Quality women's roles in Hollywood today are few and far between. In response to this dearth of female parts, independent films often feature believable, complex parts for actresses to really sink their teeth into.
"The Spitfire Grill" is one such film, starring three powerhouse performances by women.
After the film won the coveted Audience Award at last year's Sundance Film Festival, Castle Rock Entertainment bought the rights to "The Spitfire Grill" for a record sum, the highest for an independent film to date.
In order to help defer the cost of the film, Castle Rock accepted an investment from a production company known as Gregory Productions, the for-profit arm of the Roman Catholic Church.
Though not a religious movie per se, Gregory Productions certainly would approve of the themes of redemption and healing, as well as the subtle pro-life message.
"The Spitfire Grill" is the story of Perchance Talbot, a woman just released from a Maine prison for manslaughter. Percy, played by Alison Elliott, is a woman with a past who gets the chance she never had in Gilead, Me.
A major star of this movie is the town of Gilead itself. Although Gilead is supposed to be in Maine, it was actually filmed in Vermont.
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and is quite reminiscent of Dartmouth's natural surroundings, and viewers may notice a woman wearing a Dartmouth sweatshirt in the final scene of the movie.
The vibrant forests and beautiful rivers of Gilead, however, stand in sharp contrast to the residents. They have lost much of their will to live, and with the closing of a local granite quarry, their means as well.
In Gilead, Percy finds a job at the Spitfire Grill, a diner owned by Hannah (Ellen Burstyn). She is an older woman whose health is failing but whose spirit remains fully intact.
Hannah escapes another Hollywood convention. She is not simply a crotchety old woman, nor is she impossibly sweet. As in real life, Hannah is richly complex, and shows waves of compassion tempered with sometimes frustrating stubbornness.
At first, Percy is mistrusted by the entire town, especially Hannah's nephew Nahum (Will Patton). Fresh off the disastrous "Fled," Patton redeems himself with his portrayal of a man jealous of the stranger who just may have more to offer the town than he.
Despite the town's suspicions, Percy becomes close friends with Hannah and another employee of the diner, Shelby (Marcia Gay Harden), Nahum's emotionally abused wife. The three women are able to bring national attention to their diner, and with it, a newfound happiness to the entire town.
Nahum, jealous of Percy's positive effects on the town, attempts to sabotage her efforts. Through Nahum's treachery, Percy's fate becomes entwined with that of a mysterious mountain man, and her new life is threatened.
From there the film races to its bittersweet conclusion. The secret of Percy's manslaughter charge is revealed, as well as the identity of the mountain man.
The ending is satisfying, but somewhat predictable. Therein lies a major flaw of the film.
"The Spitfire Grill" is not the most subtle of films. While it packs a few surprises, many of the "mysteries" of the movie can be seen from miles away.
Most of all, the film has only one real message to deliver, and it does backflips to make sure you get it. The movie is about healing, and how healing can be painful.
But by the end of the movie, you'll get the point. There is even a preposterous subplot about a healing compound found only in the roots of trees in Gilead.
Even though the plot is mostly predictable, the film does avoid being completely saccharine in tone. One will leave the theater uplifted, but not without a sense of sadness. Ending the film in such a paradoxical way serves to keep the film grounded in reality.
But it is the women of this movie that keep it above average. Burstyn, as mentioned, is terrific. Harden performs better, though, as Shelby.
Harden plays a woman who has been beaten into submission by her husband, not with fists, but with words.
As Shelby learns self-respect from Percy and Hannah, she is finally able to stand up to her husband. This transformation is wholly believable, and is wonderful to see on screen.
As good as Burstyn and Harden are, though, Elliott really holds the film together. An ex-model, Elliott made her acting debut in Steven Sorderburgh's film noire effort, "The Underneath."
Overall, this movie is good, but doesn't quite approach greatness. What it lacks in subtlety and originality it gains with three strong and realistic female leads.
These female characters set this independent film apart from most mainstream Hollywood offerings. It's just a shame that its plot doesn't live up to the potential that the characters have.
Critic's tickets provided by the Nugget Theater.
