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Starting Out in the Evening

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STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING is a quietly moving work of art, a film adapted from Brian Morton's novel by screenwriters Fred Parnes and and Andrew Wagner (who also directs) that dares to take us to the wall with decisions we make about how we conduct our lives and negotiate the changes that can either be stumbling blocks or stimuli for creative awareness, It has much to say about the creative process of writing, a theme upon which it first appears to be based, but it more importantly urges us to examine how we live - how we make use of this moment of time in which we inhabit a body in the universe.

Leonard Schiller (in an extraordinarily understated performance by Frank Langella) is an aging author, a man whose first two novels seem to set the literary world on fire, but whose next two novels languished on the shelves and slipped into the same plane of obscurity Schiller finds his life since the death of his wife. He has a daughter Ariel (Lili Taylor in another richly hued performance) who is nearing age forty and is unable to bond permanently with a man because of her obsession with having children before her biological clock ticks past fertility. Into their lives comes Heather Wolfe (Lauren Ambrose), a bright young graduate student who has elected to write her master's thesis on the works of Leonard Schiller. Schiller is absorbed in writing what may be his last novel and can't be bothered with Heather's plea for a series of interviews. But curiosity intervenes and soon Heather and Leonard are involved in the process of interviewing, a process which gradually builds into overtones of Heather's physical as well as intellectual attraction to Leonard. Meanwhile Ariel observes the process that seems to be infusing life into her father and encourages her to exit her current relationship with Victor (Michael Cumpsty) and re-connect with the true love of her life Casey (Adrian Lester), a man she loves but who refuses to give her the children she so desperately wants. The manner in which these characters interact and learn from each other the importance of sharing Life instead of obsessing with selfish goals brings the drama to a rather open-ended close, another factor that makes this story significantly better than most themes of May-December romance and unilateral coping with self-centered directions.

The pleasures of this film are many, but among the finest is the quality of acting by Langella, Taylor, Ambrose, and Lester. In many ways the story is a parallax of views of life as art that subtly intertwine like a fine string quartet. Why this film was ignored by the Oscars only suggests that movies for the mind take second place to movies for the merriment of entertainment. For people who enjoy the challenge of a meaty story, this film is a must. Grady Harp, April 08

Let me state at the outset that this review concerns the theatrical release only. I have not read the book nor read any of the reviews for it. I caught this film just before it disappeared after a brief run at my local art cinema. Frank Langella deserves an Oscar nomination for his supremely restrained portrayal of a buttoned-up recluse, an emotionally remote retired professor and novelist, who has been working for years on what may well be his final novel, if he can ever finish it. It is not the first time this great actor has played a writer - for a spectacular contrast see his performance as the womanizing solipsist in `Diary of a Mad Housewife.' Here he is seduced by a flirtatiously manipulative grad student (Lauren Ambrose) into allowing her to enter his largely solitary life for the purpose of a series of increasingly pointed interviews that will help her complete the ambitious thesis she is writing about his work. So great is her apparent admiration for her `sad knight' that one wonders whether she is totally sincere, or deluding herself about him, as he may indeed be about both himself and her. But she is so flattering, intelligent, and attractive, and he is so kindly generous, that he cannot manage to oppose her when she persists. The ingredients at this point would make for a pretty good drama. However, the film suffers because, as happens with so many film dramas, too heavy-handed a final edit has reduced the main story to a series of vignettes interspersed with scenes from a largely irrelevant subsidiary plot concerning Schiller's unmarried, childless, daughter (Lili Taylor), who on the eve of her fortieth birthday, unhappy with her dull lawyer boyfriend because he does not want her to have a child by him, re-encounters an old flame (Adrian Lester) with whom she had broken up five years before over the same circumstance. The fact that her old love is black is not remarked by anyone as a problem, reflecting either the liberality of the subjects, or the presumed liberality of the audience. This rather clichéd and uninteresting sub-plot gets in the way of furthering the development of the relationship between the principals, as Heather attempts, with her combination of bookish intelligence, earnestness, and sexual provocations (whether inadvertent or deliberate we are not permitted to know), to unravel the mystery of why the stubbornly proud, and hopelessly idealistic professor, whose work is largely forgotten by a publishing world more oriented to pop culture than artistic endeavor, who refuses its offers of commercial largesse, has failed to produce anything quite as brilliant as his first two books. Something happened and we do not know what. Scenes appear to have been cut between Heather and her editor acquaintance and between Ms Schiller and her lover that might have further elucidated the mystery, that embodied by the principal characters, with their differing motives, and the budding signs of romance between them. Scenes must have been jettisoned for the sake of getting the film in well under two hours, or for the sake of maintaining the distracting sub-plot, and whether this occurred because of some perceived need to maintain the contours of the book, or a lack of inspiration at the heart of the story, is immaterial. Deserved praise is due Frank Langella for a brave, and very restrained performance along with co-star Ms. Ambrose. Regret for the deficiencies of an irrelevant and annoying sub-plot that might have been better employed to further the mystery of the tragic dilemma at the heart of the creation of art, or any great endeavor, that to continue, to succeed, a certain stubborn, dogged courage, a selfish recklessness about oneself and others, of their feelings and opinions, seems to be required.

This superb film really should have taken home Oscars - perhaps as many as three, for Frank Langella's brilliant lead performance, Lili Taylor's turn as the daughter, and certainly the screenplay by Fred Parnes and Andrew Wagner which discovered all the soul of Brian Morton's novel while losing only the page-count building 'for English-professors-only' references and complications.

Starting Out in the Evening is a 'small' story. The heroics are minimal, the scale completely personal, and yet on film this is never small or dull. Langella towers over the New York that has forgotten him, that has moved past a time when intellectual and creative power meant more than money. As his turning-40 daughter Taylor struggles with the battles of her own generation - hunting for both meaning and family, while Lauren Ambrose's Heather Wolfe carries the city of today into their realm, selfish and self-obsessed, consumed with the ideas of personality and fame.

It is a delicious triangle with much to say about the stages of life, the progress of American culture, and the power of creativity. But none of it is ever shouted. The script by Parnes and Wagner, along with Wagner's perfect directorial balance, and lighting and cinematography which establishes a fully-realized city and time, does not preach, it simply brings the viewer in to these three lives and trusts that we will understand.

Near perfect. Watch it. Starting Out in the Evening will be one of the best cinematic evenings of your year.

Wow! What an outstanding bit of drama we've got here. STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING does such a fabulous job in using the medium of film to discuss and explore the medium of writing that I will never dismiss the craftsmanship it takes to compose a single book. This is a story that takes the ambitions of several characters, weaves them together in convincing fashion, and subtly sways into another realm of thinking. Does this intrigue you? Well, in case it doesn't, let me describe the first scene of the film to you.

A young woman sits in a small diner, waiting to meet the subject of her thesis. Heather Wolfe and Leonard Schiller sit together. Leonard almost immediately thanks her for her admiration of his work as a writer, but quickly dismisses her interest because he can't be bothered while he works on another book in his old age. The beautiful interviewer reluctantly agrees to his wishes, but only after being allowed to see his home, and borrow a few copies of his out-of-print books. Just before leaving his home, Heather suddenly kisses Leonard. It is not sexual, but a rather strange gesture of admiration. While the two are meeting this way, Leonard's hurried daughter Ariel is qickly dropping in and out of Leonard's apartment.

Once Heather and Ariel leave together, we are unsettled and riddled with questions. "Did that just happen?" Or better yet, "How exactly did that happen?" You will want to explore these questions for perhaps the same reason that Heather & Leonard continue the interview process together. They are fascinated by each other's point-of-view in writing; we are stunned by the subdued performances of Lauren Ambrose and Frank Langella, two of the best of their respective generations. We don't get a firm grasp on Ariel quite yet, but thanks to Lili Taylor not missing a beat in her role, we are patient as the story progresses.

I am mentioning the way this drama develops because the lives of these three characters (and eventually a fourth, one of Ariel's former lovers) progresses in a natural, delicate, and touching way. There is clearly an attraction between the aging Leonard and ambitious Heather, but it's almost mutually metaphysical. In the end, they're writers, wanting to acheive something more through the words on a page. STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING explores the creative process of writing very carefully. What inspired Leonard to write his first two books in a very personal way? What drove him to remain detached when composing his third & fourth books? Don't be intimidated by these questions if you're not a bookworm; I'm not an avid reader, and Langella & Ambrose communicate the meanings clearly through their facial expressions alone.

Ariel's thread in the story is also about creation, but she aspires to create something outside of a book. She desperately wants a baby as she nears 40. Her latest effort is to reconnect with Casey (well-played by Adrian Lester), a man with whom their relationship split because of their disagreement over having a child. But Ariel persists, because maybe Casey will change her mind. Leonard persists as a writer, because maybe his work will be published, unlike his last effort. The need to share with another human being on some level is, I think, the key element from this film.

Although I give most of the credit to the four primary actors, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING is still a marvel to look at. Director & co-screenwriter Andrew Wagner uses his locations of the New York City burroughs very well. If I'm not mistaken, most of this takes place in Greenwich Village, an area renowned for being a hangout for artists. The locations are very intimate and tightly-spaced, which is a good way of visually engaging us in the deep conversations that these characters have with one another. For example, when Ariel reveals to her father an early plan to conceive a child without telling the man, ask yourself: "Would this shocking revelation have worked if the two weren't scrunched together in two theatre seats?" Another small scene that got to me is when Leonard and Ariel are just hanging out in a bookstore, pleasantly browsing through the shelves & piles. I've spent hours in a DVD store, not necessarily to buy anything, but to just admire the body of work that sits on those shelves. Can you relate to the father & daughter casually talking about their lives, while skimming through pages? I'll bet you can, if not through books, then with something else. And because Taylor, Langella, Ambrose, and Lester are such giftec actors, we care whenever they're holding a book in their hand. To them, words on a page mean something. One tiny contrast is when Heather begins to realize she may dislike Leonard's last two books, while Casey is sitting in bed, and telling Ariel how much he's into her disapproving father's more detached book.

There are several pitfalls that this story could've taken, and it avoids them all. The tension between Ariel & Casey could've been turned into romantic melodrama, but thankfully it evolves into a romance involving two sensible adults. There are scenes when we sense the the relationship is doomed, but the movie keeps one step ahead bu letting the two characters acknowledge their faults. When Heather's working relationship with Leonard begins to become colder & deeper, Andrew Wagner holds back on the brooding. Langella & Ambrose are marvelous actors, but Wagner made their performances richer by not having unnecessary shots. Think about it: how many dramas like this have scenes where the contemplative characters stare their struggles into some distant sky or river?

Andrew Wagner has communicated the methods of one art form through the techniques of another. To make us care about the characters of a drama is one thing. To use movies to explain the process of creating a book is one thing. To do them both is immeasurable and invaluable.

On the DVD's commentary track, when the credits begin, Wagner simply says "Thank You" to everybody whose name comes along. It is we who should be thanking the talent for bringing such a compelling work of art to the screen in a time when they're becoming harder to find. STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING is one of the most enrichening experiences I've had in recent memory.

Staring Out in the Evening is a story about an author who feels he is past his prime and is trying to finish one last novel. He meets a young graduate student who is writing her thesis about his work. Their lives become enmeshed.

This movie is not fast paced or exciting but rather slow and remarkable. The characters are deeply revealing and easy to fall in love with. The most resonating lesson in this movie is about freedom, the compromises we believe we must make, and making the choice to live our own lives. This is a very human story and it is beautifully told.

An aging writer clacks away on his typewriter, racing to complete his last novel before his life ends. An ambitious and assertive grad student (Lauren Ambrose) is writing her Master's thesis on him and inveigles herself into his life. The relationship becomes a bit more than just mentor/student, however.

Parallel with this subplot, the writer's grown daughter (Lili Taylor) hears her biological clock ticking as she approaches her 40th birthday. She wants a child but the men in her life, though, seem to be averse to either commitment or parenthood.

The movie's pace is slow, but offset by its quiet intelligence. Frank Langella gives a masterful performance as a portrait of the novelist as an old man. Lauren Ambrose looks as edible as an over-ripe peach bursting with flavor. Perhaps no other movie has ever captured such a perspective on the process of fiction-writing.

"Starting Out in the Evening" is a gem!!

I didn't keep any expectations from this very film. I honestly didn't have any and to my warm surprise I found out this film to be one of the finest drama's of all time. Frank Langella, the more you can say or get to know about him, the lesser it is. It's one of his finest performences that leads completely to perfection, he is simply the pure example of versatality in cinema, you can't take your eyes off him. The sensitivity, the emotions potrayed by him in the film is simply beyond words. Lauren Ambrose was quite good as the curious young student, her flamboyant acting resulted in a good chemistry with Langella. Lily Taylor delivers a decent performence as Langella's daughter. Its not just a film for a viewing pleasure, its something that drags you in each situation, lets you think once or twice. One of the finest cast performences. Give it a look!

This video has everything a good film should have: excellent script, first rate direction and the acting is superb. The relations of the characters are intellectual and sensuous. The tensions in this 'love'story keep you on the edge of your seat. Frank Langella is at the top of his form. As a young actor he was attractive--now he leaves me breathless.

It should come as no surprise that this quietly affecting character study barely left a trace in theaters last year since movies about literature and the writing process are hardly fodder for young teenaged boys looking for outsized CGI-saturated extravaganzas. However, co-writer/director Andrew Wagner's (The Talent Given Us) sophomore effort benefits immeasurably from Frank Langella's deeply nuanced performance as a once-renowned novelist long forgotten and facing his own mortality as he attempts to finish a valedictorian work ten years in development. With his recognizably sonorous voice and intensely watchful manner, the 68-year-old actor has never been known for playing sympathetic roles, but he seizes the heart of a becalmed man so engulfed in the creative process that he reacts to any intrusion upon it with a subtle, leonine fury. It's been nearly four decades since his film debut as the egotistical, caddish writer in Frank Perry's Diary of a Mad Housewife, but what a treat to see him bookend that performance with this one.

Langella portrays New York-based Leonard Schiller, whose four published novels have been out of print for years. In declining health, Schiller tries to interest a publisher friend in his latest, yet-to-be-completed novel, but he is told there is no market for literary-type novels. Precipitously, an enthusiastic graduate student named Heather Wolfe walks into Schiller's intensely private life to request a series of interviews for a masters thesis she wants to write about him. She is such an unabashed fan that her goal is no less than having Schiller rediscovered. The author is initially resistant, but he wears down under her coquettish persistence. At the same time, Schiller's self-loathing daughter Ariel has grown up being used to playing second-fiddle to her father's work. Single and closing in on forty, she hears her biological clock ticking as she resuscitates an embattled relationship with her estranged lover Casey, who is equally vehement about not having children. The plot threads eventually mesh when Schiller opens up to Heather and realizes how dormant he has kept his feelings since his wife's death over two decades earlier.

Beyond Langella is a trio of solid performances though none nearly as impressive as his. Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) captures Heather's youthful vigor and innate intelligence, but I found her use of Lolita-style wiles to be a bit mechanical within the scheme of the storyline. Always worth watching, Lili Taylor is on pretty familiar territory as the conflicted Ariel, but she manages to bring her likeably neurotic manner to the role. I haven't seen Adrian Lester since Mike Nichols' Primary Colors, but he's a welcome addition here as the slow-to-evolve Casey, especially in a tense small-talk scene with Schiller during Ariel's birthday celebration. In fact, much of the dialogue by Wagner and co-writer Fred Parnes has a smart, insightful quality that doesn't call undue attention to the intellectual observations of the characters. Even more, their strong screenplay makes the series of rude awakenings toward the end resonate with a combination of heart and necessary harshness. The 2008 DVD is short on extras - Wagner's thoughtful commentary and the theatrical trailer - but this small-scale film is well worth discovering, especially to see Langella at the very top of his game.

Here's the thing about old people. They're old. They walk slow, they talk slow, they watch boring stuff on TV. And seriously, you ever get behind one of them in a car? The mystery though, the thing that seems to go against every expectation, is that inside every old person? Is a young one. Sometimes they're forgotten, sometimes they're huddled in some dusty corner of the brain barely breathing, but still, they're there. And it's this young person that Heather Wolfe (Get it? Wolfe? As in aggressive young predator? ... Brilliant.) is looking for when she seeks out Leonard Schiller. Schiller (Nicely underplayed by Frank Langella who, by the way, has 76 listings on his filmography page on IMDB.) has published four books; two relationship novels and then later two more serious meditations on..well...serious stuff. When we meet him in the story though all his books are out of print and he's spent the last decade quietly working on his fifth and, presumably, last novel. (Cause he's, you know, old.) Along comes Heather Wolfe (Played by "Six Feet Under's" Lauren Ambrose.) (Gorgeous. Young. Talented.) (Sigh!), part ambitious budding young literary force, part knight in shining armor, who plans to do a thesis on Schiller, thereby reinvigorating his stalled career and reputation. But...does he really want to be reinvigorated? Therein lies the question.

Couple points we should make here. This movie's a little slow. In fact it was a two parter for me. I grew up watching things like "The Monkeys" and "The Banana Splits" on television (Yes, the scaring is deep.) so I have an incredibly short attention span. I watched the first half of this Tuesday night, switched to a little anime (Tokko, very exciting.), went to bed and then came back Wednesday night and finished it. So the story didn't drag me uncontrollably forward. And second, I found the May-December thing a little uncomfortable to watch. (And if I could just stop here for a moment and make a point? I am not old. Okay yeah, I'm 47 and yeah, I'm looking for a 20 year old girlfriend [Anyone that's interested can email me at [...]] but that is not the same thing at all.) (Seriously.) Umm...where was I? Oh yeah, the May-December thing. On the one hand it was a little uncomfortable but on the other hand, that's one of the reasons we watch movies. Or at least it should be. To see things that make us uncomfortable. To view the world in ways we normally don't get to see.

So, all in all? This is a lovely movie. Andrew Wagner, the director, takes what could easily be a very pedestrian, clichéd story and turns it into a moving tale and the cast, across the board, is outstanding. (Lili Taylor plays Schiller's not-very-happy-in-love daughter and, seriously, did she always have that body? I swear she's even hotter than Lauren Ambrose.) (Oh my God, my age is showing again isn`t it?) (Sigh.)

A good one for your DVD collection.