The Wizard of Loneliness

Like many who saw this film long ago, it sticks in the mind, returning every so often, asking me to watch it again. I have been a fan of Lukas Haas ever since Witness and he is perfect in this film (as he also is in Lady in White, the film he did after this one). John Randolph, a character actor I have always liked, is wonderful and that line of his: "Time's going by so fast it makes your ears whistle" has lingered in my memory for decades. Dylan Baker, always good at crazy, is appropriately creepy. And Lea Thomas is great. Wonderful casting all around. But, really, it is just a beautiful script by Jenny Bowen (who also directed) and Nancy Larson, from the novel by John Nichols (whose films never seem to be big hits). Jenny Bowen, disappointingly, never had much of a career despite her delicate handling of this script. Jenny Bowen as well has only had minimal success though her screenplay of Within the Whirlwind was made into a very fine movie in 2009.

I truly like these kinds of small independent films far more than big Hollywood productions and wish more of them could be made. There is such talent out there, it is just so rarely tapped.