Artivels
Undescribable Perfection
Lachlan Coulson
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
Juana
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
moonspinner55
Tender-but-tough divorcée, the struggling owner of an outdoor demolition derby arena in small town Illinois, is faced with a $10,000 upgrade from the county; one of the commissioners is trying to get her property cheap so he can build a country club on the spot, but is unaware his teenage son has a crush on the older woman, who is also being courted by her star-driver. Surprisingly complicated character-driven film from director Randal Kleiser, he of the hits "Grease" and "The Blue Lagoon". Working from Ken Hixon's mercurial script, Kleiser hands a wonderful role to top-billed Jamie Lee Curtis, who finally gets to show off an appealing range (it's one of her tightest performances). As her underage paramour, C. Thomas Howell is still doing his puppy dog bit (soulful eyes and trembling bottom lip), however Patrick Swayze is terrific as the macho star involved in an all-out war with his cheating wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh, convincing as an unrepentant tramp). Just as good as the younger players is Ramon Bieri as Howell's father; the under-appreciated actor stews in realistic exasperation with his kids, and Kleiser is careful not to mock him (the father's actions aren't fully considered, but we are able to perceive the man's character in Bieri's weary eyes and seasoned face). What doesn't work are the dream sequences/music videos which appear to be included to appeal to the teen market. This isn't another horny boy-meets-older woman hick-comedy, though it was advertised as such. The film has more on its mind than cheap thrills, and the actors seem to relish in their opportunities. **1/2 from ****
Pepper Anne
In first watching Grandview, USA, you might be puzzled by the scattered storytelling. Simply put, the movie concerns a few small town Illinois residents, but each with their own assorted, and somewhat separate, small town struggles. C Thomas Howell, at least in the trailers, is made to look like the main character of the story, the teenager just aching to break free of the provincial setting. But in fact, his story is neither anything important, nor anything dominant. Jamie Lee Curtis is Mike Cody, a speedway owner who is fighting to hold on to her property. Since her father, the man who built the speedway died, the city commissioner had been dying to get their hands on it. And, Patrick Swayze plays "Slam the Ram," a rather cumbersome character who plays a speedway driver on Cody's lot who is dealing with his sleazy wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) cheating on him. No story is really fully developed. No situation really seeks to grab the audiences' attention. Everything just seems to be a subplot. The entire story is, as said before, simply scattered and without focus.Jamie Lee Curis and Patrick Swayze, however, are no less entertaining despite this. If only they had developed their characters and story enough, you might have had quite an enjoyable little film. For me, it was still an entertaining film, so long as you don't mind obscure movies and you're in the mood for something different. C Thomas Howell's teenage angst can be kind of annoying at points, especially the music video daydream sequence with the 'Steele Man of Action' bit. But, 80s fans might be lured by the cast. Look for John Philbin (as one of the speedway employees), John Cusack and Joan Cusack (as C Thomas Howell's friends) in minor parts. It wasn't great, but still worth a viewing if you can find it.
chinaskee
Set in a small town in the mid-west,"Grandview USA" is neither the best nor the worst of the films to come along in the wake of "American Graffiti".Nothing much really happens,but C. Thomas Howell's recurrent music video fantasies are entertaining,and the snippets of small-town America during the opening credits are fun.The little kid who's sharing her ice-cream cone with her dog was my favorite.A pleasant,unoffensive,little film.
Tito-8
Even with a nice midwestern setting and a truly honest effort to make a film that most people could relate to on some level, this movie just comes up way short. I just stopped caring about these characters about halfway in, and I spent the remainder of the film waiting for the predictable ending to take place. It's not that this is a bad film, but I would call it generic, and it has a basic storyline that would be familiar to most movie-goers. I'm quite certain that you can easily find a better film than this next time you're looking to kill some time with a movie.
