BOSTONIANS (DVD/1.77/STEREO/1984) DVD

The Bostonians
Adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by Henry James, Merchant/Ivory's The Bostonians is set among the Back Bay uppercrust of the 19th century. Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve), bored by his opulent lifestyle and his "proper" friends, is fascinated by his cousin, outspoken suffragette Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave). Basil and Olive's mutual friend is likeable, gregarious Verena Tannant (Madeleine Potter). Soon a triangle develops, albeit an unorthodox one: Basil and Olive both find themselves pursuing Verena, Basil because he is in love with her, and Olive because she wants to exploit Verena's social connections and gift for public speaking to promote her own political ideology. Lurking in the background is Verena's true love, poor-but-honest attorney Henry Burrage (John Van Ness). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Christopher Reeve as Basil Ransome Vanessa Redgrave as Olive Chancellor Madeleine Potter as Verena Tarrant Jessica Tandy as Miss Birdseye Nancy Marchand as Mrs. Burrage Wesley Addy as Dr. Tarrant Linda Hunt as Dr. Prance Nancy New as Mrs. Adeline Luna Wallace Shawn as Mr. Pardon Maura Moynihan as Henrietta Stackpole Martha Farrar as Mrs. Farrinder

Crew John Bright - Costume Designer Jenny Beavan - Costume Designer James Ivory - Director Mark Potter - Editor Katherine Wenning - Editor Richard Robbins - Composer (Music Score) Leo Austin - Production Designer Walter Lassally - Cinematographer Connie Kaiserman - Producer Michael S. Landes - Producer Ismail Merchant - Producer Al Schwartz - Producer Richard Elton - Set Designer Ray Beckett - Sound/Sound Designer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - Screenwriter Henry James - Book Author

The Bostonians
Christopher Reeve was best known to audiences as the Man of Steel. It may be surprising, then, that his next most consistent engagement was appearing in Merchant-Ivory movies. Nearly a decade before his role in The Remains of the Day, Reeve starred in James Ivory's The Bostonians, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's adaptation of the Henry James novel. There are several reasons The Bostonians is a lesser film in the Merchant-Ivory canon, but Reeve isn't one of them. Playing a detestable guardian of the patriarchy, who considers women better suited for motherhood than intellect and governance, Reeve nonetheless turns in a seductive performance, one that might undermine a would-be feminist in spite of herself. Such a role reminds viewers that just because Reeve was an icon, it didn't mean his range was limited to Superman. The film on the whole doesn't fare quite so well, despite tackling some important issues in the women's movement (suffrage), and hinting at others which, if given a name, would have been too risqué even for 1984 (the probable lesbianism of Vanessa Redgrave's Olive Chancellor). The Bostonians does generate a bunch of useful discourse, but other than that, it suffers from a lack of specificity. The action moves restlessly between locations without a plot-driven reason, spending relatively little time in Boston all told. And it's never quite possible to feel sympathy for the three main characters. Miss Chancellor's motives for her oratorically gifted protégé may be socially progressive, but even protecting Verena from Reeve's Basil Ransome feels like an oppressive act, designed to restrict her attentions to the movement -- and to keep her unattached. Meanwhile, young Verena (Madeleine Potter), vacillating between these two controlling influences, just seems weak and passively dishonest, a result of her lack of self possession. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
 

Jenny Beavan: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Costume Design (nominated) John Bright: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Costume Design (nominated) Vanessa Redgrave: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actress (nominated) Vanessa Redgrave: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo Additional Features: New digital transfer, enhanced for widescreen televisions Conversation With the Filmmakers, part of a new series of interviews with Ismail Merchant, James Ivory, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Original theatrical trailer English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1: Alternate Wide Screen MPAA Rating: DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 122 min Part of Series: The Criterion Collection   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Logos/Titles [3:00] 2. Emancipation Meeting [8:08] 3. Miss Tarrant and Miss Chancellor [5:03] 4. To Renounce Everything... [3:56] 5. Basil Asks After Verena [3:41] 6. Pushing Verena Forward [7:13] 7. Purchasing Freedom [1:15] 8. Basil Walks With Miss Birdseye [3:41] 9. Basil and Verena Tour the Campus [6:21] 10. Piano Recital [5:55] 11. Sympathetic Circles in New York [12:10] 12. An Invitation From Basil [5:23] 13. A Walk in the Park [6:47] 14. Fourth of July [2:52] 15. Summer Residence [3:21] 16. Mr. Ransom, You Have One Hour [5:50] 17. Funeral [9:21] 18. Decision by the Lake [6:32] 19. Music Hall Lecture [5:55] 20. Olive Chancellor Speaks [9:54] 21. End Credits [3:05]