Arts & Entertainment
Summer of ‘69
Gay-helmed ‘Paperboy’ fails to gel despite strong cast
Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron in new film ‘The Paperboy.’ The sordid tale opens today in the D.C. area. (Photo courtesy of the Karpel Group)
“The Paperboy” has an impressive pedigree.
It’s directed by Lee Daniels, the openly gay director who made a striking debut with “Precious.” It’s based on an award-winning novel by Pete Dexter. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, Macy Gray, Nicole Kidman and John Cusack. But unfortunately, despite this great promise and a strong start, this steamy tale of sex and violence, which opens today at Landmark E Street Cinemas in the D.C. area and at the Angelika Mosaic in Fairfax, Va., loses steam partway through.
Set in 1969, “The Paperboy” tells the story of two brothers who return to their hometown in rural northern Florida. Zac Efron plays Jack Jensen, a collegiate swimmer who has been kicked off the team and expelled from college. His father, the staunchly traditional publisher of the local paper (a great performance by a gruff Scott Glenn), puts him to work as a paperboy. Matthew McConaughey plays Ward Jensen, a hot-shot reporter for a Miami newspaper who returns home with his ambitious writing partner Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) to investigate a claim of wrongful imprisonment.
The convict in question is Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) who has been jailed for killing an abusive sheriff. Pleading his case is the sultry Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), a death row groupie who has become engaged to Van Wetter even though they have never met. She has assembled boxes of evidence calling the prosecution’s case into question. Smelling a juicy story, the newsmen pursue leads through the squalid swamp shacks of Van Wetter’s relatives and the equally sordid offices of corrupt lawyers and law men.
The movie is well steeped in the traditions of the Southern Gothic: lies, sexual tension, racism, politics, hypocrisy, psychosis, hidden secrets, brutal violence and twisted family histories. The plot, of course, is full of twists and turns, including an unexpected revelation about a character’s sexual orientation and unorthodox sexual tastes. The film vividly recreates the look and feel of lurid period potboilers. Cinematographer Roberto Schaefer uses an intense saturated color palette to perfectly capture the stifling settings and sweltering temperatures. Composer Mario Grigorov effectively combines period music with original compositions to capture the shifting moods and alliances.
The cast throw themselves into the tawdry characters with admirable conviction. Zac Efron proves that he has made the transition from Disney star to Hollywood actor (although his fans will be pleased to know that he spends much of the movie shirtless and is frequently seen in his underwear). He displays Jack’s intense loyalties, inchoate anger, smoldering lust and casual cruelties with admirable restraint, especially given the emotional excesses of the story. John Cusack is chilling as the convicted killer who may be much cannier than he looks.
Nicole Kidman radiates sexual energy and an aching need as the vampy Charlotte, a siren who gets caught in her own snare. She looks great in the period styles and brings surprising depth to what could be a one-dimensional character. Her fearless performance includes some of the film’s already infamous scenes: dancing in the rain with Efron, applying the traditional cure for a jellyfish sting to him and bringing Cusack to a jailhouse orgasm from the other side of the room.
Macy Gray is somewhat less successful as Anita Chester, the Jensen family maid, but the fault lies with the direction and writing. The thankless role never quite escapes the well-worn Hollywood shorthand of the maternal black maid. Further, Anita awkwardly and unnecessarily serves as the movie’s narrator, telling the story from a confusing variety of perspectives. At one point, she is being interviewed by a journalist; at other times, she simply adds colorful commentary to the action; at other times, she controls the action of the movie, telling the audience, for example, that they don’t need to see any more of an unfolding sex scene as the camera cuts away.
The unsteady pacing, uncertain direction and uneven writing (the screenplay is by Daniels and Dexter) sadly rob the film of much of its potential impact. Fans of the genre and fans of the talented cast will be amply rewarded, but this is definitely not a film for all audiences.
Theater
‘Inherit the Wind’ isn’t about science vs. religion, but the right to think
Holly Twyford on new role and importance of listening to different opinions
‘Inherit the Wind’
Through April 5
Arena Stage
1101 Sixth St., S.W.
Tickets start at $73
Arenastage.org
When “Inherit the Wind” premiered on Broadway in 1955 with a cast of 50, its fictional setting of Hillsboro, an obscure country town described as the buckle on the Bible Belt, was filled with townspeople. And now at Arena Stage, director Ryan Guzzo Purcell has somehow crowded Arena’s large Fichandler space with just 10 actors, five principals and a delightful ensemble of five playing multiple roles.
Inspired by the real-life Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s fictionalized work pits intellectual freedom against McCarthyism via the imagined trial of Bertram Cates (Noah Plomgren), a Tennessee educator charged with teaching evolution. Drawn into the fracas are big shot lawyers, defense attorney Henry Drummond (Billy Eugene Jones), and conservative prosecutor, Matthew Harrison Brady (Dakin Matthew). On hand to cover the closely watched story is wisecracking city slicker and Baltimore reporter E.K. Horneck (played by nonbinary actor Alyssa Keegan).
Out actor Holly Twyford, a four-time Helen Hayes Award winner who has appeared in more than 80 Washington area plays, is part of the ensemble. In jeans and boots, she memorably plays Meeker, the bailiff at the Hillsboro courthouse and the jailer responsible for holding Cates in the days leading to his trial.
Twyford also plays Sillers, a slack jawed earnest employee at the local feed store who’s called to serve on the jury. And more importantly she plays Brady’s quietly strong wife Sarah whom he affectionately calls “Mother.”
When Twyford makes her memorable first entrance as Meeker, she’s wiping shaving cream from her face with a hand towel. With shades of Mayberry R.F.D., the jail is run casually. Meeker says Cates isn’t the criminal type, and he’s not.
“There’s a joke among actors,” says Twyford. “When an actor gets his shoes, they know who their character is. And it’s sort of true. When you put on boots, heels, or flip flops, there’s a different feeling, and you walk differently.”
Similarly, shares Twyford, it goes for clothes too: “When Mother slips a pink coat dress over her cowboy boots, dons a little hat and ties her scarf, or Meeker puts on his work shirt, I know where I am. And all of that is thanks to a remarkable wardrobe crew.
“Additionally, some of the ensemble characters are played broadly which is helpful to the actors and super identifying for the audience too.”
During intermission, an audience member loudly described the production as “a proper play” filled with beautifully written passages. And it’s true. Twyford agrees, adding “That’s all true, and it’s also been was fun for us to be a part of the Arena legacy as well. Arena took ‘Inherit the Wind’ to the Soviet Union in the early ‘70s when the respective governments did a cultural exchange. At the time, the iron curtain was very much in place, and they traveled with a play about a man with his own thoughts.”
When the ensemble was cast, actors didn’t know which tracts exactly they were going to play. “What came together was a cast, diverse in different ways. Some directors, including myself when I direct, are interested in assembling a cast that’s a good group. No time for egos. It’s more about who will make the best group to help me tell this story.”
At one point during rehearsal, ensemble members began to help one another with minor onstage costume changes, like jackets and hats: “We just started doing it and Ryan [Guzzo Purcell] picked up on it, saying things really began to come alive when we helped each other, so we went with that.”
“For me, it was reminiscent of ‘The Laramie Project’ [Ford’s Theatre in 2013] when we played five different parts and we’d help each other with a vest or jacket in a similar way. It worked so well then too,” says Twyford.
“Inherit the Wind” isn’t about science versus religion. It’s about the right to think, playwright Jerome Lawrrence has been quoted as saying. And it’s a quote that makes the play that much more relevant today.
Twford remembers a chat in a hair salon: “I was getting my hair cut and the woman next to me shared that she was tired of message plays. Understandably there are theater makers who believe that message plays are the point, while others think it’s all about entertainment. I feel like ‘Inherit the Wind’ sits in a nice place in the middle.”
She adds “the work is a creative way of showing different opinions and that, I think, is what we should be paying attention to right now. Clearly, it’s not right or wrong to express what you think.”
Out & About
‘How We Survived’ panel set for March 25
‘Living History’ discussion to be held at Spark Social
Friends of Dorothy Cafe will host “Part One, Living History: How We Survived,” will take place on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Spark Social House.
This event will be moderated by Abby Stuckrath, host of the “Queering the District” podcast. Panelists include: Earline Budd, activist, trans rights advocate; TJ Flavell of Go Gay DC; DC LGBTQ+ Center Board Member David Bissette; and Alexa Rodriguez, founder and executive director, Trans-Latinx DMV.
This event is part of a four-part storytelling series called “Living History,” which centers LGBTQ elders, activists, artists, and icons sharing their lived experiences and reflections with younger generations. The conversations explore themes like resilience, community organizing, chosen family, and the lessons earlier generations hope today’s LGBTQ+ and ally communities will carry forward.
Saturday, March 21
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Sunday, March 22
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, March 23
Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Queer Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The Queer Book Club meets on the fourth Monday of the month to discuss queer books by queer authors. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Tuesday, March 24
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit www.genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Wednesday, March 25
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, March 26
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Small is beautiful: subcompact SUVs
‘Inherit the Wind’ isn’t about science vs. religion, but the right to think
‘How We Survived’ panel set for March 25
Calendar: March 21-26
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