Baked Alaska

Author(s): Brian (AZ)
Baked Alaska

Directed by Richard Linklater
Written by Tina Fey

Main Cast

Kristen Stewart (Erin Rothman)
Kevin Kline (Jerome Flanagan)
Joan Cusack (Deirdre Rothman)
Bette Midler (Rita Flanagan)
Alan Alda (Victor Rothman)
Tina Fey (Carrie Rothman)
Zooey Deschanel (Lily Flanagan)

Tagline: “A Celebration of Friendship, Dreams and Dessert.”

Synopsis:

Rothman’s Diner is the premier restaurant in Sitka, Alaska. The menu has just a little bit of everything: steaks, fish, salads, sandwiches—the usual. Everyone that goes in knows their servers’ names and is more than likely good friends with the owners. Rothman’s was opened 60 years ago by the deceased George Rothman, then was passed down to his now semi-retired, insult-spewing son Victor, and then to Victor’s eldest daughter, Deirdre, a self-pitying yet oddly lovable divorcee (a choice that came much to the dismay of his younger daughter, the neurotic, self-absorbed Carrie). And when Deirdre retires, she is prepared to hand the title of Manager down to her daughter, Erin. At least, that’s the plan. The last thing Erin wants is own the diner. What Erin really wants to do is move out to Hollywood and try to break in as an actress. But when she tells that to her family, no one takes her seriously or even considers allowing her to go. Erin, however, remains determined…for a while, at least. But this being the summer before her senior year, the odds of her dream coming true are looking increasingly miniscule by the day.

Risky Business is the fastest growing restaurant chain in the country. The menu is essentially the same as Rothman’s, but with a bit more selection and notably lower prices. The managers of this particular branch are Jerome and Rita Flanagan, a married couple who have been traveling across the nation for several years opening new establishments. Rita is convinced (and rightfully so) that, if she can make this branch a success, both she and her husband will finally be promoted to the stature of “Executive Expansion Supervisors.” She will stop at absolutely, positively nothing to reach that title. Their daughter, Lily, joined the family business when she graduated from college, and is equally as devoted to working her way up the ladder. Jerome, on the other hand, couldn’t possibly care less. Since he married Rita thirty years ago and began working for Risky Business, he’s essentially zoned out of life. After his attempts at being a writer failed miserably, Jerome has given up hope on ever truly being happy.

The two groups inherently hate one another. Carrie (in an act that showcases her over-the-top antics) goes as far as to egg Risky Business’ building, while Lily purchases a television ad stating that when she was having lunch at Rothman’s, her soup “smelled of rat poison.” One evening, Deirdre and Rita scheduled to have a “discussion” on a local news station; this being a huge issue for a small town. During the taping of the debate, Erin and Jerome bump into each other for the first time. Each of them expects the other to be passive aggressive or blatantly rude to them, as all of the other family members have been. This, however, is not the case. And so, the two are naturally intrigued by one another. After exchanging grievances to one another during the taping, Erin and Jerome agree to meet, in secrecy, in the wilderness, as both of them love the idea of having someone they can talk to that understands their strife. And from there, an unforgettable friendship forms. Over the next year, they would escape a bear attack, give each other recipes, race each other on a glacier and set up a camp inside a waterfall. Jerome would convince Erin to audition for the school play, Erin would be the first person to read a manuscript Jerome wrote thirty-five years ago, Jerome would write Erin a monologue and Erin would start calling Jerome “dad.”

What the Press Would Say:

“Baked Alaska” opens with a shot of the Alaska wilderness. This shot is immediately followed by a shot of a plate of food being served. Then the wilderness again. Then food. Wilderness. Food. And by the end of the montage, you realize that you are about to see the sweetest, most honest and most stomach-achingly hilarious film of the year. And that first impression is absolutely correct.

It is hard to talk about “Baked Alaska” without first talking about the cast. Kevin Kline, Kristen Stewart, Joan Cusack, Bette Midler, Alan Alda, Tina Fey (who also penned the screenplay) and Zooey Deschanel. Where can I even begin? I suppose with the two main supporting women. It is fairly rare for a film to pick up two Oscar nominations in one acting category, but I believe that “Baked Alaska” has the potential to do just that. Joan Cusack plays Deirdre, the frustrated, self-demeaning manager of Rothman’s Diner, the local hot spot in Sitka, Alaska. Cusack is certainly no stranger to playing these overwrought comedic characters, but she’s never been as on top of her game as she is here. She is quick to pick up on Fey’s subtexts and character development, and gives one of the most multi-layered performances of her career. Cusack, however, is topped by her co-star Bette Midler, who portrays a selfish bitch-on-wheels desperate to work her way up the corporate ladder. Midler incorporates the side-splitting humor she has become famous for into the role, but also adds emotional depth, as displayed in her final scene (I don’t want to spoil anything, but it involves her husband confronting her). The best scene for both of these ladies would have to be towards the beginning, where their characters are having a debate on local television. Again, it wouldn’t be as funny as it is if I were to tell you what happens, so I will just let you be (pleasantly) surprised. However, as I said, Midler and Cusack are the supporting players. The leads are Oscar winner Kevin Kline and the up-and-coming Kristen Stewart, who was last seen as Rachel Price in “The Poisonwood Bible.” I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such strong chemistry between people with such a large age gap. Stewart plays Erin Rothman, the daughter of Cusack’s character and heir apparent to owning the diner. Her character is a sarcastic, unhappy teenager who yearns to be an actress. Much like her co-stars, Stewart finds complexity in what is, on the surface, a relatively simple character. The character has become so used to taking care of herself that she doesn’t know what to do when Kline’s character offers a helping hand. This a difficult theme to reflect when it is never flat-out stated, but Stewart’s performance makes it all crystal clear. This theme is best amplified in a scene where Kline picks Stewart up from a party where she has clearly been drinking; a great scene for both of them. Kevin Kline is known to mix humor and drama into his performances, and his work in “Baked Alaska” is no exception. However, this is also unlike anything he ahs ever done, as this time his character is not eccentric or “wacky”, but downbeat and depressed. And if this is any indication of what he can do with these sorts of characters, then bring it on. Kline is understated and haunting (see: his first run-in with Stewart), but also hilarious and imaginative (see: the waterfall scene). I really do believe that each and every one of these performances have strong Oscar potential. This is one of the strongest ensemble casts I’ve seen in a while.

As with most dramdies, the real star of the film is the screenplay. From the moment it was announced that Tina Fey was the writer of this film, I, like most others, was quite intrigued. I was expecting another “Mean Girls.” The result was not quite that. It was actually better. When it wants to be, “Baked Alaska” is just as funny as Fey’s last feature project, but it also has strong dramatic heft in the more serious scenes. Fey has done more than prove to us that she is capable of comedy with her years on SNL and the current hit sitcom “30 Rock”, and has hinted to us that she is capable of drama in each of her endeavors as well. And “Baked Alaska” solidifies that theory. The script is also complimented by excellent direction from Richard Linklater who, like Fey, combines his hilarious comedic work (“Dazed and Confused”) with his thoughtful dramatic work (“Before Sunrise/Sunset”). All too often, the directors of comedies are overlooked at the Oscars. However, I can sense that this will not be the case for Linklater. He uses the Alaskan environment entirely to his advantage, with sweeping, practically epic shots of the wilderness. Hopefully that will be enough to solidify an Oscar nomination.

This is the most fun you will have at the movies this year, no matter who you are. “Baked Alaska” is a rare gift to moviegoers that I encourage you to accept as soon as possible.

FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director (Richard Linklater)
Best Actor (Kevin Kline)
Best Actress (Kristen Stewart)
Best Supporting Actress (Joan Cusack)
Best Supporting Actress (Bette Midler)
Best Original Screenplay