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| Genre: | Action |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Rating: | R |
| Length: | 1 Hour 54 Minutes |
| Cast: | Ang Lee, Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Henry Czerny |
Sexual licentiousness and emotional frigidity exact a harrowing toll on the characters in The Ice Storm, an intelligent, sobering indictment of upper-middle-class suburban mores. Director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) adapts Rick Moody's celebrated novel with laudable fidelity, deftly replicating both the early '70s period and the fashionable Connecticut setting. He immediately attunes viewers to the emotional freeze that has driven Ben Hood (Kevin Kline) away from his wife Elena (Joan Allen) and into the arms of a sexy neighbor Janey Carver (Sigourney Weaver). Ben catches his 14-year-old daughter, Wendy (Christina Ricci), fooling around with Janey's son, Mikey (Elijah Wood), but his protests carry little weight -- for obvious reasons. Lee handles this potentially tawdry, sensational material in a sober, restrained manner, and he coaxes terrific performances from the entire cast. Kline, whose well-received comedic roles have sometimes obscured his talents as a serious dramatic actor, is simultaneously sympathetic and reprehensible as Ben, and Sigourney Weaver delineates the adulterous neighbor with bold, sweeping strokes. Their characters are easily recognizable, which is what makes The Ice Storm such a chilling commentary on middle-class values. The DVD includes a production featurette. Ed Hulse
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