as Harriet, a smart-ass with a fervid imagination whose glamorous goofball of a mother (Cathy Moriarty) and promiscuous but boring sister (Mary Stuart Masterson) feel trapped in the small Pennsylvania town where they run a motel. Bacon embellishes his clownish performance with all the tics and twitches he can muster; he has his poignant moments, especially in his scenes with Wood, but he’s ultimately one-dimensional. The same can be said of Moriarty and Masterson, two fine actresses who try to rise above a cliched and predictable script with telling gestures. (TS) (Pipers Alley, 11:45 am)
A selection from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., exploring how various items are made. (Facets Multimedia, 11:45 am)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
and the U.S. (Facets Multimedia, 10:00 am)
