Themes: Age Disparity Romance, First Love, Pygmalion Stories
Main Cast: Stephen Rea, Sarah Polley, Jean Smart, Gina Gershon, Paul Dooley
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Writer Audrey Wells (The Truth About Cats and Dogs) makes her directing debut in Guinevere, which won the screenwriting award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, where it made its world premiere. The film concerns Harper Sloane, a twenty-something upper class pre-law student who falls for Connie, a bohemian photographer 30 years her senior. Shy, waifish, and camera shy, Harper feels her life is mapped out for her, coming from a long line of successful, Harvard-educated lawyers living in San Francisco. At her older sister's wedding, Harper meets Connie, who photographs her privately. When he shows her the photos, Harper (whom Connie refers to only as Guinevere) is intrigued, and a passionate romance and sexual attraction begins. Harper moves in with Connie to become his student, against her mother's wishes. Harper also learns that she isn't Connie's first Guinevere; in fact, there have been a half-dozen others, all of whom have remained friends. As the relationship takes its ups and downs, Harper comes out of her shell to become a stronger woman, more in control of her life and destiny than she would have ever dreamed possible. As Connie slowly dies from poverty and alcoholism, all of his Guineveres, including Harper, come together to remember (and drink to) his work and his life. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
Review
Ace screenwriter Audrey Wells makes a minor impression with her well-written but unimaginative debut film on May-December romances, but thankfully has the brains to cast to cast the remarkable Sarah Polley in the lead role. Polley's intuitive, fascinating performance alone makes the film worth seeing, if only to show how one can create a fully-rounded, sympathetic character with a minimum of tricks and tics. The film coasts quite far on her considerable charm and intriguing presence, but is undone by Wells' unsteady handling of the film's progression. Guinevere sputters along at all the most inopportune times, and while the casting of Stephen Rea as Polley's love interest seems smart on the page, his unfocused performance mars the more interesting aspects of the central relationship. It is a devoted portrayal, but sometimes feels like it belongs in another movie, and as such makes it hard to summon much sympathy for Rea's character. Likewise, Jean Smart's lengthy, mid-film monologue chastising Rea for his actions is designed to be a real crowd-pleaser -- and she handles it nicely -- but it merely points out the film's inconsistent tone, never truly capitalizing on the emotional stress of the relationship it addresses. In all, the film is a mixed effort -- not without interest, but lacking in the fundamentals that would greatly improve its impact. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
