Is it good?
I have to watch this film and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for school, and I was wondering if it was worth watching? Thanks!
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I somewhat disagree with Barbie, here.
Ice Storm is good, well acted, but it's depressing and sad. In the end, your caring for the people is harmed by the lack of positive transformation, which I consider highly important.
If you're going to show someone failing, utterly, at life, I consider it nothing but an exercise in sadistic gossip and envy if you fail to also show them learning something from it. Its appeal, when done that way, lies more in an outright "Thank God I'm not *that* screwed up!" relief. (I also find fault with "Seven", in a completely different genre, for this reason, too).
American Beauty, OTOH, while it has a measure of sadness in it, and certainly compares in the fact that the family has drifted, slowly, into dysfunctionality, is truly transformational -- at the end, almost all the people have been uplifted by the events which transpired. They learned things about themselves, and each has found a touchstone against which to lay a better foundation for their life (with two exceptions, one positive and one presumably negative -- I won't spoil it in the event that a reader has not seen it). 1999 really was the best year for movies in the history of movies.
I will recommend, however, that if you liked either of those movies, the 1980 movie "Ordinary People" should appeal. I don't think it's anywhere near as good as AB, but I don't recall it being quite as dreary as TIS.
I'm intrigued with the comparison to American Beauty. I own both and yet it's never occurred to me to link them in my mind. AB is clever, engaging and witty and yet, having watched it three or four times I'm not particularly inspired to pull it off the shelf again. I must have watched The Ice Storm many more times and each time it gives me something new and leaves me thinking. That is the mark of a really good film in my book.
The Ice Storm *is* depressing and you're right, there's precious little obvious redemption for the characters, all of whom are flawed. But I don't agree that it's necessary to show characters "learning something" - surely it's just as valid, and more interesting, if their journey enables you to learn something about yourself and the world around you instead?
So no, there is no Hollywood ending for these characters, but that's not to say they haven't been on a journey. It's not all conveniently wrapped up at the end, just as in real life there's no neat end point. Who knows what's going through Janey's head as she wakes to the sounds of her boring husband sobbing? That he's couldn't deal with her going off with the boy, or maybe that he's discovered her affair? Probably not that her son is dead. And as for Kevin Kline's character, there's no obvious redemption but after spiralling down he does hit his moment of truth in no uncertain terms, and that is very powerful.
--
All other priorities are rescinded.
Kevin Kline does feel some redemption. They go and wait for their other son Toby MacGuire at the train station. He loks at his son and smiles, and then breaks down into tears. In this moment his wife opens up to him only if slightly.
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