Plot: What’s it about?
Theophilus North (Anthony Edwards) is a recent Yale graduate and has just arrived in Newport, Rhode Island. His presence creates a spark with the locals from the start, as he seems to be a magnet for negative energies. Or at least it seems that way, since he often shocks anyone he comes in contact with. Not intense shocks mind you, just the normal kind everyone has encountered at some point or another. He soon begins to charm the locals, with his friendly nature and seemingly special powers. No, young Theophilus isn’t able to fly, leap tall buildings, outrun a bullet, or any other outlandish kind of super power, but he does have a certain soothing presence, which works wonders with some folks. In the case of Mr. Bosworth (Robert Mitchum), the man had been inside his home for years and refused to come out, but after a few visits from Theophilus, it was as if he were a different man. With all the rumors about his special healing powers and the shocks he provides, some townsfolk soon begin to dislike the newcomer. The local doctor brands him a charlatan, even though he gains little from his encounters with others. Can he defend his honor and prove his good intentions, or will Theophilus find himself taken away, thanks to his special powers that others, not himself, have made famous?
As based on Thornton Wilder’s novel Theophilus North, this movie suffers from some of the same problems as the book. Wilder is a tremendous writer, with Our Town and Shadow of Doubt as part of his resume, but in this work, he seems to lose focus. The same woes have been ported over to this filmed version, which works, but not as well as it should. As a light, comedic picture, Mr. North has solid potential and for most of its duration, it stays within those parameters. But when it tries to be more serious, it falls short and is unable to come off as convincing, even with some nice performances. Anthony Edwards is good in the main role and is surrounded by talent like Mary Stuart Masterson, Robert Mitchum, Virgina Madsen, Lauren Bacall, and Harry Dead Stanton, as well as others. So in terms of performances, you couldn’t ask much else from this cast, except that even they can’t roll with the serious moments. I suppose the switch in gears is just too abrupt, that or this material simply isn’t thick enough for dramatic depth, you be the judge. The movie is mostly harmless fun until the final sequence, but it sinks like a stone and by turn, the rest of Mr. North is pulled into the depths also. Even so, MGM’s disc has a nice transfer and if you’re interested, I think a rental is more than justified in this case.
As I mentioned before, this movie has a terrific cast and in the lead, Anthony Edwards turns in a solid, enjoyable performance. Edwards has never quite burst into mainstream stardom in movies, though he did win over television audiences, in the series ER. Even after that success however, he has kept a low profile and been seen in only a few pictures, so perhaps he simply isn’t as interested as he used to be. That would be a shame however, as Edwards is a talented worker who shines in smaller, memorable roles. And he’s had numerous ones, within a wide scope of movies across many genres. In Mr. North however, he is given the central role and he proves he is more than up to the task of being the main dude. Then again, with this kind of simple, but charming material, it was probably a breeze for Edwards. He is able to stretch the weaker moments a little, but when the material gets thin, he can only do so much. Other films with Edwards include Revenge of the Nerds, Top Gun, The Sure Thing, Miracle Mile, The Client, and Playing by Heart. The cast also includes Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear, The Big Sleep), Mary Stuart Masterson (Bad Girls, Some Kind of Wonderful), and Virgina Madsen (Candyman, The Hot Spot).
Video: How does it look?
Mr. North is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full screen edition included on the disc’s flip side. This is a solid looking visual effort, but there’s more grain and nicks than I had expected. The grain never proves to be too thick, but it is enough to lessen the visuals somewhat, which isn’t good news. So the contrast isn’t quite as refined as we’d like and colors look a tad muted, but these issues aren’t that serious. Yes, it would be nice to have them on full showcase, but all things considered, there’s more good than bad here. So while not a top tier visual effort, this is still a solid, acceptable presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
A 2.0 surround option is the central soundtrack and while not too memorable, it is a solid treatment. The surrounds are used more than a little, to enhance the score and build atmosphere, but don’t expect constant presence. I was quite impressed with the second film’s audio, but both are more than adequate treatments, all things considered. The dialogue is crisp and always easy to understand also, leaving me with no real errors to report. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
