JuBoo

The title of this made-for TV movie is nearly all the description the predictable film warrants. The story's main character receives an invitation to attend his 20th high school reunion, where he will no doubt be lovingly welcomed by all the jocks and old flames who once adored him.

Don Hollander (Kevin Dobson) is hesitant to attend his reunion until one night, while pouting about his mundane and unsatisfying life as a husband and father, he skims through his old yearbook and the pictures of his high school sweetheart. Knowing his wife has refused to accompany him to the planned festivities, Don envisions a touching and romantic liaison with the "girl that got away." Fueled by an overactive libido and a giant mid-life crisis, Don returns to his hometown for the reunion.

Waiting for him, of course, is Peggy Sager (Joanna Cassidy), former head cheerleader and high school sweetheart. Peggy, now divorced, has also dreamed of the day the two would meet again, and she fawns embarrassingly over him for the remainder of the film.

The old "gang" gathers at Peggy's house as they begin to assemble in town and bask in the stories of their lost youth. Peggy's teenage daughter Anne (Linda Hamilton), now the head cheerleader just like Mom, makes her appearance, and the old high school chums go on and on about Anne's amazing resemblance to her mother at the same age. The likeness is especially noted by Don. Once the viewer is sufficiently beaten over the head with this idea, and enough adoring glances are exchanged by Don and Anne, it becomes obvious what the film's dilemma will be.

Don, fully entrenched in the mid-life crisis that is making his family life hell, is finally face-to-face with the love of his life, and all the factors seem to be perfect for engaging in the physical affair they never had. The problem is that Don is trying desperately to feel young again, and the sight of Peggy in her aging state serves to remind him of his own decline. Her beautiful daughter Anne, however, is exactly the young, vibrant girl he longs to be with again (and the spitting image of her mother, remember?!).

So, Peggy longs for Don, Anne has a crush on Don and Don wants to experience his youth again. Now comes the suspense: Will he or won't he? If he does, with whom will it be?

If the cliche of an aging man trying to recapture his youth by cheating on his wife and fulfilling his sexual fantasies isn't enough, this film also dishes out another tired story. The balding, beer-bellied alumni and former state champion basketball team insist they be given the opportunity to prove themselves worthy opponents for the current squad of quick young jocks. And since Anne's boyfriend is the star of the team, Don has the perfect opportunity to challenge the clueless kid's manhood.

The storyline is cheesy and worn out, but there are some good performances. Linda Hamilton is still young in this one, but her potential is obvious here as a 24-year-old actress playing a teenager with a hearty crush. Considering some of the ridiculous dialogue she was given, Hamilton manages to make her character believable and almost likable.

Conchata Farrell, in a minor supporting role, gave a very natural, down-to-earth performance that lent her character an authenticity that the most of the others did not manage to attain. She makes it look easy!

While not a particularly entertaining movie, Reunion is worth watching if only to see how far Linda has come in her career!

Linda Hamilton is convincing as a search and rescue tracker searching the desert for a lost little girl. While the dialogue in many instances of the film left something to be desired, Hamilton's voice-over work when revealing the character's inner feelings and motivation was exceptional. In a particularly well-acted scene near the end of the film, Hamilton brings a heartfelt realism and poignancy that every mother can understand.

Kevin Kilner brilliantly played the violent ex-husband and kidnapping father that you love to hate. Kilner is usually a very pleasant presence on screen, which is what makes this evil performance so impressive.

Way off-the-mark were the flashbacks scenes meant to show the characters early in their marriage. While the premise was a good one, in order to help viewers understand the relationship and its origins, Hamilton's character was played by a young actress who looked nothing like Hamilton while Kilner remained in his character's shoes, looking not the least bit younger.

The Color of Courage is based on the true story of the Supreme Court case of Sipes v. McGhee, which challenged the constitutionality of restricted covenants designed to prohibit black families from living in exclusive white neighborhoods in the 1940s, and the unlikely friendship formed between two women.

The film was, unfortunately, very sugar-coated. The reality of the violence that black American familes like the McGhees faced (and sometimes continue to face) in this country while standing up for their basic human rights, was merely hinted at in the USA Network Original. The decision to curb the amount of violence portrayed onscreen was perhaps two-fold: 1) as an effort to appeal to a much wider viewing audience, and 2) in order to use its alotted time to focus primarily on the personal relationship between two women who became friends under the most improbable circumstance.

The sugar coating was the only aspect of this film that did not appeal to me. The opening camera shot (and a few others throughout the movie), is beautifully done as one long, continuous shot with no breaks or cuts in filming. The camera flows through the room, all around the characters, and feels very smooth. It gives the feeling of a live-action play more so than a film.

As usual, Linda Hamilton, a Hollywood veteran of 20 years, added her own unique spark to the character of Anna Sipes. Very much unlike the "tough chick" roles with which many try to stereotype her, she plays a 1940s housewife who calls on inner strength rather than bulging biceps to win her battles. Hamilton brilliantly portrays a pre-feminism woman who cowers like a disciplined puppy when scolded or insulted by her status-seeking husband, while secretly lending friendship and support to her neighbors.

Lynn Whitfield was also magnificent in her portrayal of Minnie McGhee. As a black wife and mother in the racially divided Detroit of the 1940s, Whitfield carries with her in every scene an almost tangible display of pride and determination as she reluctantly joins her husband in a fight for the rights of an entire race.

The two couples were really very much alike: the husbands so proud to have worked hard and been able to provide nice homes and a better environment for their families; the affectionate little flirting scenes with both couples; each family having a child who had no trouble getting along with the other; both women (and later, both men) having contempt for the rest of the other neighbors....

The subject matter of this movie should sicken Americans everywhere. The way blacks (and other minorities) have been treated in this country is deplorable. Thankfully, this film had an uplifting message of friendship and acceptance. The Sipes v. McGhee case was a step in the right direction, but society sure has a long way to go.