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THE HERALD Wednesday May 29 1991 Page 19 Entertainment Movie Review Backdraft male bonding revisited By DIAHANN N ADEAU Ron Howards new film Backdraft packs both a wallop and a yawn The firefighting scenes are extremely exciting and take us into a world rarely explored in film On the other hand the battling brothers the broken marriages the manly heroism those are dejavu plot lines from countless cop movies Fortunately the good outweighs the bad and the everenthralling Robert makes up for a lacklustre lead performance by Kurt Russell The story is set in Chicago where Brian McCaffrey William Baldwin who looks a lot like brother Alec has just passed his academy training and joins Squad the team led by his brother Steven Russell Their father was a firefighter and Brian watched his dad die in bat tle Brian and fellow Tim Jason Gedrick are quickly launched into the terrible and thrilling world of fire The heat is on Brian to live up to the expectations of his brother and fellow firemen after all his dad was a hero and so far Brians failed at every business hes tried However Stevens life Is no idyll hes separated from his beautiful wife Rebecca DeMor- nay and child He lives in squalor on an old boat and has a chip on his shoulder Atlas would have a hard time carrying Not all this emotional baggage only slows the pace the problems are all far too familiar to be interesting Things pick up when Robert enters as Donald a former firefighter who now has the job of investigating fires and deciding if they are arson related Brian accepts a position working for him and soon they are on the trail of a mysterious arsonist who has killed several people by ingenious methods His fires kill by backdraft a com bination of hot gases and heat that once exposed to oxygen ig nites and explodes A petrifying occurrence in real life it is visually stunning and horrifying on screen is at its best when it follows the clues to the killer when and Baldwin an chor rather than Russell Scott Glenn as Ax Ed Cox is also riveting Donald Sutherland has a brief but pivotal role as Ronald a psychotic arsonist In a scene reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs Brian questions Ronald in jail to get his help in the in vestigation However wacko Ronald is though hes no Han nibal Rebecca is lovely and too little on the screen and Jennifer Jason Leigh is fine in a small performance as Brians ex- girlfriend Jennifer Baldwin is pretty good as Brian but Russell just bores as Steven Something about Russell screams banality perhaps its his appearance Perhaps the biggest criticism I have about Backdraft is that it is just another malebonding film The guys have all the juicy roles they get to be heroes they have all the best scenes But you know that the male characters are all emotionally stunted trapped by their own mystique and com pletely oblivious to their emo tional shortcomings Cant we find some male characters who dont reinforce boring stereotypes Shouldnt the strong silent type be a thing of the past Not it seems as long as they make cop and copycop movies Acton School of Ballet recital The Acton School of Ballet and Dance is the end of another successful season In April 14 girls ranging in age from to years took their Royal Academy of Dancing Ballet exams and all passed with flying colours Girls participating in the ex ams were as follows Primary Stephanie Vidic Grade One Devon Lambert Bridget Milligan Jennifer Grade Two Anna Cook Clane St Aubin Cindy Vanderveen Jennifer West Grade Three Susan Lehman Carolyn Miles Amanda Smart Grade Four Melissa Hill Rebecca Van Klink Jennifer Vidler Since January all the pupils have been practicing their ballet and jazz dances for the schools annual recital entitled Invita tion to the Dance to be held on Saturday June 1991 at Acton District High School starting at 8 p m Tickets for the show are available at the door and are priced at for adults and for children Susanne Keith director and teacher at the school is already preparing for classes which will start again in September For in formation call anniversary The Glen Williams Town Hall was given a 120th anniversary celebration on Sunday with many locals in attendance The Bishop Reding High School band provided entertainment for the guests and Halton Hills Mayor Miller re opened the hall In a ribbon cutting ceremony Herald photo VIDEO PLUS West of Georgetown Fruit Market COMING THIS WEEK JUST FOR YOUI- 1J St Unit I Mario For That Quiet Cosy Dinner Book Today 8737402 Bite NEW A METAPHYSICAL INFO CENTRE TO AID IN QUEST FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH BOOKS FROM ASTROLOGY TO ZEN CRYSTALS PYRAMIDS OILS INCENSE OVER KINDS NEOCLASSICAL MEDITATION MUSIC CLASSES TUMBLED STONES JEWELRY CERAMICS RUNES TAROT CARDS ENLIGHTEN YOURSELF mount ho Lraua GEORGETOWN CINEMAS 235GUELPH STREET 8731999 lEcszaani Evenings at 700 pm Only Evenings at 91 5 pm Only I NOW PLAYING Two Thumbs Up siskiixiiiiiit Run Russell William Baldwin- Scott Glenn Jason Leigh Rebecca Donald aid BACKDRAFT Evenings at 700 pm NOW PLAYING When dreams take flight WILD HEARTS Evenings at pm Sat Sun at pm COMING THIS Y THE BEST JOHN CANDY COMEDY IN YEARS THE CREATORS THAT CAVE YOU WW ALONE HAVE STRUCK COLD AGAIN ONLY THE A for anyone whos ever aid mother Jftj SPRING SPECIAL ADMISSION Adults 14 it Over Children Seniors it Special Nights THIS WEEKS PASSWORD I AM LONELY