Movie Review: Virginia
Studio: Entertainment One
Release Date: May 18, 2012 (Limited Release)
Rated: R
Rating:
“I’m gonna make us peas and carrots tonight…from scratch.” ~ Virginia
Synopsis:
Written and directed by Dustin Lance Black (Milk), Virginia stars Jennifer Connelly in the title role as a beautiful yet unhinged single mother who struggles to raise her son Emmett (Harrison Gilbertson) while dreaming of escaping her small Southern boardwalk town. Her long time affair with the very married Mormon Sheriff, Richard Tipton (Ed Harris), is thrown into question when he decides to run for public office. Things are further complicated when Emmett begins a romantic relationship with Tipton’s daughter, Jessie (Emma Roberts). Virginia and the town—populated by co-stars Amy Madigan, Toby Jones, and Yeardley Smith—are full of secrets and everyone knows Virginia can only keep things together for so long. Virginia is a funny, touching drama that looks at the American Dream and what it takes to keep it together.
Sheriff Tipton (Ed Harris) and Virginia (Jennifer Connelly)
Living in a small town has its perks but it can also be a nightmare for a well-known sheriff trying to run for state senate. How Tipton (Ed Harris) and Virginia (Jennifer Connelly) have been able kept their affair secret for so long is beyond me but when Virginia finds out something is growing inside her, the truth becomes more twisted than you can imagine. Throw in a couple of botched robbery attempts, a kidnapping, young love, and a whole lot of heart and you have yourself a very entertaining film. And there are enough laughs to balance out the few tears you may shed. It’s a slower-paced film, but not slow that it loses your attention.
Actors Jennifer Connelly (left) and Ed Harris (center) discuss a scene with Director/Writer Dustin Lance Black (right) on the set of Entertainment One's VIRGINIA. ©2012 Andy Terzes/Tick Tock Studios
Writer/Director Black really gives us personal insight into his life growing up in a small Texas town. The story is loosely based on his childhood. He was raised by a single mother who was handicapped and grew up in a strict Mormon environment. Virginia isn’t your typical kind of small town film. The realistic mixture of humor (both light and dark) and the drama that can develop living in a small community resonate beautifully, especially for those who’ve grown up in rural-esque areas. Granted, the town this film is set in lies just outside bustling Atlantic City, NJ, but you’d be surprised how many outskirt towns still live life in a time warp. Here, the notion of being from the wrong side of the tracks is implied.
A prayer before breaking in the Kama Sutra positions
Virginia is a damn good film and I totally enjoyed it. Connelly’s portrayal of Virginia is luminous. She does an amazing job of making you feel both empathy and sympathy for her character, while at other times your frustration with Virginia grows. But overall, you simply can’t help falling in love with her – flaws and all. Connelly becomes Virginia, body and soul, making you believe she lives this seemingly simple country life. But like the tag line says, “The simple life…is rarely simple.” Virginia is a complex woman who happens to be a mentally ill single mother. She’s also been having a 17-yearlong affair with the local sheriff. Sheriff Tipton truly believes he loves Virginia but he’s a very married man who happens to be Mormon. The praying they do before fornicating is not only contradictory but slightly ridiculous. Even funnier are the new sexthemed items he brings each week. Whether it’s a book on sexual positions or a vinyl suit for Virginia, Tipton definitely likes to explore the kinkier side of life when he’s with the lovely Virginia. If only he would notice how much his wife Roseanna (Amy Madigan) craves his attention and affections, maybe he wouldn’t have to stray. (As an aside, Madigan is Harris’ wife in real life.)
I’ve always loved Harris in every film I’ve seen him in and Virginia is no exception. But he does such a great job of being a selfish prick in this movie, I really hated seeing him on screen! Obviously, I loved his performance for that reason – when an actor makes you dislike them that much, it’s a testament to their acting skill.
"We're peas and carrots, you and me." Harrison Gilbertson (left) stars as "Emmett" and Jennifer Connelly (right) stars as "Virginia". ©2012 Andy Terzes/Tick Tock Studios
Virginia tries her best to be a good mother but her mental disability inhibits her judgment more often than not. As much as she wants to break out of the small town life she’s stuck in, I can’t see Virginia thriving in San Francisco with her sister. And now that her son Emmett (Harrison Gilbertson) and Jessie (Emma Roberts) have fallen in love, it complicates things—especially since we aren’t sure if Tipton is or isn’t Emmett’s father.
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Photos: ©2012 Andy Terzes/TicTock Studios
Judy Manning
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