Opening with beautiful imagery of rural Vermont, "A Stranger in the Kingdom" starts off promisingly and then sadly falls flat. Directed by Jay Craven, this film tries to create suspense, tension and whimsy, but its fundamentally flawed screenplay full of two-dimensional characters leaves little more than cliched melodrama.
Set in fictional Kingdom County during the 1950s, the movie follows the happenings of a small community that is disturbed by the arrival of a new black reverend played surprisingly well by Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters"). Also raising a brouhaha is an exotic French-Canadian woman named Claire LaRiviere (Tantoo Cardinal) who, for no truly explained reason, manages to attract the attention of everyone in town.
There's also the childish lawyer, Charlie Kinneson, who is played over-dramatically by David Lansbury ("Scent of a Woman"). It's pretty obvious that he'll need to be growing up through this picture after his pseudo-sassy fiance dumps him and makes a dainty bonfire of his possessions.
The truth is that this film is a picturesque recycling of old cliches: the underdog attorney, the black outcast and the exotic woman who gives many people many motives to kill her. In fact, as soon as Claire LaRiviere opens her mouth and starts saying things like "Murder is in the air," it doesn't take long to see the way the rest of this film is going to play out -- courtroom moralizing.
The good news is that Ernie Hudson does a very nice job with his role. He is calm and controlled, but suggests that there could be some silent rage that he is trying to internalize. Compared to some of the obscene over-acting by Lansbury and Cardinal, Hudson is like a breath of fresh air in this film. Sean Nelson of "Fresh" fame also does a nice job as the preacher's son. His performance seems a little labored but is charismatic all the same.
Martin Sheen ("Apocalypse Now") also puts in an appearance as a big city prosecutor (you know the type) who Charlie has to face in a courtroom proceeding. Sheen is strong as always and has good support from a sidekick of sorts played by Henry Gibson ("Nashville"). They are the only flashes of humor in this movie that takes itself way too seriously.
To add an element of mysticism or scariness or something, a semi-random skeleton also manages to pop up in this film. Ultimately it does have an influence on the story, but still, when a character named Frenchie shows up with the stolen skeleton in a barrel, it's very hard not to find the absurdity in the situation.
Of course, it can be very difficult to act well with such trite dialogue. With lines that would make soap-opera writers cringe, "A Stranger in the Kingdom" could very well become fodder for "Mystery Science Theater 3000." The characters are all simple and lack dimension of any sort. Perhaps only the reverend has any semblance of depth.
The story is also so predictable and skin-deep, that one has to wonder why anyone was drawn to the project. Evidently, people did see something in the film: the list of patrons and benefactors at the end of the film is mind-boggling. Even the esteemed Gregory Peck (from the very similar classic "To Kill a Mockingbird") contributed to this film.
Another problem lies in the staging of the scenes. It is very rare that blocking has ever caught my eye. Here, the actors move around like they are in a middle school production. People huddle and ponder and move with greatly exaggerated motions, and combined with many poor performances and very lackluster dialogue, "A Stranger in the Kingdom" takes on a very amateurish quality.
Still, the Vermont scenery is quite an eyeful. Very few films exploit the natural beauty of New England and its rugged and unique culture. I don't think that this film captured all of that Vermont feeling, but it did get a good amount of it. The mountains in the background, the colorful leaves, the flannels, the architecture and the roads all had the essence of the Green Mountains.
What is very impressive about the film is how smooth it is considering that it had the meager price tag of only $1.85 million. Despite all the problems and flaws of the movie, it still looks as good as any big budget Hollywood film, aside from the blocking problems. If only it had some worthwhile substance, it could really be a fine example of independent filmmaking.
The film is being shown as part of the "One Hundred Town Tour" which will go to venues all throughout Vermont. Jay Craven, a New England native, is spearheading the tour in an effort to thank communities that contributed to the project. Various cast members are expected to be at the special screenings. The film officially opened at the Nugget last Friday, April 3 for an open-ended run whose length is dependent on audience interest.
"A Stranger in the Kingdom" was the recipient of the first ever Spirit of New England Award which was presented in Boston on April 3.
