'Inside Moves'

'Inside Moves' (R) (80) ****

Writers: Valerie Curtin & Barry Levinson Based on Novel by Todd Walton
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: John Savage, David Morse, Diana Scarwid, Harold Washington, Bert Remsen, Amy Wright, Tony Burton

One of the great joys of movies and why I love the art of film is when a movie sneaks up on you and blows you away. A movie that hooks you from the first frame to the last and gives you characters that stay with you forever. 'Inside Moves' did not get a big push or a big Hollywood release even though the director of 'Superman' made it. This is one of those movies that Hollywood is afraid to give the public. Thank God Diana Scarwid was nominated for an Oscar which she maybe should have won. It also introduced us to now one of the best character actors on the planet in David Morse. His lead performance in this should have been nominated for Best Actor. Morse went on to make the television show 'St. Elsewhere' and has been in numerous movies since. John Savage from 'Hair' and 'Do The Right Thing' also was tremendous but since 'Inside Moves' his acting has been labeled mannered by critics and success escaped him. Here though was a role perfectly suited for his method acting. Diana Scarwid instantly makes you fall in love with her character and I had a big crush on her at the time. All three are supported by a great cast of veterans in Bill Henderson, Harold Russell and Bert Remsen

The subject matter of this movie is tough as it deals with suicide and handicapped people trying to live a normal life but the movie is definitely uplifting. I watch it every so often and I always cry at the many powerful, sad and heartbreaking scenes. This is a tender movie with good people, good laughs and a good sense of the city it inhabits. This is a classic Hollywood tearjerker that surprisingly is not maudlin and that is mostly because of the great acting and wonderful directing by Richard Donner. Other than 'Lethal Weapon' this is Donner's best movie. Diana Scarwid creates a character that is one of my favorite female characters ever on screen and I was shocked that stardom eluded her. The ending might be a tad cheesy but this is a movie that sadly nobody knows about and it should be seeked out. It is now on DVD in a new presentation and there is a great featurette on how the movie was screened for an audience of handicapped people and how it choked up the original writer who was upset on how the movie was adapted. The power of movies is such that sometimes you are at home and you watch a movie that you know nothing about and somehow it hits you and stays with you forever. 'Inside Moves' is one of my all time favorite movies and I could have missed it. You should seek it out and not miss it.