William Hurt & Maria Bello in The Yellow Handkerchief

Pete Hamill's Reader's Digest story "The Yellow Handkerchief" inspired Yoji Yamada's appealing 1977 film of the same name, and now it has become the basis for a new movie, also of the same name but not really a remake.

Screenplay writer Erin Dignam and director Udayan Prasad have taken the plot outline of the Yamada film and created original characters in a rural post-Katrina Louisiana, captured in evocative images by master cinematographer Chris Menges.

This "Yellow Handkerchief" is a gentle, low-key road movie, centering on the eternal need to love and to trust, and suffused in the humanist spirit that has won its veteran producer, Arthur Cohn, three Oscars.

Cohn has assembled a quartet of gifted actors who are captivating under Prasad's perceptive direction.

Eddie Redmayne's Gordy, a skinny, sweet-natured kid with wanderlust, passes through a tiny town in his vintage convertible and gives a lift to pretty teenager Martine (Kristen Stewart of "Twilight"), upset over an overly aggressive boyfriend and eager for a change of scenery, and to Brett (William Hurt), a middle-age man of much kindness and concern for these two young people, but not eager to talk about himself.

We gradually learn Brett's story in flashbacks as he is swept over by memories of his passionate romance with the sensuous, earthy May (Maria Bello).

As Gordy heads toward New Orleans, we discover that his passengers -- as well as himself -- long for a connection with someone. As the travelers affect one another, it becomes clear that, even though he's awkward with girls, Gordy is a resilient and resourceful kid, in some ways more mature than the seemingly poised Martine, who is well aware of her sexual appeal and who regards Gordy as a nerd.

Flashbacks of Brett's memories reveal that he and May are in need of each other, but issues of trust have May struggling.

"The Yellow Handkerchief" is adept at making a viewer care what happens to these very likable people.

 

     RSS

 

"The Yellow Handkerchief" Movie Trailer

A love story at its core, THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF is about three strangers of two generations who embark on a road trip through post Katrina Louisiana. The trio head out together, each motivated by his/her own reasons: Brett (William Hurt, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) must decide whether he wants to return to the uncertainty of his life and his ex-wife May (Maria Bello, WORLD TRADE CENTER) for whom he longs, Martine (Kristen Stewart, TWILIGHT: NEW MOON) yearns to escape her family, and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE) hopes to get close to Martine.

A deeply humanistic and emotionally rich film, THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF is directed by Udayan Prasad, produced by six-time Academy Award winner Arthur Cohn, and is loosely based on a short story by renowned writer Pete Hamill.

 

Recent Movie Reviews - Films in Theaters

 

Matt Damon

Green Zone
Matt Damon & Greg Kinnear in Green Zone

Director Paul Greengrass delivers a skillfully made package, but this feels like a too-soon proposition. Green Zone is partly real and partly outlandish in its wishful thinking. An Army officer hunting for WMDs in 2003, the fictional Miller (Matt Damon) knocks heads with everyone in Baghdad.

 

Jay Baruchel & Alice Eve

She's Out of My League
Jay Baruchel & Alice Eve in She's Out of My League

Jay Baruchel is the 21st-century Don Knotts, and even in a forgettable film like this one, his adenoidal, sidewinding line readings can make the stupidest material sound temporarily funny. An attractive babe (Alice Eve) coming off a bad relationship decides to give Kirk a try, much to the bewilderment of his goofball friends

 

Remember Me

Remember Me
Robert Pattinson & Emilie de Ravin in Remember Me

Teen audiences, particularly female, are likely to fall headlong into this dour romantic drama because Robert Pattinson and his fwoopy hair are both in it. Pattinson plays an NYU student who dares to ask out a girl (Emilie de Ravin) despite the fact that she's the daughter of the cop (Chris Cooper) who recently arrested him.

 

Our Family Wedding

Our Family Wedding
America Ferrera & Lance Gross in Our Family Wedding

Instead of invitations, they should be sending out apologies for Our Family Wedding. Race as much as romance is at the heart of the matter, with director Rick Famuyiwa playing that card in nearly every scene. The film stars America Ferrera and Lance Gross as a couple traveling to L.A. to meet the parents and wed on the fly. This is a wasted opportunity to take a smart cut

 

MPAA rating: PG-13 (for sexual content, some violence, language and thematic element).

Running time: 1:42.

Cast: William Hurt (Brett Hanson), Maria Bello (May), Kristen Stewart (Martine), Eddie Redmayne (Gordy).

Credits: Directed by Udayan Prasad; written by Erin Dignam; produced by Arthur Cohn. A Samuel Goldwyn Films release.