Set during Thanksgiving 1973, The Ice Storm is about two dysfunctional New Canaan, Connecticut, upper-class families who are trying to deal with tumultuous social changes of the early 1970s, and their escapism through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation. Elena is bored with her life and is looking to expand her thinking but is unsure of how to do so. The first family consists of Ben (Kevin Kline) and Elena (Joan Allen), and their two kids -- 16-year-old Paul (Tobey Maguire) just home from boarding school, and 14-year-old Wendy (Christina Ricci) a wannabe anti-war/anti-Nixon elitist who is coming to terms with her own sexuality. Common Sense Note. Jim is devastated while Janey remains asleep and oblivious to the recent events. The Ice Storm was first brought to the attention of producer James Schamus by his wife, literary scout Nancy Kricorian, who knew Rick Moody from Columbia University's MFA program. "I knew there was a movie there."[2]. Emory Herbertson , 'The Ice Storm' is an incredibly bleak and dark film set in the 70s about two connected families during the holiday break of Thanksgiving. Paul has fallen for a classmate, Libbets, at the boarding school he attends, though his roommate Francis is also interested in her. She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Some of the origins of this storm were tied to a phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean called El-Nino. 581 Laurel Rd, New Canaan, Connecticut, USA. In most areas of the U.S., an ice storm typically refers to events where a quarter-inch of ice accumulation occurs producing a significant and possibly damaging accretion of ice. Schamus received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay, and Weaver won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. For a while now, I've been a fan of the Hot Dog Bar, which was simply a hot dog cart that roamed Downtown Goldsboro's Center Street, selling the most divine hot dogs you've ever had in your life. Movie Info In the 1970s, an outwardly wholesome family begins cracking at the seams over the course of a tumultuous Thanksgiving break. 'The Ice Storm' is an incredibly powerful and relevant ensemble piece about the complexity of family and relationships both sexual and non-sexual. kind of writing style, that isn't so forceful as Palahniuk, but isn't as subdued as Lahiri. Two 1990s teenage siblings find themselves in a 1950s sitcom, where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world. Was this review helpful to you? Because of the weight of the ice, this type of storm can cause tremendous damage to an area, pulling down trees and power lines. [4], Film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave the film "Two Thumbs Up", with Ebert calling it Lee's best work yet. 'The Ice Storm' was totally ignored at the '98 Oscar Ceremony, but that comes to no enormous surprise. As the party progresses, Ben becomes drunk. [11], Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Denmark's National Association of Film Critics, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Ice_Storm_(film)&oldid=1005374808, Best Foreign Film Guldbagge Award winners, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from August 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2007, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 February 2021, at 10:15. The Ice series is perfect for recreational bowlers just getting their feet wet or the seasoned veteran needing a straighter option for spare shooting. If you can appreciate a movie like this, I highly recommend this oldie I just got around to seeing. The film features an ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, Glenn Fitzgerald, Jamey Sheridan, and Sigourney Weaver. He slides down an icy hill then sits on a guardrail to rest. The Ice Storm is a perfect metaphor for this disconnect, and the title Moody chose is obviously about more than just the impending weather. Three blue-collar acquaintances come across millions of dollars in lost cash and make a plan to keep their find from the authorities, but it isn't long before complications and mistrust weave their way into the plan. As the storm continued, layers of ice built up, weighing down power lines and poles, and causing massive power outages. Despite the obvious appeal of Moody's comedy of familial errors, Lee stated that what attracted him to the book was its climax: the scene where Ben Hood makes a shocking discovery in the ice, followed by the emotional reunion of the Hood family on the morning after the storm. The children of the ensemble cast (Maguire, Byrd, Wood, Ricci, Holmes, Krumholtz) are all excellent, especially Christina Ricci who owns her role. Then, an ice storm hits, and their problems seem inconsequential, and nothing will ever be the same. The film features an ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, Glenn Fitzgerald, Jamey Sheridan, and Sigourney Weaver. This place is really three great businesses in one. "The Ice Storm" takes place as an early winter storm descends on Connecticut, casting over Thanksgiving a shroud of impending doom. The film takes place during Thanksgiving day and the day after in the lives of these people -- including Ben and Elena's marriage being put to the test at a swinger's party with Janey and Jim, Paul's love conquest in New York City with a girl from boarding school named Libbets (Katie Holmes), and Wendy's sexual misadventures with Mikey and Sandy both. When Janey chooses the keys of a handsome young man, Ben attempts to protest but trips and knocks his head on the coffee table, leading Jim to realize that his wife and Ben are having an affair. This includes portions of the Dallas area and stretches all the way to Virginia. At the height of the ice storm, 57 communities in Ontario and 200 in Quebec declared a … Paul is invited to Libbets' apartment in Manhattan, though upon arriving, is disappointed to learn that Francis was also invited. While Richard Nixon’s “I am not a crook” speech drones from the TV, the Hood and Carver families try to navigate a Thanksgiving break simmering with unspoken resentment, sexual tension, and cultural confusion. (1997). The film's release was limited, and it grossed US$7.8 million against a production budget of US$18 million. Then, an ice storm hits, and their problems seem inconsequential, and nothing will ever be the same. Lee and Schamus wanted to have an "actual score", not a "nostalgic film with radio music of an earlier time". The Ice Storm is easily among the most dead-on and tragic family dramas ever made. He discovers Mikey's body on the side of the road and carries it back to the Carvers' house. The Ice Storm Kevin Kline Joan Allen Henry Czerny (1997) Suburbanites (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen) in failing marriages seek fulfillment elsewhere, while their teen children explore sexuality. Ben, in his embarrassment, retreats to the bathroom where he remains for the rest of the evening. Critical response to the film was positive, and it was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. Home for the holidays, their son, Paul, heads into Manhattan,in search of a rich girl from his prep school.Wendy, the teenage daughter, roams the neighborhood, exploring the liquor and lingerie of her friends' parents, looking for something - anything - new. The Ice Storm Paul decides to leave, just narrowly making the train to New Canaan. A shame, too, because Moody has a certain quality about him, a no b.s. In 1997, the novel was adapted into an acclaimed feature film directed by Ang Lee, featuring a cast including Joan Allen, Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Tobey Maguire and Katie Holmes in her screen debut. Stuck, due to a downed tree, connects with the the ice storm version and. 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