Shadows on the Wall

5-25-77

dir-scr Patrick Read Johnson
prd Leigh Jones, Gary Kurtz, Fred Roos
with John Francis Daley, Colleen Camp, Steve Coulter, Emmi Chen, Katie Jeep, Austin Pendleton, Neil Flynn, Gwen Streitmatter, Justin Mentell, Christopher McLinden, Eric Miles, Kevin J Stephens
release US 11.Oct.22,
UK 5.May.23
22/US 2h12

Is it streaming?

Die-hard fans will recognise the title as the date the original Star Wars was released. In production for nearly two decades, writer-director Patrick Read Johnson is celebrating his love of cinema, including his early experience of the 1977 classic. Overlong but fast-paced, the film is packed with witty details, outrageously low-budget effects and a continuous stream of nutty teen antics that leads to an epic odyssey into movie magic.

Obsessed with movies after seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey at an early age, by the time Pat (Daley) is 17, his mother Janet (Camp) is fed up with his disruptive home-based productions with best pal Bill (Coulter). Encouraged by his girlfriend Linda (Chen), Pat dreams of moving to Los Angeles, and his mother arranges for him to travel there to meet editor Herb (Pendleton). On his first day, he meets Steven Spielberg (Stephens) as he's producing effects for Close Encounters. Pat also gets to see an early cut of Star Wars, which changes his life.

An ode to science-fiction cinema, the film features a riotous array of pastiche space sequences, plus a blinding number of tiny movie references that are liberally sprinkled throughout this story about goofy teens. It's also accompanied by a fabulous collection of hit 1970s songs. All of this looks hand-made on zero budget, not much more sophisticated than the amusing movies Pat makes with his friends. But the constant visual gags are very clever. So even if the film feels very long, with a badly belaboured second half, it will keep movie fans happy.

Even with the nutty, often rather frantic tone, the performances have a charming authenticity that keeps the characters engaging. Interaction is witty and often enjoyably offhanded, with particularly strong chemistry between Daley and both Coulter and Chen. These friendships are complex, but nicely played without melodrama, even as they face momentous events along the way. Of the large supporting cast, Camp is particularly superb as Pat's long-suffering mother, who takes her son's dreams seriously.

Johnson's inventive approach in both writing and directing makes up for the cheap and cheerful imagery, mixing his youthful home-made effects with lively digital work. This is a sharply well-observed look at a teen who simply knows he has to be a director, and it clearly notes the people who supported him along the way, encouraging him to be himself and pushing him forward. Film geeks will love every rambling, chaotic detail, but it's perhaps too overstuffed to cross over to a broader audience.

themes, language, violence 1.May.23

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

Still waiting for your comments ... don't be shy.