(This may contain spoilers.) I would take exception --to some extent at least-- to what appears to be the general consensus that this movie is "loosely constructed." What struck me about it was people doing "good" and "bad" things in relation to each other and, I guess I would have to add, "family values"--for me this was what structured the movie.The various story lines developed the theme, deliberately, humorously, and ingeniously "playing off" each other. Example: Rosanna Arquette on the phone with her single, lonely and desperate friend Ali Sheedy while her husband is obnoxiously snoring. Show biz success is shown to be inversely related to human kindness and decency--Jade Gordon, who appears to be on the verge of superstardom at the end, is borderline sociopathic(but maybe that's normal behavior in Sugar Town.) John Doe, a session guitarist, is at the other end of the spectrum, resisting temptation and leaving in mid-tour to stay true to his pregnant wife, Lucinda Jenny. He also turns down an offer to play with Gordon and the other band members near the end, stating that one of them had offered heroine to his brother, a recovering addict. Also the moral choices and minimal "backsliding" of Doe and his brother are paralleled. Childless Arquette, after establishing a caring relationship with her husband's alleged son, comes to terms with her "older actress" status and is now able to accept the movie roll offered her as Christina Ricci's mom. Des Barres, told he must sleep with D'Angelo to get financial backing for the record, makes a moral choice in initially declining: "I don't want to 'make it' that bad." (Although it later becomes the one link-up in the movie that works--they're kindred souls.) There are obviously other themes here, notably coming to terms with middle age in general as well as in the entertainment business specifically. But the warm, human and, it seems to me, moral tone of the film is what ties it all together. People might complain that morality in a movie can be heavy handed. I would argue that in this case the humor serves as a counterpoint, bringing you in close for the message. Obviously the movie is in the genre of "Shortcuts" or "Magnolia" but also seems intent on showing us how we should live and relate to each other, maybe with some irony but not to the point of satire. For me this creates a kind of sharper focus, a warmer, human element. I'm not sure if anyone else is picking up on this.
Review of Sugar Town
