The Whole Wide World

Rating:
Summary: The Best Drama in the Whole Wide World
Review: Let me begin by saying that I was an action movie child. I didn't even see a drama until I got into high school and they stuck on 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. "What on earth is this?" I wondered, "It's good, yeah, but where are the guns?" That being said, even as I'm older I have to be forced to watch dramas, and refuse to cry in a film.

By the end of The Whole Wide World, I was howling like a baby and this true life drama is now one of my favouite films of all time.

Like most females, I got my hands on this because of Vincent D'Onofrio. I was not disappointed by his performance - I never am. There are some scenes in this film where, I kid you not, I was sitting open-mouthed at how amazing and vivacious and incredibly talented he is. Yes, gush gush, I know. I don't care - he's just unbelievable. After watching the best kissing scene in cinema in this film, I was convinced that he has to be the best on-screen lover as well. As uninviting as Robert E. Howard seemed to be at times, Vincent D'Onofrio made me fall in love with him in every scene.

Another reason why I was drawn to this film was because it was a bio-pic of a writer. A real writer, not one of those made up Hollywood ones who lives in a great apartment and cures writer's block with a half-caf latte. Real writers are always a little unhinged, outside of the world, opinionated, and all in all intriguing people that very few seem to understand. I will tell you that's true from experience. I felt an incredibe affinity with this man who had died 40 years before I was born, and who's work I had not read (even though I'm an action movie freak, the Conan films were not my faves of Arnie's, I have to confess). Again, although others saw him as disagreeable and freakish, I was empathising with him at every turn.

Renee surprised me - I have to admit I'm not a great fan of her work, but it seems to me now that she doesn't have the material to work with that brings out her best as The Whole Wide World does. From reading the book "The One Who Walked Alone" (which is incredible, and also a must) it's clear that Novalyne was something of an outsider herself in many ways, and such a strong character. Renee did it quite well.

Many have said of how deeply affected they are because of the subject matter of suicide in this film. It is not so much the suicide that pulled at my heart, but rather the way that others in that time, AND EVEN NOW, do not care to discover the complexities of a person like Robert E. Howard that he ends up believing that he has no-one or nothing else than his mother and that he is driven to his death. His lonlieness is what broke me up, even though he contributed to it in his own way, and that he can never break past the wall that's been built up between himself and the rest of society so that he can be WHO he is and still be happy at the same time. People have to make that choice even in this day and age - be who you are and suffer for it, or be like everyone else and then be rewarded with the fruits of a happy life.

The commentary is very interesting, and it's great and insightful to listen to Vincent and the way he worked through this film. Although at some points the director in particular get a bit "oh it's so wonderful, she's so wonderful, you're so wonderful, everything's so wonderful" that it gets a bit much. But it IS incredible how they brought this tragically beautiful story to the screen with so little money and time, and I thank them dearly for it.

I fall in love and have my heart broken every time I watch this film - which is often. You so want there to be a happy ending, and always hope for it, even though you'll know it will never be. But that is how enveloping a story it is, and how well it is delivered. I have since bought the book from which the film was based, and a lot of Howard's work. My life is so much richer for it.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie! Canadian version is 106min, not great transfer.
Review: Because of all the complaints about the apparently shortened U.S. version of this movie, I made a special effort to get the original Canadian version of the DVD through an Amazon Marketplace seller - this version of the DVD is marked as being 111 minutes long on the DVD back cover (that's also the stated length of the original movie on Imdb.com). But, when I timed this DVD out on my computer, it is only 106 min. long.

To add to the confusion, the (Canadian) Amazon.ca site now lists three versions of this DVD, an "import" version that appears to be the U.S. version, the original Canadian version (February 25, 2003 release date), and a new DVD (Canadian only?) with a release date of October 19, 2004. However, there is no further information on the website as to what the technical differences are between these DVDs, and the folks at Amazon.ca had no further information to give out when I contacted them by e-mail. Hey guys, you really need to sort this out!

Even more confusing, the British Amazon.co.uk site lists only an import version of this DVD, which has the same release date and ASIN number as the U.S. DVD, but is listed as 106 min long, not 93 min. Somebody has made a mistake here.

My copy of this Canadian DVD (Feb. 25, 2003 version) is not a great transfer (contrary to an earlier post by the director himself, Dan Ireland on January 11, 2003 posted on the VHS version of this movie) - the opening and ending credits and much of the movie appear to be either slightly out of focus or heavily compressed, or both; and the edges of the screen can be seen creeping into the corners on a number of occasions. There are also occasional strange, chopping artifacts - e.g., at the 1 hour 15 min. mark, the top edge of the picture suddenly separates and duplicates - this is noticeable because it chops the character Truett Vinson's head into two parts. This Canadian version also does not have the added bonus commentary track by the director and actors.

Having never seen the original theatrical release or the other DVD versions, I have no clue what has been left in and what has been cut out from this version. An earlier post (Sept. 29, 2003) about a laserdisk version of this movie mentioned a couple of scenes - the lightning strike, a discussion of ancestral memories, which I did not see in this DVD. The scene where Howard's mother tells him that HP Lovecraft wanted his address to write to him is in this version. The latter parts of the movie seem a bit choppy and disjointed, as if some interconnecting scenes were cut out.

So it is likely that my Canadian version, although longer than the U.S. version, is still not the full version.

Whatever, this is still a GREAT movie with outstanding performances by a number of people. A lot has been said already about the tragic and yet wonderful story line and the terrific acting, so I won't repeat all of that. A few additional comments that haven't been made:

1. Robert E. Howard would definitely fit into the category of Asperger's Syndrome (utterly inept at social conventions, but often brilliant in a very focused area, thought to be a form of autism). Read up about Asperger's - you will find it hard to disagree. So, it wasn't just having to live in Cross Plains, Texas back in the early 1900's that did him in.

2. The movie made it seem that it was a combination of the rejection by Novalyne Price and the impending death of his mother that drove Robert Howard to suicide. One will never know of course, just how much Robert Howard loved Novalyne Price. What is clear is that Novalyne Price was attracted both physically by this large, powerfully built man, as well as by his brilliant mind and poetic sensibilities. But in the end, she wanted, like so many conventional girls do want, a stable husband, a social life, somebody who would not be so blunt, direct, and completely lacking in social graces.

3. The attachment between Robert Howard and his mother is more understandable if one realizes that people with Asperger's often have a terrible time growing up as children and young adults. No doubt she had to bail him out of many social jams and comfort him frequently. No doubt she was the only person in the world who understood him and accepted him as he was (since his own father did not understand him). It's possible that his mother may have also had a degree of Asperger's, given the socially withdrawn way that she is portrayed in the film. The tragedy of this story is that it appeared that Robert E. Howard was looking to transfer some of that love and affection to another woman, but was unable to find that love. The tragedy of Novalyne Price is undoubtedly the regrets that she must have had about her brief love for this troubled, brilliant young man.

Rating:
Summary: You Don't Have to Care about Conan to Enjoy this Film
Review: I am only vaguely aware of Conan the Barbarian, mainly because of Arnold The Guv's film in the 1970's. Likewise, I'm not a fantasy fiction fan, but this film knocked me out. Robert Howard, the creator of Conan and other fantasy fiction characters, is wonderfully portrayed as a passionate author who shouts his tales (or yarns, as he calls them) as he writes, and is generally considered by the locals to be a nutcase.

This film reveals Howard through his relationship with a school teacher in Depression-Era Texas. Based on the book, One Who Walks Alone, from the personal journal (diary?) of the school teacher, Novalyne Price the film is biographical. Everything from the era-costumes to the acting is first-rate. Both Vincent D'Ononfrio (best known as the quirky detective in the TV Series Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Renée Zellweger are at their best and represents a brilliant matching of character and casting. Both of these actors are so overwhelmingly strong in their respective roles, the secondary actors, while fitting perfectly, fade into the background.

This could have been a film noir, but it is not, and I'm glad of it. Instead it is a tale of two people working through life and romance--both trying to understand and overcome life's obstacles with left-handed success. Their attraction to one another is based on a mutual interest in expressing their experiences through writing. While representing only a short period in Howard's life, and telling very little of what led to Howard's fantasy writings, it tells a great deal about how both Howard and Price view life and one another.

Wonderful film, don't miss it.

Rating:
Summary: A MOVING AND TRAGIC STORY
Review: Whenever people talk about Robert E. Howard, the first thing usually said is he was the creator of Conan the Barbarian. True, and this was Howards most well-known character but Howard did so much more. King Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, El Borak...horror stories such as "Pigeons from Hell" and Skull-Face that rivaled anything contemporaries such as Lovecraft or Clark Ashton Smith did, historical adventures, westerns.

The genius of Robert E. Howard was not in the creation of Conan, a Character that has survived for over 70 years and grown in popularity, it's in Howard's recognizing markets for his work. While Lovecraft wrung his hands over every word and survived on 5 cent cans of spaghetti, Howard knew how to sell his stories. He willingly canibalized his own work and would take a successful story, and re-write it for a different type of market. While REH never got rich, his ability to market kept him with a steady paycheck through the depression years.

The Whole Wide World is based on the book "One who Walked Alone" and tells the story of Howards short but remarkable life through the eyes of perhaps his only love, teacher Novelyne Price, who wrote the book. It's a story about their relationship as Howard transforms in dispostion from as wild and brutal as his barbarian creation, to the gentle, thoughful, and beautiful person that was evident in much of His poetry.

Howard's life was short, a mere 30 years before he committed suicide after learning of his dear mother's terminal medical condition. Vincent D'Ononfrio and Renée Zellweger's performances were absolutely deserving of Oscar nominations if not wins. D'Ononfrio brought to life one of the most powerful, enigmatic and flawed writers of the 20th century.

A Truly fabulous film

Rating:
Summary: A Must See
Review: Compelling acting by Vincent D'Onofrio makes this movie a Must See. I have watched it over and over because it always seems you can "catch" something that was said that you missed the first time. Renee also did a fine job. What a treasure. . . it is too bad that this was not widely recognized by the industry (Oscars). Have ordered the book One Who Walks Alone and am eagerly anticipating its delivery.

Again, I will say "What an incredible movie!!!"

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Performance From A Very Wonderful & Talented Man
Review: Vincent D'Ononfrio proves once again, with his portrayal of Robert E. Howard, that he is one of the best and most underrated actors of our time. It's very rare for an actor to give so great a performance that you want to jump up out of your seat and yell "Yes! Yes! I know exactly what he's talking about!" Mr. D'Onofrio makes you feel every raw emotion of Robert E. Howard and the turmoil of feeling he had to choose between the love for his mother and the love for his girlfriend and the heartbreak of never realizing he could have had both if only he had been given that choice. Instead, his girlfriend, Novalyne Price, played by actress Renee Zellweger, wanted him to choose between the two loves of his life and who herself never realized what she fell in love with once was the very things she wanted to change about Robert; a mistake made by many women then, as well as now.
If you are a Vincent D'Onofrio fan this is a must see movie; if you're not, you soon will be after watching his great performance of Robert E. Howard in this movie, The Whole Wide World. His story telling alone will mesmerize you and bring you to the edge of your seat! You won't be able to walk away from this movie without feeling the emotions of the characters.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the rest of this film? 18 Minutes are missing!
Review: According to the Internet Movie database, the film that this DVD purports to show is 111 minutes long. According to the "technical information" on the left, however, this DVD is only 93 minutes long. What happened to the remaining 18 minutes of this film? This kind of truncation of a good film is as annoying as the dropping of the key final scene in the DVD of "The Big Easy." Columbia Tristar should know better than to offer only about 7/8ths of a film -- particularly a film as good as this one -- and try to pass it off as the whole thing. Because this film is otherwise excellent, it should be shown complete, and I will refrain from buying this truncated version until Columbia Tristar issues it complete.