Reviews

I managed to find this very rare video from a Canadian seller, and spent more money than I could spare to get it. For the most part, I was glad I did. As a Shaw fan, I was thrilled to get to see one of his lesser known works performed by a top-notch cast.

Rex Harrison was in rare form as Captain Shotover, playing well not only with Amy Irving (in her Broadway debut as Ellie Dunn) but with the formidable Rosemary Harry as the airy, yet surprisingly complex Hesione Hushabye. Harrison captured not only the humor, but the pathos of this man who has seen better years and still has the gumption to grasp at happiness in the face of a world quite madder than he himself has become. Theatrical diva Rosemary Harris is brilliant as Hesione, grand and sweeping like a flock of butterflies, yet still a strong enough character to anchor the play. She is the glue that holds the family together, and she is as warm and sensual as her sister Ariadne (Dana Ivey) is cold and manipulative. Even so, in her own unconventional way, she can be as manipulative as her sister when she wants to be.

Dana Ivey, who garnered one of her two Tony nominations in 1984 for her work in this play, was cast somewhat against type as man-killer Ariadne Utterwood. She pulled off the haughty, shallow, angry character quite well, managing a sort of frigid sexuality that drives her suitors to distraction. But she's Ivey through and through, and there's more bite than nibble to this siren.

That being said, no one in the cast could stand against the utter domination of Harris' and Harrison's bravura performances. Difficult to find, but Heartbreak House is definitely worth the search for serious theater fans.

This show experienced a short renaissance on Lifetime Television Network in the early 90s. The writing was, for the most part, good (and in some cases, downright smashing). Unfortunately, a lot of expectations were riding on Loni Anderson's ability to score a hit after leaving WKRP in Cincinnati (this was her first series after that show). And when the show failed to deliver the numbers that were expected (due in part, I think, to poor scheduling and inadequate promotion by the network), the show went into a rapid downward spiral. Which is a pity, because Anderson gathered perhaps one of the finest casts imaginable for this show. Broadway actress Dana Ivey and future-Oscar-nominee James Cromwell shone as the rich in-laws who are constantly trying to oust Anderson's character from their midst. Ivey and Cromwell wrung every bit of comic juice from the material, with Ivey stealing (characteristically) pretty much every scene she was in. Unfortunately, the show was canceled before it could hit its stride, and the actors went on to greener pastures. I think, if it had been given a chance, it could have been a hit.

Okay, cult ties or not, this was an interesting film. It offers up a variety of ideas and leaves it to the viewer to decide whether or not to believe. Visually, it was a beautiful film with great art direction and special effects. Marlee Matlin was effective in the main role, although I thought the "story" detracted from the documentary portion of the film.

As to the film's ties to cults--I didn't see anything coercive or subversive in the film. After viewing it, I'm not ready to sell my soul to some guru. OTOH, I do find myself thinking more about the thoughts I have, and the effect they have on my spirit and body. Moral of the story--take out what you will, and don't join a cult. Duh.