Themes: Social Climbing, Rise and Fall Stories, Starting Over
Main Cast: Peter Weller, Judy Davis, Patrick Bauchau, Corbin Bernsen, Jonathan Hadary
Release Year: 1994
Country: US
Run Time: 110 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A wealthy Beverly Hills husband and wife are forced to reevaluate their lives after losing their jobs in writer-director Michael Tolkin's aloof satire. Peter Witner (Peter Weller) and Katherine Witner (Judy Davis) have become so accustomed to their high-class, shallow lifestyle that they feel helpless when circumstances leave them facing imminent bankruptcy. Lost and confused, their marriage on the verge of collapse, they seek help from a number of spiritual gurus, who offer ineffectual New Age philosophies as the solution to their problems. These remedies provide little comfort, however, and the Witners' attempt to make their own way by opening a hip clothing store also disappoints, leaving them ostracized and desperate for a direction in life. Best known for the cutting screenplay of Robert Altman's The Player (1992) and for his own earlier film The Rapture (1991), Tolkin provides sharp dialogue and a well-observed critique of the Los Angeles high life. This film continues the social criticism of those earlier efforts, as Tolkin consistently portrays American life as mindlessly materialistic, spiritually hollow, and bereft of meaningful purpose or moral direction. While some viewers may feel distanced from the unsympathetic characters and detached tone, Tolkin continues to be one of the most trenchant social satirists in contemporary American movies. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Review
A caustic, obtuse time capsule of pre-millennial angst, the barely-seen The New Age may not have cemented popular screenwriter Michael Tolkin's reputation as a full-fledged auteur. Still, the film remains an interesting if not completely successful attempt to capture -- and satirize -- the loneliness of the haute bourgeoisie. Judy Davis and Peter Weller are spot-on in their portrayals of glossy, empty L.A. post-boomers who look to sex, salesmanship, and bunk spirituality for a vague semblance of soul. It's the kind of role Davis has relished in numerous movies, and she turns in an appropriately oblivious variation on her usual modern neurotic; by comparison, Weller seems a bit muted, but his cipher-like countenance fits well with the film, particularly in its latter act. Where another director might have played the material for farce (à la the detestable Scenes From a Mall), Tolkien smartly plays the scenes with a cautious ennui; though he doesn't sympathize with his arrogant anti-heroes, he also doesn't make them larger-than-life exaggerations. In fact, The New Age's greatest failing may be that the objects of its scorn might not even realize they're being mocked. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Patricia Heaton - Anna; Samuel L. Jackson - Dale Deveaux; Audra Lindley - Sandi Rego; Paula Marshall - Alison Gale; Maureen Mueller - Laura; Tanya Pohlkotte - Bettina; Bruce Ramsay - Micha; Rachel Rosenthal - Sarah Friedberg; Sandra Seacat - Mary Netter; Susan Traylor - Ellen Saltonstall; Adam West - Jeff Witner; John Diehl - Lyle; Kimberley Kates - Other Catherine; Scott Layne - Swimmer; Lily Mariye - Sue; John C. McGinley; Assumpta Serna; Jeff Weston - Tab; Deborah Aquila; Mary Kane
Credit
Ken Hardy - Art Director, Alison Balian - Associate Producer, Deborah Aquila - Casting, Iya Labunka - Co-producer, Janet Yang - Co-producer, Richard Shissler - Costume Designer, Christine Larson - First Assistant Director, Michael Tolkin - Director, Suzanne Fenn - Editor, Mark Mothersbaugh - Composer (Music Score), Iya Labunka - Production Designer, Robin Standefer - Production Designer, John J. Campbell - Cinematographer, Arnon Milchan - Producer, Oliver Stone - Producer, Nick Wechsler - Producer, Keith Addis - Producer, Claire Jenora Bowin - Set Designer, Barbara Ann Jaeckel - Set Designer, Stephen Halbert - Sound/Sound Designer, Michael Tolkin - Screenwriter, Michael Tolkin - Book Author
