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SUBWAY STORIES: TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND (1997) Rated R; Running time 80 minutes Studio: HBO Genre: Drama IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0120240/combined Written by: Adam Brooks, John Guare, Lynn Grossman, Angela Todd, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, Albert Innaurato, Danny Hoch, Julie Dash, Marla Hanson, Joe Viola Directed by: Jonathan Demme, Craig McKay, Bob Balaban, Patricia Benoit, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, Lucas Platt, Alison Maclean, Julie Dash, Abel Ferrara, Ted Demme Cast: Bill Irwin, Denis Leary, Christine Lahti, Steve Zahn, Jerry Stiller, Bonnie Hunt, Lili Taylor, Michael Rapaport, Israel Horovitz, Mercedes Ruehl, Zachary Taylor, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Ajay Naidu, Danny Hoch, Taral Hicks, Kenny Garrett, Sam Rockwell, Dan Rous, Rosie Perez, Mike McGlone, Gregory Hines, Anne Heche
Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2003 Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/2003reviews/tv-bamssubway.html
Back in August, when Gregory Hines passed away, I planned on writing a review of SUBWAY STORIES: TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND (in which he is featured in one of its shorts). Three months later, I found Mr. Hines on my mind again, so...
THE STORY (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**) In 1995, HBO held a contest in which they solicited real-life stories from New Yorkers who use that city's subway system. SUBWAY STORIES: TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND is a collection of ten "shorts" - each ten minutes or less in length, with a talented ensemble cast, writers, and directors - based on the stories sent in by the winners of that contest.
The shorts, in chronological order:
-"Subway Car From Hell": Bill Irwin as a musician late for a gig (writer: Adam Brooks; director: Jonathan Demme);
-"The Red Shoes": A bitter, wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet (Dennis Leary) confronts an equally bitter woman (Christine Lahti) after he runs over her new red shoes (writer: John Guare; director: Craig McKay);
-"The 5:24": A young stockbroker (Steve Zahn) has to quickly decide whether an old tipster riding the subway (Jerry Stiller) is a Wall Street genius, or just another con man (writer: Lynn Grossman; director: Bob Balaban);
-"Fern's Heart Of Darkness": A White Woman From The Suburbs (Bonnie Hunt) faces every White Woman From The Suburbs' worst nightmare: having to face Those People on the subway (writer: Angela Todd; director: Patricia Benoit);
-"The Listeners": In which Jake (Michael Rapaport) fails to listen closely to his agitated girlfriend (Lili Taylor), which he may live to regret (writer and director: Seth Rosenfeld);
-"Underground": A street-wise woman (Mercedes Ruehl) comforts a beaten-down younger man (Zachary Taylor) - and then some (writer: Albert Innaurato; director: Lucas Platt);
-"Honey-Getter": Disrespectful wannabe rappers Ed (Danny Hoch) and Prashant (Ajay Naidu) push a female law student (Sarita Choudhury) too far (writer: Danny Hoch; director: Alison Mclean);
-"Sax Cantor Riff": A young woman (Taral Hicks) despairs over her mother's imminent death (writer and director: Julie Dash);
-"Love On The A Train": A mysterious woman (Rosie Perez) only wants a little love; John (Mike McGlone) is the right man - and the right hand - for the job (writer: Marla Hanson; director: Abel Ferrara);
-"Manhattan Miracle": A man (Gregory Hines) who sees the worst in the people around him, is driven to his best when he sees a pregnant woman (Anne Heche) trying to kill herself (writer: Joe Viola; director: Ted Demme).
THE UPSHOT Personally, I love riding New York's subways. Easy for me to say, though; as a native Michigander who visits The City every once in awhile, I've only been on the Number 1 line. In the daytime. With a big guy at my side. And a sizable cane in my hands. All of which means that I only know the trains as a passing fancy, nothing like the natives do.
Still, I found SUBWAY STORIES to be an honest, humorous and even moving at times, look at this slice of distinctly New York life. That there was so much big name talent involved, didn't really distract; the fact that they had less than ten minutes to tell their specific stories, helped in this sense.
As expected, some of the segments worked better than others. I cheered during "Fern's Heart Of Darkness"; how many of us "you people" silently wish that the types who clutch their purses tighter when we walk by, could get a taste of their own medicine? "The Red Shoes", in contrast to some of the more smarmy stuff that we've been subjected to post-"September 11", shows New Yorkers at their snarky best (god love 'em). And if there's anything more smouldering in such a brief period than Rosie Perez's fluttering eyes in "Love On The A Train", I don't know if I could stand seeing it.
But by far, my two favorite segments were "Sax Cantor Riff", featuring an achingly bittersweet solo by Taral Hicks (reminder to self: look for her album on iTunes), and the final segment, "Manhattan Miracle", starring Gregory Hines. Which brings me back full-circle: it was my sorrow over his too-early death in August 2003, that led me to re-watch my TiVo'd copy of SUBWAY STORIES in the first place.
BAMMER'S BOTTOM LINE I wish I had come up with this great quote, but I didn't. I have to attribute it to "ethompson" (via the Internet Movie Database), who called SUBWAY STORIES: TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND, "A little bit of unforgettable urban poetry". I couldn't have said it better myself.
SUBWAY STORIES: TALES FROM THE UNDERGROUND rating: greenlight
Rose "Bams" Cooper Webchick and Editor, 3BlackChicks Review Entertainment Reviews With Flava! Copyright Rose Cooper, 2003 EMAIL: bams@3blackchicks.com http://www.3blackchicks.com/
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