Tag: 1990s film

Comedies

The Daytrippers

LizLocke1 Comment
Image credit: The Daytrippers, 1996

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of being woken up at your parents’ house the day after a major holiday to the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a dishwasher being unloaded at 7am, then you’ll understand the comedic brilliance of this week’s pick The Daytrippers (Disc/Download).

Greg Mottola’s directorial debut is a fun, frenetic tale of family drama at Thanksgiving, made at the height of the independent film craze of the 1990s (back when $50,000 got you… a great movie, apparently!). Eliza (Hope Davis) suspects her husband (Stanley Tucci) is cheating on her, so she and her entire family hop in the station wagon and drive to Manhattan in an attempt to catch him in a lie. Other people may spend their Black Fridays at the mall, but the Malones prefer to be crammed into a car with no heat, listening to Eliza’s sister’s boyfriend (Liev Schrieber) describe the plot of his novel. For anyone who has stood by while an author desperately attempts to summarize their own work, you know this special torture. Parker Posey is fantastic as flaky sister Jo, but it’s Anne Meara who steals every scene with her smothering yet hilarious presence. Don’t go into the light, Rita!!!

If you’re going on a wild goose chase through the city with your zany family in tow, you’ll need a beverage that seamlessly makes the transition from breakfast to cocktail hour. Maybe you need to start imbibing as soon as the vacuum cleaner plays its reveille- no judgment here! While watching The Daytrippers, I recommend drinking this Rise and Shine cocktail.

Rise and Shine

1 ½ oz Bourbon

½ oz Kahlua

¼ oz Maple Syrup

1 oz Cold Brew

2 Dashes Chocolate Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a martini glass.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving movies is another Parker Posey classic, The House of Yes, which features an even more dysfunctional family than the one in The Daytrippers. Really, the Malones look pretty normal compared to the Pascals, though Parker is an equally weird, funny ingenue in both. Why not settle in and make it a double feature? Maybe you can even convince your mom to turn off the coffee grinder and join you. Cheers!

Dramas · Musicals

Leap of Faith

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Leap of Faith
Image Credit: Leap of Faith, 1992

I feel a healing coming on– of the cocktail variety!  Get ready for a 90’s blast from the past as Cinema Sips watches Leap of Faith (Download), that gospel-heavy movie where Steve Martin jogs in a belly shirt and cowboy hat, with zero irony. There is a God!

Faith is an important aspect of life for many people, but unfortunately, organized religion can also be a breeding ground for con artists and predators. Jonas Nightingale is of the con artist variety, a slick-tongued preacher promising prosperity to the downtrodden. He travels the Midwest with a bus load of accomplices, setting up a game of smoke and mirrors for people who have a lot of faith, but not much else.  Giving them a good show, he makes them believe in the power of the Lord, then lines his pockets with their hard-earned cash. One could say he’s not unlike certain politicians, feeding off the economic hardships of their constituents, but that’s an argument for another time. As Jonas, Steve Martin is charismatic, dark, and one hell of a showman. Liam Neeson’s well-meaning sheriff doesn’t stand a chance.

The reason these poor townspeople are ready and eager to believe in Nightingale’s “healing power” is the ongoing drought that threatens to ruin their corn crops. Living in Texas, I know the feeling of praying for rain (and I also know the feeling of praying for it to stop… ahem ATX water contamination 2018). Plus, corn is pretty important, if for no other reason than moonshine. While watching Leap of Faith, I recommend drinking a Sunday School Collins.

Sunday School Collins

1 oz lemon juice

½ oz simple syrup

1 ½ oz corn whiskey

4 oz club soda

Combine whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a rocks filled glass. Top with club soda, stir gently to combine.

sunday school
“Our Lady of Immaculate Queso” by Heartless Machine (heartless machine.com)

The real standout element in this film is the music. From the opening notes of Meat Loaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” to rousing gospel numbers, it’s no wonder it later received the Broadway treatment. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, this film will make you want to get up and dance. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll start to believe in the impossible.  Cheers!