The Emperor's Club (2002)
Well the joke was... "I liked it
the first time... when it was called 'Dead Poet's
Society.'" The trailers for "The Emperor's Club" made
it seems like little more than a reinvention of the
classic 1989 Robin Williams film. Even the title was
similar. But, really, "The Emperor's Club" is quite
a bit different from that earlier film. I said different...
not better.
Kevin Kline is the inspiring teacher
here. And, here, he is teaching at a boy's school
and turning the youthful males on to Greek and Roman
history (as opposed somewhat to Williams' classic
literature teachings). And here too are troubled boys
who need the attention of a challenging and dedicated
instructor. Here also, the teacher becomes a role
model.
But that's where the similarities
end. There is no secret society here and no strange
happening that threatens the prof. Instead the film
seems a bit more like "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" as Kline
deals with his career as a teacher (in apparent flashback)
and a sub-sub-plot about a romance evolves. But this
film is more about honor, honesty and life as contribution
than it is about Kline's Mr. Hundert's career.
The plot has a major problem in
that Hundert undermines his own ideals. Granted, he
does this with a good heart and the best of intentions
but in doing so, he subverts his high and mighty morals
concerning truth and honesty. The plot, by screenwriter
Neil Tolkin, based on a short story by Ethan Canin,
is rather manipulative but at least the final message
is that if one makes a mistake, that error is not
the sum total of one's contributions. One mistake
does not negate a career of care and giving and inspiration.
This ideal is personified in the
subplot of Paul Franklin Dano/Steven Culp's character
named Martin Blythe. Although a bit ham-handed and
contrived, the storyline is nonetheless touching and
poignant. It's resolution is touching.
The biggest problem here is Michael
Hoffman's direction which for much of the film refuses
to nail down in which decade exactly the plot is supposedly
taking place. Just when it seems like the 70's, an
establishing shot outside of Senator Bell's (Harris
Yulin's) office features numerous cars from the 90's
parked on the street. Also, the term "old school"
is used. That term wasn't around in the 70's that
I recall. Eventually Kline does admit in narration
that this is supposed to be the 70's but then that
makes these glaring errors ruin the film by distracting
for its verisimilitude. One gets the impression that
the filmmakers (and it takes an entire committee to
make a film these days) weren't sure which decade
the film might take place within, so they cheated
a bit and tried to be "timeless." When one of the
students fills in an exam entrance form, for example,
the information that is supposed to be on it is glaringly
missing a date.
Anyway, for fans of young actors,
the film is jam-packed with goodness. The cast is
a veritable whose who of young Hollywood. In addition
to Dano ("L.I.E."), the cast includes Jessie Eisenberg
and Gabriel Millman ("Roger Dodger") and Emile Hirsch
("The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys"). There is no
doubt that this is a cast worthy of attention. Eisenberg's
charm is only surpassed by Hirsch's smirk.
"The Emperor's Club" wants desperately
to give you a warm fuzzy feeling. It is that very
obvious desire that negates much of what it tries
to do.
Notes:
Also with Patrick Dempsey, Embeth
Davidtz, Rob Morrow, Edward Herrmann, and Roger Rees.
Score by James Newton-Howard. The
only pop song of note used in the film is "Funk #49"
by the James Gang. Even though Bowie's "Young Americans"
is predominantly used in the trailer, it does not
appear in the film.
Filmed in New York and New Jersey.
Viewed in Austin in December 2002.
