ng Lee’s finest American movie is substantively superior to “Brokeback Mountain.” It’s Thanksgiving 1973. Watergate dominates the headlines. For the affluent Hood and Carver families in suburban Connecticut, the post-1960s let-it-all-hang-out hangover is rife with counterfeit sincerity. Ben Hood (Kevin Kline) is sleeping with his neighbor’s wife, the promiscuous and vituperative Janey Carver (Sigourney Weaver). Elena Hood (Joan Allen) is a distracted shoplifter too friendly with a local minister. Meanwhile, Wendy Hood (Christine Ricci) and Mikey Carver (Elijah Wood) — the teenaged children — face an onslaught of adolescent sexuality their aloof parents are in no position to confront. This is an exquisitely crafted ember that evokes the banality of middle class hypocrisy. The ice storm itself is a fine metaphor: an act of God that paralyzes mortals. Woods, perfectly vulnerable, and Ricci, sexually vibrant, put on an exemplary show. From a Rick Moody novel.
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About the Author: Marcia Yarrow
A military brat, Marcia Yarrow was born in Hamburg, Germany but grew up in Germany, Spain, and Provo, Utah. She's been writing for the magazine since its creation in 2004.