Sidney Lumet's film version of E.L. Doctorow's novel THE BOOK OF DANIEL is beautifully done and deeply heartfelt, but somehow falls short of becoming a classic. As the disillusioned son of Rosenbergian parents, Timothy Hutton is terrific as he tries to figure out what his parents lives were all about and what their deaths meant. Hutton brings the perfect sadness to his role and he's matched by Amanda Plummer as his very angry and ultimately self-destructive sister. Like the Doctorow book, the films bends time telling the parallel stories of Hutton and Plummer along with that of their doomed parents. It's not always smooth, but it's mostly powerful stuff. A major deficit is the casting of Mandy Patinkin and Lindsay Crouse as the parents. They're two of the most affected actors around and they're difficult to sympathize with. The large supporting cast includes Tovah Feldshuh, Ellen Barkin, Maria Tucci, John Rubenstein, and Ed Asner, who gives a great performance as the parent's lawyer.
Review of Daniel
