This 1997 Richard Kwietniowski film, based on the novel by Gilbert Adair, stars John Hurt as Giles De'Ath (pronounced Day-ahth) as an English author and widower who is so out of touch with the rest of the 20th century world that when asked if he uses a word processor, he responds, "I'm a writer. I write. I don't process words."
Giles' journey to Long Island begins when he stumbles upon the film Hot Pants College in his first visit to a movie theater. A typical American teenage date movie, Giles finds the whole film rather out of his league until he sees teen heartthrob Ronnie Bostock, a waiter in the film's diner (played brilliantly by Jason Priestley in what may well be the best performance of his life), put on what he deems a star performance.
Giles becomes enthralled with the actor, exploring all of his films and seeking out scraps of information on him in teen magazines. Eventually, he goes to search for Ronnie in person in his home town on Long Island, across the ocean. What follows is a story that you will not forget, part of a funny and touching film that will pleasantly surprise you with its poignant progression of events. |
