THE STORK DERBY (2002) **1/2 Nice little real life story about how money and newspapers ruin everything. Just when you think that things can't possibly get more demented or immoral-rats eating children, overt racism, rainy picnics-they go to court. In court, of course, everything immoral is magnified a thousand fold and then coated with an extremely thin veneer of decency by old white Protestant men. Which, as usual, fools no one; but on this occasion they get a little poetic truth shoved up their collective asses by Pascale Montpetit. Pascale is brilliant, by the way, which is what you look for in actors delivering poetic truth. Or literal truth, as when they call judges names. Pascale goes over the top where appropriate (she is, after all, one of those feisty French-Canadians), and communicates just as much when she smolders. Ultimately the film probably says more of modern day relevance about the dynamic of business and career woman Megan Follows' trajectory than anything else, as judges can now be of any ethnic persuasion (so long as they're willing to be assholes and serve the monied interests) and the veneer is now a little thicker. Career women of the world unite, and don't be newspapermen by newspapermen for newspapermen! What party was that collecting donations on the courthouse steps in the final scene, anyway?
back to Brilliant Observations on 1776 Films home
go back home, or send me email
no more reviews! I want to buy your novel!