'Angel Square'
CHICAGO -- Picture Orson Welles as a tubby tyke spread out on the living room floor listening to ''The Mystic, '' his favorite mystery series, on the family radio.
Then unleash the imagination as the hyper-stimulated kid discovers his own real-life mystery and sets out ''Mystic''-style to uncover the culprits. Now throw in lunar eclipses, Christmas Eve, a dotty aunt, a girl who likes to French-kiss, a dusty thumbprint and, of course, the usual suspects.
That adds up to a two-popcorn bag matinee, the kind of playful, grand stuff that Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis might concoct but is all too rare in kids' fare today.
Like little boys throughout eternity, Tommy Doyle (Jeremy Radick) has a heavy daily load: officious teachers, overly structured parents, playground bullies and schoolgirls of mystery. No wonder he retreats into the exalted imaginary world of his mentor, The Mystic.
It's a boyhood enthusiasm that everyone tolerates until Tommy sticks his nose into a police investigation: The father of one of Tommy's best friends has been beaten and robbed, and the police, in Tommy's opinion, are bollixing up the investigation.
Not that he doesn't like adults. His favorite, perhaps, is Officer Ozzie (Ned Beatty) who, in between his policely duties, doubles as Santa Claus at the local department store. But big people tend to get so bogged down in their own squirrelly little patterns that they aren't exactly capable of taking bold courses of action, namely, solving a crime.
Not that Tommy's got that much free space to navigate in either; between choir practice, homework and serving as Santa's elf, there's not much time for crime-solving.
Crammed with more colorful ingredients than a Christmas fruit cake, ''Angel Square, '' which screened here at the Chicago International Film Festival, scampers along at a devilishly wonderful pace. James Defelice and Anne Wheeler's screenplay is jaunty, kind-hearted and chock-full of surprises and quirks.
There's more here than one typically finds in two adult, summer-release plots and it's stiched into a clear and precise story line. Wheeler's hop-skip-and-jump direction -- attention Amblin -- is terrific, both balmy and clear-eyed.
As Tommy ''The Mystic'' Doyle, Jeremy Radick is perfectly cast; his sharp-eyed exuberance and clunky mannerisms are perfectly meshed. Ned Beatty, whether in his cop uniform or Santa Claus costume, concocts a pleasingly hurly-burly performance, while Nicola Cavendish is nicely maddening as Tommy's strict and goofy aunt.
Technical credits, most prominently Tobias Schliessler's warm-hued cinematography, are splendid.
ANGEL SQUARE
Telefilm Canada
Producer Arvi Liimatainen
Director Anne Wheeler
Screenwriters James Defelice, Anne Wheeler
Based on the novel ''Angel Square'' by Brian Doyle
Director of photography Tobias Schliessler
Music George Blondheim
Editors Peter Svab, Lenka Svab
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Tommy Doyle Jeremy Radick
Officer Ozzie Ned Beatty
Aunt Dotti Nicola Cavendish
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Then unleash the imagination as the hyper-stimulated kid discovers his own real-life mystery and sets out ''Mystic''-style to uncover the culprits. Now throw in lunar eclipses, Christmas Eve, a dotty aunt, a girl who likes to French-kiss, a dusty thumbprint and, of course, the usual suspects.
That adds up to a two-popcorn bag matinee, the kind of playful, grand stuff that Steven Spielberg or Robert Zemeckis might concoct but is all too rare in kids' fare today.
Like little boys throughout eternity, Tommy Doyle (Jeremy Radick) has a heavy daily load: officious teachers, overly structured parents, playground bullies and schoolgirls of mystery. No wonder he retreats into the exalted imaginary world of his mentor, The Mystic.
It's a boyhood enthusiasm that everyone tolerates until Tommy sticks his nose into a police investigation: The father of one of Tommy's best friends has been beaten and robbed, and the police, in Tommy's opinion, are bollixing up the investigation.
Not that he doesn't like adults. His favorite, perhaps, is Officer Ozzie (Ned Beatty) who, in between his policely duties, doubles as Santa Claus at the local department store. But big people tend to get so bogged down in their own squirrelly little patterns that they aren't exactly capable of taking bold courses of action, namely, solving a crime.
Not that Tommy's got that much free space to navigate in either; between choir practice, homework and serving as Santa's elf, there's not much time for crime-solving.
Crammed with more colorful ingredients than a Christmas fruit cake, ''Angel Square, '' which screened here at the Chicago International Film Festival, scampers along at a devilishly wonderful pace. James Defelice and Anne Wheeler's screenplay is jaunty, kind-hearted and chock-full of surprises and quirks.
There's more here than one typically finds in two adult, summer-release plots and it's stiched into a clear and precise story line. Wheeler's hop-skip-and-jump direction -- attention Amblin -- is terrific, both balmy and clear-eyed.
As Tommy ''The Mystic'' Doyle, Jeremy Radick is perfectly cast; his sharp-eyed exuberance and clunky mannerisms are perfectly meshed. Ned Beatty, whether in his cop uniform or Santa Claus costume, concocts a pleasingly hurly-burly performance, while Nicola Cavendish is nicely maddening as Tommy's strict and goofy aunt.
Technical credits, most prominently Tobias Schliessler's warm-hued cinematography, are splendid.
ANGEL SQUARE
Telefilm Canada
Producer Arvi Liimatainen
Director Anne Wheeler
Screenwriters James Defelice, Anne Wheeler
Based on the novel ''Angel Square'' by Brian Doyle
Director of photography Tobias Schliessler
Music George Blondheim
Editors Peter Svab, Lenka Svab
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Tommy Doyle Jeremy Radick
Officer Ozzie Ned Beatty
Aunt Dotti Nicola Cavendish
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 10/18/1991
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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