Willard (2003)
More than a remake, more than a
modernized, post-millennium horror flick, "Willard"
is a love letter to Crispin Glover. Literally. This
film just loves him. It's the perfect role for him
and her performs flawless within its boundaries yet
it allows him almost free-reign to explore his nervous,
quirky and, let's face it, downright weird persona.
But this film, as directed by Glen Morgan and lensed
by Robert MacLachlan, makes gorgeous and eclectic
pictures from Glover's facade. The camera floats seemingly
effortlessly above his face and looks down lovingly
upon him. He is both beautiful and angular with a
face that says almost everything we need to know about
the titular character and Morgan makes full use of
this. Glover IS Willard and Morgan lovingly explores
every beautiful and bizarre contour of Glover's facade
to easily expose his character.
Glover's acting is top-notch here
as well. He says so much with a glance, a twitch of
the eye, a smirk, a sigh. The film is almost silent
for much of its entire run time when Glover is on
screen and yet his character is one of the most fully
realized we've seen in the horror genre in quite some
time. It's a beautiful performance by Glover, one
that will expose the decidedly oddball actor to scores
of new young fans. And rightly so.
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Crispin
Glover signs autographs at the Alamo Drafthouse
screening of "Willard" in Austin.
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In
support of Glover, on screen, is R. Lee Ermey.
Long known as a character actor with a penchant
for performing the role of drill sergeant or foaming-mouth
asshole, Ermey doesn't break any new ground here.
But juxtaposed against Glover's earnest fragility
and quirky shyness, Ermey becomes doubly rabid.
Jackie Burroughs, meanwhile, is used quite effectively
as Willard's dependant and decrepit mother. In
what could have turned into an annoying and unbelievable
relationship, Glover and Burroughs create an odd
diptych that works to evoke our sympathy and understanding.
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Writer/director Morgan's work may
have been mainly in television and behind the typewriter,
but he establishes himself as a filmmaker of note
here. His use of the camera, his color palette, and
his care for detail make "Willard" more than your
standard horror remake. He cares about the characters
and the story here and it shows in every frame. One
of my favorite things about the film is that the floors
of the sets, when the numerous rats that appear in
the film are present, are covered in rat shit. Willard's
house really looks like a house where hundreds of
thousands of rats live. It's not done to be gross
or funny. It's done for the truth of the supposed
reality. And no one ever says a word about it.
And while we're talking of the rats,
note must be made of Glover's ability to create a
chemistry with the rodents in the film. Glover's love
interest is a white mouse named Socrates here and
Morgan allows his protagonist to create a believable
relationship with "it." It is no accident that Willard
takes Socrates to bed with him every night. It's no
accident that Ben, the rat which rivals for the attention
of Willard (or is it Socrates?), also attempts to
crawl into this "wedding" bed as well. Yes, there
are concrete sexual overtones to the plot of a boy
and his rats yet Morgan and Glover create them with
delicate and nebulous moments that almost go unnoticed.
"Willard" is a wonderful film because
it really cares about its characters and its plot
and it take the correct chances. Casting Crispin Glover
in the title role is ingenious but Morgan radiates
from this perfect center and molds a solid film full
of precise moments that further propel the story and
underscore the arc of his protagonist. This isn't
mindless megaplex fodder that simply recreates a 70's
horror film by making it more bloody and more gross.
Instead it modernizes the story perfectly while being
both thoughtful and fun, as well as interesting and
just campy enough to be clever.
Willard is a treat, rats and all.
Notes:
Score by Shirley Walker.
The film features 550 live rats
as well as CGI and animatronic versions of the rodents.
The rat "Ben" is played by a large animal that resembles
a rat but is not one.
The film contains several references
to 9/11 including the time on the clock in the opening
credits and the fact that Glover uses a box cutter
as a weapon.
The song Ben by Michael Jackson
is used in the film (Motown owns the rights) and Glover
does a cover version of the song over the end credits.
Glover has released a few CD's during his career.
The song is credited to Crispin Hellion Glover, which
is indeed the true name on his birth certificate.
The film also features several homages
to Hitchcock, particularly "The Birds" and "Psycho."
Morgan is a screenwriter who has
mainly worked in television including on the shows
"Millennium" and "Space Above and Beyond."
Viewed at the Alamo Drafthouse in
Austin in March 2003 in a benefit screening that was
hosted by Harry Knowles. Glover, Morgan, and producer
James Wong were also in attendance and the four concluded
the screening with a wonderful and elongated Q&A that
touched on numerous topics including Glover's other
films (including "Ruben and Ed," "Bartleby," and "Back
to the Future"), DVD's, focus group test screenings,
Glover's present filmmaking, Wong and Morgan's TV
work and much more. I was accompanied by my Lube TV
co-host Mark Brauner and we saw Oblong Boy and Lube
TV Arkestra member Patrick Healy talking to Glover
before the event (interrupting Knowles!)
One of the great things about the
Alamo is that they do as much as possible to make
the films they show truly cool events. At the beginning
of this screening, they played a trailer for the original
"Willard" (1971). This helped immensely because I
didn't remember that it starred Bruce Davidson in
the title role. This new version of the film uses
Davidson's face (in pictures and an oil painting)
as an inside joke (or really an inside homage). He
represents Glover's dead father (a character important
to the film's plot). I wish New Line would show the
original trailer before each screening of the film.
It helps the uninitiated appreciate the film so much
more.
Glover sat directly behind us during
the film. It was the first time he had seen the final
finished product.
