bnorthup
04-29-2002, 12:10 PM
Changing Lanes (R)
At the Gaslight
3.5 stars
A fender bender than crinkles the spirit
By Brent Northup
The way we handle crisis says a lot about who we are. The measure of a person is never completely clear when the sun is shining. But let a storm appear, one that truly frightens us, and the vulnerable edges of our character are revealed as clearly as cracked bones during an MRI.
“Changing Lanes” is, at its heart, an exploration of how two very different men respond to equally traumatic crises. The movie has been given the label of a “road rage movie,” but that’s a quite disturbingly trivial dismissal of a story which reaches much deeper than that.
The story starts uneventfully. We follow the lives of two men through one morning until their biographies collide – literally – on the freeway. Ironically, both men were on their way to court. Big-time attorney Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) is on his way to file probate papers that will give his firm control over a lucrative estate. Doyle Gibson (Samuel L. Jackson) is scheduled to show papers to a judge that proves he is buying a house for his divorced wife so she won’t leave New York with his children.
The accident ends up causing both men to lose their cases. Banek leaves a crucial file at the scene of the accident, in the hands of Gibson. Gibson is late for his hearing and the judge rules against him. Both men are very angry. But this is not road rage – this is anger caused by deep fears. Banek fears his fast-track career will be derailed. Gibson, a recovering alcoholic, fears he will not be able to see his children grow up. Out of these fears comes rage.
The final act in this drama follows Banek and Gibson as they decide how to respond to deepening crisis. Banek’s instincts are, at first, vindictive – he plays dirty, using a cyber crook to bankrupt Gibson. Gibson, a recovering alcoholic, goes to a bar and stares at bourbon – and thinks about forgiving Banek and returning the file.
So the lawyer’s response to moral crisis is to manipulate the system. The divorced father’s response is to contemplate forgiveness – and call his AA mentor (played very sensitivly by William Hurt.).
Unfortunately, the script comes unraveled at the end. In pursuit of a happy ending, the writers don’t allow our heroes to suffer the logical consequences for their actions.
But “Changing Lanes” still remains an insightful anatomy of moral choice. Most of us moviegoers will relate to the fears of one or both protagonists – and, in so doing, we will gain insight into just which direction our own moral compass is pointing.
END
At the Gaslight
3.5 stars
A fender bender than crinkles the spirit
By Brent Northup
The way we handle crisis says a lot about who we are. The measure of a person is never completely clear when the sun is shining. But let a storm appear, one that truly frightens us, and the vulnerable edges of our character are revealed as clearly as cracked bones during an MRI.
“Changing Lanes” is, at its heart, an exploration of how two very different men respond to equally traumatic crises. The movie has been given the label of a “road rage movie,” but that’s a quite disturbingly trivial dismissal of a story which reaches much deeper than that.
The story starts uneventfully. We follow the lives of two men through one morning until their biographies collide – literally – on the freeway. Ironically, both men were on their way to court. Big-time attorney Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) is on his way to file probate papers that will give his firm control over a lucrative estate. Doyle Gibson (Samuel L. Jackson) is scheduled to show papers to a judge that proves he is buying a house for his divorced wife so she won’t leave New York with his children.
The accident ends up causing both men to lose their cases. Banek leaves a crucial file at the scene of the accident, in the hands of Gibson. Gibson is late for his hearing and the judge rules against him. Both men are very angry. But this is not road rage – this is anger caused by deep fears. Banek fears his fast-track career will be derailed. Gibson, a recovering alcoholic, fears he will not be able to see his children grow up. Out of these fears comes rage.
The final act in this drama follows Banek and Gibson as they decide how to respond to deepening crisis. Banek’s instincts are, at first, vindictive – he plays dirty, using a cyber crook to bankrupt Gibson. Gibson, a recovering alcoholic, goes to a bar and stares at bourbon – and thinks about forgiving Banek and returning the file.
So the lawyer’s response to moral crisis is to manipulate the system. The divorced father’s response is to contemplate forgiveness – and call his AA mentor (played very sensitivly by William Hurt.).
Unfortunately, the script comes unraveled at the end. In pursuit of a happy ending, the writers don’t allow our heroes to suffer the logical consequences for their actions.
But “Changing Lanes” still remains an insightful anatomy of moral choice. Most of us moviegoers will relate to the fears of one or both protagonists – and, in so doing, we will gain insight into just which direction our own moral compass is pointing.
END