I must say: I wasn’t entirely struck by Wonderstruck. I’ve admired a lot of the work of director Todd
Haynes, whose sensitivity and indie sensibilities appeal to me greatly. And I knew the screenplay was written by
Brian Selznick, adapting his own quirky juvenile novel as he had done for the
spectacular Hugo. Add in a
performance by Haynes favorite Julianne Moore, as well as a suitably eclectic
score by the talented Carter Burwell, and you would seem to have something
pretty special indeed.
Wonderstruck is
certainly unique in its conception. It tells what seem to be two separate
stories from two separate eras. One, set in 1977, involves a twelve-year-old
Minnesota boy, grieving the loss of his mother and his hearing, who travels to
New York City in search of the father he’s never known. The other, taking place
fifty years earlier, features a young deaf girl who runs away from her affluent
Hoboken home to seek out a glamorous Hollywood star about to open on Broadway.
The stories collide—in their fashion—at the New York Museum
of Natural History, where an historic exhibit of old curiosity cabinets (the
forerunners of today’s museums) creates some creative linkage between them. But
it’s not until the film’s final moments that we understand the full connection
between the two young lives being explored. Haynes shot the 1977 scenes in
color and the 1927 scenes in classic black-&-white, moving gracefully
between the two. So much to admire, but I admit I for one often got restless,
especially where the young boy’s tale of woe was concerned.
But that 1927
storyline had me riveted. Partly that was thanks to the dynamic, though
non-speaking, performance of Millicent Simmonds, appearing in her first film.
Simmonds, who has been deaf since infancy, has an open, appealing face that
beautifully captures the emotions of her character. One particularly poignant
moment: leaving a movie theatre where she has just thrilled to the dramatic escapades
of silent star Lillian Mayhew, she pauses wistfully beneath the marquee which
proclaims that the theatre will soon be closed for the installation of a sound
system, so that future audiences can enjoy talkies. It’s a moment that instantly captures the
isolation of a deaf girl who has never been exposed to American Sign Language.
Kudos to director Haynes for insisting that an actual deaf child play this
role.
The first time I paid attention to the plight of the deaf
was watching the stage version of Mark Medoff’s Children of a Lesser God. In 1986 the play became a movie, and its hearing-impaired
star, Marlee Matlin, ultimately won a Best Actress Oscar for her role as an
angry young deaf woman who refuses to attempt verbal speech. This was her first
film, but the Oscar wasn’t granted to her solely out of sympathy for her
affliction. I’m happy to report that she’s had a lot of film and television
roles since, mostly playing women who just happen to be deaf but also enjoy
many other distinctive character traits.
Here’s hoping the incandescent young Millicent Simmonds will
have an equally fulfilling career trajectory. This year she was featured as the
hearing-impaired daughter who is central to John Krasinksi’s effective
thriller, A Quiet Place, and other
roles are on tap. A kid from small-town Utah who was dazzled by her first visit
to Manhattan, Millie is loving the excitement. So far she’s exuberant and
fearless about the new direction her life is taking: “I want to be an actor to
show deaf people can do it. You're not too young to dream big!”
No comments:
Post a Comment