Paper Moon
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Movie Reviews of Paper Moon
Movie Review: Nepotism At its Best
Summary: 5 Stars
Say what you want, but if Ryan O'Neal had never convinced director Peter Bogdanovich to cast eight-year old daughter Tatum O'Neal in the role of Addie Pray, then film history may have been irrevocably altered.
And so would have my own childhood. When Paramount released "Paper Moon" in 1973, I was likewise eight years old, and saw this great movie one Saturday afternoon. It was the first time I can recall falling in love with a screen siren, I was so smitten with Tatum's tomboy onscreen persona. She stole the show, the best supporting actress Oscar, and I'm sure my little boy's heart was not the only one she stole, either.
Although "Paper Moon" is self-consciously a "period" film, it is so without getting overly pulled into the trappings of the era in which it took place. Bogdanovich tells his story in a straightforward manner, and the only abrasive affectation I could catch was Ryan O'Neal repeatedly telling Addie to eat her Coney Island.
The story is a fun con game, which follows crooked Bible salesman Moses Pray (Ryan) and his charge, Addie Loggins (Tatum), whom Moses is delivering to St. Joseph, Mo, after the death of Addie's mother.
Early on, the audience can surmise that Moses is actually Addie's illegitimate father. It is a delight watching the two grow closer together as father and (adoptive) daughter, as the two plan cons to pull over on the marks from bill changing scams, to searching the obituaries for recent deaths, then selling the widows Bibles "pre-ordered" by the deceased at highly inflated prices, to selling a bootlegger his own moonshine that was stolen from under his nose.
Along the way, they meet a lot of suckers, a crooked bootlegger and his vengeful sheriff brother and a gaggle of hillbillies (including a young Randy Quaid). Most hilariously, they pick up exotic dancer (and sometimes lady of evening leisure) Miss Trixie Delight, played with bounce and sass by the late great comedienne Madeline Kahn.
Director of Photography Laszlo Kovacs invests the movie with gorgeous black and white cinematography that recalls John Ford's movie version of "The Grapes of Wrath" in the portrayal of the dustbowl Midwest, of Walker Evans' photographs in capturing the Victorian architecture of the movie's few well-to-do and of Edward Hopper's paintings of roadside America of that bygone era.
Bogdanovich used actual locations in Kansas and St. Joseph, Mo., which had hardly changed in the 40 years since the Great Depression.
Set to a soundtrack of 1930s jazz records, "Paper Moon" gives the viewer an uncanny feel for the era, a device later borrowed by Woody Allen for many of his own movies, including "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Radio Days."
This one is Bogdanovich's best directorial effort and a fun movie to sit down, munch on popcorn to and have a lot of laughs.
Movie Review: It's Only A Paper Moon Sailing Over A Cardboard Sea...
Summary: 5 Stars
Adapted from the matchless novel "Addie Pray" by Joe David Brown, Paper Moon is set in the Midwest/dustbowl during the Great Depression/Roosevelt era. One-of-a-kind directing by Peter Bogdanovich, beautiful black & white cinematography, a great musical score with snippets of old time radio shows like Fibber McGee & Molly, Jack Benny and a host of others.Real-life father & daughter duo, Ryan & Tatum O'Neil team up in this gem of a movie.
Ryan plays Moses Pray. A slick, sliver-tongued, gold toothed, travelling huckster & who always has a new con to turn up his sleeve such as door to door Bible selling to recently widowed women, bootlegging, short changing, and a "car swappin' wrasslin' match" between Moses and a very young Randy Quaid. Tatum plays Addie and garnered the coveted Oscar for her performance at the tender age of 10. Addie decides to get in on many of the cons and becomes quite a prolific short change artist. Addie decides on her own to take Moses' last name and travel with him under the guise as his daughter. In one of the best scenes in the movie they deal with whether or not Addie is Moses' illegitimate daughter. That scene is set in a diner while drinking NeHi's and eating Coney Islands. Addie is sure that Moses is, indeed, her father as she states, "We got the SAME jaw!" Moses responds and says, "I know a lady who has the jaw of a bullfrog but that doesn't mean that she's the damn things mother!" Addie asks Moses, "You meet my mamma in a barroom?" (implying that her mamma was a prostitute). Moses comes right back asking Addie, "You think that just because a man meets a woman in a barroom means that they get a baby?" Ryan and Tatum's bantering repartee is natural, hilarious and touching all at the same time.
The Prays fall "prey" to a con played on them (well, Moses anyway) as the film progesses, by a hootchie-cootchie sideshow carnival dancer/prostitute named Miss Trixie Delight, adeptly played by Madelyn Kahn who was also nominated for an Oscar. The sneaky and a little jealous Addie deals with Miss Trixie in her own time and also helps out Miss Trixie's maid, Imogene and gives her money to return back to her family.
This is a great family movie with a touching father/daughter story to share. No nudity, few "cuss" words, and an all-around crowd pleaser whether you are 6 or 106. I don't mind telling you that this is my favorite movie of all time and I have viewed it upwards of 100 times. I still laugh, cry, and go through a multitude of emotions no matter how many times a watch the film. Certainly, a hallmark of a great cinematic masterpiece! Happy Watching!
Movie Review: Classic film that will make you laugh and pull at your heartstrings
Summary: 5 Stars
Paper Moon, directed by Joe Bogdanovich and adapted from the novel Addie Pray by Joe Brown, is one of my favorite movies. It manages to be funny and serious at the same time. I've seen it four times and I don't think I'll ever get bored with it. The humor and acting is timeless.
Addie Loggins (Tatum O'Neal) loses her mother during the Great Depression. When Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal), an old friend of her mother's, arrives in town for the funeral he reluctantly receives the task of making sure Addie gets to her aunt's house in Missouri. Addie tags along with Moses while he swindles widows and others out of their money and shows him that she can be just as deceptive as he can. Along the way Moses picks up a lady friend named Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn) and her maid Imogene (P.J. Johnson).
Tatum is absolutely marvelous as Addie. This is the best performance I've seen from a child actor. She is funny, intelligent and headstrong. She refuses to leave Moses' side until she gets her two hundred dollars back from him. I still can't believe that Tatum was only ten when she took on the role. Her facial expressions through out the movie are hilarious. It's remarkable how well she acted at such a young age. She certainly gives her more experienced father a run for his money. Her performance is by far the best in the entire film.
Kahn and Ryan also give stellar performances. Kahn is spectacular as an exotic dancer who tries to appear as innocent as possible. Her best scene takes place on the hill when Addie refuses to get back in the car. She is funny and heartbreaking. It's no wonder she's one of the funniest comedic actresses of all time (in my opinion). Ryan shows the audience that Moses may be a con man but he still cares about Addie, a girl he hardly knows. He brings out the human side of his character.
The cinematography is great. The decision to make the film black and white really allows me to suspend belief. I can truly imagine that the movie was shot in the 1930s. The scenic shots of the countryside are also beautiful.
There are many scenes in the movie that audiences won't forget. The money exchanging scene done by Moses and the hill scene with Madeline Kahn and Tatum O'Neal are two that come to mind. There are also plenty of one liners that are hilarious; every character has terrific lines.
Paper Moon is a film that, once you watch, you won't forget. It's a film that you can watch over and over and always find something new to laugh at. I highly recommend this movie.
Movie Review: A True Hollywood Gem !!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember seeing this film back in the early 70s and was mesmerized by the 1930s visual and aural feel of the film and the emotional dynamic of Ryan and Tatum O'Neal. Thirty years later, this film has not lost any of these qualities, and given that I am 30 years older, I appreciate this film far more than I ever did. A delightful story that takes place in the middle of the Depression in middle America, Paper Moon is the story of a father/daughter con artist team (Moses Pray/Addie Loggins) who go from town to town swindling people in an outlandish yet believable manner, and in the process both develop a need for one another that goes beyond the financial. Tatum O'Neal's ability to emote her feelings through her simple yet powerful facial expressions and her intelligent dialogue is so convincing that you see her subtlely transform from a seemingly innocent child to a worldly adult who understands human nature just as much as the grown-ups around her. Tatum's portrayal of Addie is truly uncanny and what makes it so poignant is the fact that she had no formal training as an actress prior to the movie's production.
This movie is also the high-water mark of Ryan O'Neal's career despite the fact his career was just starting in the 1970s. I cannot recall any other film he did where his acting was crisp and so in the moment with his character's effort to improvise and take advantage of unsuspecting patsies. However, Moses Pray's equal as a scoundrel is truly Addie Loggins (if not, his superior), and their many scenes together (the unforgettable diner scene and the ones when they're driving in the open country) capture verbally and non-verbally their uneasy yet developing father/daughter relationship. The black and white cinematography which uses in-depth focus, wideangle shots (i.e., all objects in the background and foreground are in clear focus) faithfully draws the viewer right into the Depression era and the emotional settings of not just one character but all characters depicted in every frame. Bogdonovich's directorial efforts provide seamless continuity, and the film retains its simple yet evocative feel. This is truly one of the best low-key comedy/drama classics ever and am surprised it has not received the recognition of artistry it truly deserves.
The DVD (excellent quality image, sound, and special features) and the praise above makes this product Five Stars all the way !!!
Movie Review: Yes Folks, Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee... And let's Have Another Piece Of Pie.
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1971 Peter Bagdanovich gave us the superlative The Last Picture Show. With a cast of virtual new commers, Timothy Bottoms, Cybil Sheapred, Jeff Bridges and Randy Quaid, Bagdanovich caught lightening in a jar. Then in 1973 he choose to pair father and daughter, Ryan and Tatum O'Neil to give us one of the seventies most memerable movies, Paper Moon.
The Last Picture Show was a glimpse into the lives of lonely and misbegotten characters, living in a down-and-out, oil-bust Texas town. They're all waiting for that last flicker of hope to shine before the camara winds down and the movie house goes dark. Paper Moon explores the incredible journey of two unlikely souls adrift in the American heartland during the depths of the great depression. The background sounds of radio broadcasts connects the viewer with the popular figures of the times. The voices of Jack Benny and Fred Allen along with the music of Ozzie Nelson, Paul Whiteman and Tommy Dorsey all remind us of the innocence of the day. The voice of "Frankie Roosevelt" tells us of the hard times Americans faced amid sky-high unemployment, record drought and even bank failures. As in The Last Picture Show, Bagdanovich knows exactly how to integrate the background "radio chatter" into the scene with perfection.... "Yes Folks"!!! "let's have another cup of coffee....And let's have another piece of pie". For Addie and Moze that next cup of coffee is a sleepy little town out across a dusty corn field. And that next piece of pie is some poor, unsuspecting widow waiting with false hope and a kind heart.
Easily two of my favorite movies, The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon are absolutely brilliant. Kudos to Peter Bagdanovich for such picture perfect and finely crafted motion pictures. Surely he caught lightening in a jar yet again. My only hope is that he has at least one more up his sleeve before he packs it all in. Bravo!!! and Thank you Mr. Bogdanavich!!!
P.S. A little triva...Who's the only actor or actress who had parts in both films?