Title: WOLF

Date: 6/15/1995; Publication: Magill's Survey of Cinema;

Magill's Survey of Cinema

06-15-1995

WOLF

Abstract:
Mild-mannered book editor Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) spends his time urging writers to sign contracts and worries about being fired during the corporate takeover devouring the publishing company for which he works. His life--and luck--begins to change, however, when on a dark night, on a deserted country road, he meets a great dark wolf.


Summary:
While descriptions of lycanthropy appear in writings as early as A.D. 161, the first medical dictionary published in English--Stephen Blancard's A PHYSICAL DICTIONARY (1684--defines it as "a Madness proceeding from a Mad wolf, wherein Men imitate the howling of Wolves." Stephen Kaplan, founder of the Werewolf Research Center in Elmhurst, N.Y., is quoted in Entertainment Weekly as reporting that, as of the early 1990's the werewolf population in America alone was 200 to 300. Alice Hoffman's novel SECOND NATURE, a story about a child raised by wolves who returns to society as an adult who is more wolf than man, rose to the best-seller's list in the spring of 1994. About the same time, a SMITHSONIAN magazine feature article chronicled America's romance and fascination with wolves, telling of the dangers of adopting the wild, never-to-be-tamed wolves as pets. Thus, fascination with werewolves was alive and well at the time of this film's release. It is little wonder that such a high-concept, big-budget film as WOLF was made--and made such a splashy arrival in theaters across the country. Indeed, according to the film's production notes, screenwriter Jim Harrison said, "Lycanthropy tended to arise as a phenomenon during historical periods of extreme suppression of natural instincts. Like right now."

WOLF begins at night, with Will Randall (Jack Nicholson), a timid, put-upon book editor, driving his ancient Volvo along a country road in New England. As he maneuvers timidly across the snow and ice, a dark figure appears before him in the road. He hits the brakes but cannot avoid striking the figure, which then lies immobilized in the road before him. Randall leaves his car and approaches the fallen figure, only to discover it is a large gray wolf that appears to be dead. When Randall attempts to move the wolf from the road, however, it springs to life, biting Randall and sealing his fate. Initially, the bite is one more worry for the timid Randall, another change that can bring only ill. To his surprise, however, Randall soon feels energized. He can see better and hear extremely well. He has a purpose; he knows what he must do, and he does it.

WOLF has effectively evaded categorization by those who have studied it, reviewed it, tried to classify it by genre. The filmmakers have labeled it a "romantic thriller and contemporary tale of the supernatural." Yet, while it is clearly "a horror film about office politics," WOLF is not the typical, traditional transformation film such as THE WOLF MAN (1941), starring Lon Chaney, nor is it a slick, satiric shiver of a send-up, such as AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981), nor is it a love-will-conquer-all story a la "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST". Some might say it is a film about building character, about the costs of achieving success, about finally putting people in their places. Others might claim that it is nothing more than sheer entertainment.

Director Mike Nichols sees WOLF as a "poetic expression of an inner state. It's a metaphor for the experience of becoming different from everyone else and leaving humanity behind, which is a kind of nightmare that happens to people in the middle of their lives. There's also the idea that, on the other side of such a horror, there is something that isn't necessarily only dark, that endings aren't necessarily endings, and metamorphoses and changes aren't necessarily only bad." Perhaps most accurately, in traditional horror terms, WOLF is itself a shape-shifter, allowing each viewer to look into its depths and to see reflected there his or her special concerns. That would seem to be its magic.

WOLF is a film driven by a series of fine performances. Nicholson is his usual screen-commanding self, even when at his meekest. Early in the film, his demeanor, his stance, all signal submission. His character is actively failing, even as he is a failure. For example, when the new publisher, Raymond Alden (Christopher Plummer), sacks Randall, he accepts the blow, accepts the humiliation of a demotion, accepts the fact of another colossal failure. Nicholson's face is slack; ever so slightly his shoulders slump. Yet when playing a wolf, Nicholson is more himself. Randall redresses each of the slights he has received and plots the best way to do so. Marshaling his few faithful friends around him, Randall changes his world--and the worlds around him. Interestingly, when the film begins by showing Nicholson alone on a snowy country road, many viewers will recall THE SHINING (1980), another Nicholson transformation, although of a slightly different ilk.

In the production notes, Nicholson encourages viewers to try to "eliminate ... value judgments as to whether Will is better off as a wolf. You know, there are good wolves and bad wolves. Mike [Nichols] and I discussed that point at great length. Neither of us wanted to make a film that says we're better off being wolves. That's not what it's about. In fact, Will resists becoming a wolf, and it's only the events of the story that make him unable to." WOLF marks a reunion for Nicholson and director Mike Nichols, who together have made CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1971), THE FORTUNE (1975), and HEARTBURN (1986).

Also fine is James Spader, who plays Stewart Swinton, a ruthlessly ambitious young editor and "friend" to Will Randall. While Spader rose to fame as a misunderstood misfit in SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989), he has made his name playing dislikable characters in such films as LESS THAN ZERO (1987), WALL STREET (1987), BAD INFLUENCE (1990), and TRUE COLORS (1991). Yet WOLF is perhaps his finest hour. For example, Swinton commiserates with Randall on the day the decisions are announced concerning who will stay or who will go. Swinton even appears to be willing to go with Randall, to threaten to leave if Randall's job is threatened. Unfortunately, Randall not only loses his job but also his friend, realizing in the process Swinton's true colors. Spader's Swinton is delightfully hateful throughout.

If it is true that werewolves eventually kill the ones they love--or are killed by them--then Laura Alden (Michelle Pfeiffer) is arguably the most in danger in the film. Although Pfeiffer plays another one of her beautiful but confused characters, the chemistry between Nicholson and Pfeiffer is quite strong. One particularly fine scene occurs when Randall comes to see Laura's father, Raymond Alden--the man who fired him--and is summarily dismissed. As Laura does whatever will ensure her father's ire, she invites Randall to stay for lunch at her place, a guest house adjoining the Alden estate's main house. During that stay, Randall and Laura stroll to a lake, and sit and talk as the afternoon ends.

Amid the amber-colored world around them--day ending, autumn upon them--the two talk about their lives, hopes, failures. Randall tells her of the wolf bite, of the changes in him. She listens, understands, believes him, and believes in him. It is a finely drawn, carefully played scene; it plays well and is memorable. "Laura has always been the outcast, the black sheep within her family," Pfeiffer says in the production notes. "And I think that the wildness within her is attracted to the newfound wildness in Will. She's used to caring for wounded animals in her life, metaphorically speaking, and I think that Will is another wounded animal. That's how she cares for him, and it comes as a complete surprise to her."

Also particularly fine are Eileen Atkins, who plays Mary, Will Randall's dedicated secretary, and David Hyde Pierce, who plays his loyal assistant Roy. As the new Will Randall evolves, Mary and Roy watch in amazement; when the new Will Randall springs into action, Mary and Roy are by his side. For example, it is Roy who draws to the audience's attention the fact that Randall no longer needs his glasses for reading, and it is Roy who declares the new ruthless Randall his hero. Not unlike Miss Moneypenny, the loyal secretary in the James Bond films, Mary is exceedingly supportive of her boss, even when he is meek. When Randall finally starts to turn the tables on his enemies, it is Mary who announces, "It's about time."

Beyond its remarkable performances, WOLF is also wonderful just to look at. For example, Randall walks to work through a New York that is falling to pieces around him, construction ongoing, yet nothing ever completed. His office at MacLeish House, the publishing company, is overwhelmed by books and papers: chaos. The building that houses the publishing company is actually the Bradbury Building, a light- filled, glass, iron, and marble building that had just been restored to celebrate its hundredth birthday. Production designer Bo Welch selected the building because to him it resembled a zoo: "The ironwork suggests a zoo or prison to me. For all the Bradbury Building's beauty, it is depicted in the film as a fancy jail." Also lovely is Alden Manor, which is actually the Old Westbury Gardens in Westbury, Long Island. Built in 1906 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the estate was the home of railroad magnate John S. Phipps. The Charles II-style house is surrounded by 88 acres of tree-lined walks, formal gardens, ponds, and playful architectural follies. Laura Alden's cottage was actually constructed on Stage 27 at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif.

Screenwriter Jim Harrison found the roots for the WOLF story in a variety of places: "The idea for WOLF springs from Native American stories about men turning into animals, and also from children's stories with similar themes. [French philosopher Michel] Foucault, too, inspired it--the fact that modern man feels nervous, because we all live in a zoo. Sometimes to get out of this zoo, one needs to go to any lengths. For obvious reasons, this idea appeals to Alpha-type males under serious pressure." Even with its flaws, WOLF has great doses of all the wonderful stuff of which successful summer films are made. (Reviewed by Roberta F. Green.)


Country of Origin: USA

Release Date: 1994

Production Line:
Douglas Wick; released by Columbia Pictures

Director: Mike Nichols

Cinematographer: Giuseppe Rotunno

File Editor: Sam O'Steen

Additional Credits:
Production design - Bo Welch
Art direction - Tom Duffield
Set decoration - Linda DeScenna
Casting - Juliet Taylor
Sound - Arthur Rochester
Costume design - Ann Roth
Special makeup effects - Rick Baker
Music - Ennio Morricone

MPAA Rating: R

Run Time: 121 minutes

Cast:
Will Randall - Jack Nicholson
Laura Alden - Michelle Pfeiffer
Stewart Swinton - James Spader
Charlotte Randall - Kate Nelligan
Detective Bridger - Richard Jenkins
Raymond Alden - Christopher Plummer
Mary - Eileen Atkins
Roy - David Hyde Pierce

Review Sources:
Boston Globe. June 17, 1994, p. 73.
Chicago Tribune. June 17, 1994, Tempo, p. 5.
Entertainment Weekly. June 24-July 1, 1994, p. 80.
The Hollywood Reporter. June 13, 1994, p. 12.
Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1994, p. F1.
The New York Times. June 17, 1994, p. B1.
Variety. June 13, 1994, p. 4.
The Washington Post. June 17, 1994, p. B1.

Named persons in Production Credits:
Douglas Wick

Studios named in Production Credits:
Columbia Pictures

Screenplay (Author):
Jim Harrison
Wesley Strick

Color



Video Available.
Genre:
Drama, Romance, Suspense/Thriller

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