University of Virginia Library

'Kellerman': Frozen Fantasy

The question of the week is
"Who is Harry Kellerman, and
why is he saying those terrible
things about me?" Poor Dustin
Hoffman has to find the answer,
find the man who's ruining his love
life and giving him many a sleepless
night. We in the audience end up
asking ourselves why did we come
to this movie, why was it made, and
why should we care about Harry?

George Soloway is a successful
composer who has everything,
including his picture on the current
issue of Time. He's also a Walter
Mitty undergoing analysis, but with
little success in helping him
establish a rapport with the world
around him. The film opens
interestingly enough with George
writing a suicide note and
accidentally falling to his death. A
great start, but this comic beginning
isn't maintained, which I think is
the biggest mistake in the film.

Author Herb Gardner focuses
on the desperate elements in Harry
Kellerman, and the film's attempt
at seriousness is lost. Dustin
Hoffman is essentially a comic
actor and should lave been
permitted to develop some more
humor in his part. In addition to
the wrong focus for the film,
Gardner's script has a rambling
effect which is frequently difficult
to follow.

There are however some good
passages in the film. One of these
deals with Georgie's relationship
with an actress. Played by Barbara
Harris, the character of Allison is
the most interesting creation in the
film. Her temperament is similar to
George's, namely she's slightly
daffy yet capable of getting
through life and surviving,
something that George will never
do.

Director Ulu Grosbard does a
fair job at directing, although he is
as much to blame as Gardner for
the confusion in the film. He is not
able to make the fantasy elements
of the film really come off and
work on the screen. I'm not asking
for a Fellini or a Ken Russell
approach, but I think Grosbard
could have done more with the
material than he did.

Poor Georgie Soloway! A
man-child trapped in a hostile
world he can't live with. The
metaphor for our times is his
environment: a white, tastefully
decorated, but sterile apartment.
(Actually, I'm getting tired of white
apartments, from "The Landlord,"
"John and Mary." "Carnal
Knowledge," and even in Neil
Simon's new play, "The Prisoner of
Second Avenue.") Even his escape
from reality, taking off in his jet or
skiing, carry him further into white
emptiness.

I can't sympathize with Georgie
at all, and I don't expect anyone
else to, yet the film doesn't really
move us one way or the other.
Some sort of feeling is better than
none, and the feelings in "Harry
Kellerman" only come in the few
brief moments with Allison.

(Now at the Barracks Road)

- P.C.