Boothe gives a tremendous performance, so much that during filming cast would come to him with their problems as if he were Jones. One especially powerful scene occurs after racism leads him to quit the church he's built up. His rage is righteous, all-consuming. It sets up just how many times Boothe can fill in the writing blanks through his charisma and force of will.
Other standouts include Cartwright (she does so much with her eyes, especially in the last years. When she ponders saying goodbye to her husband before killing herself - it's a masterpiece) Haynes (the first sexual outlet for Jones, pure and good and broken at the start, corrupt and dangerous and broken at the end, just like Jones); Cash (underwritten but vitally important, the one who fully accepts everything of him, the warm and firm hand of the "family," and a support system for Cartwright. Their small goodbye kiss is saddening and beautiful); Quaid and Foster (they never give in to Jones' vision but are helpless to stop him - taking you from quirky pet shop owner and luminous secretary to helpless husks).
The two main standouts are Dourif and Sinclair, who represent the strongest emotional scenes in the film and best show us what Jones represents to those outside his closest inner circle.
Dourif exquisitely underplays the role of the young heroin addict who unwittingly sets Jones onto his final path of complete sexual and psychological domination of those he deems worthy of his brand of salvation. He has nothing when Jones finds him, aside from a wife (well-played by Scarwid) who stands by helplessly as he claims ownership of her husband - mind, body and soul. The purity of the chemistry between Dourif and Boothe and a script which underplays the lurid factor of a sexual relationship between men means their scenes have a nuance which many other parts of the movie lack. Dourif to the end only sees the best and believes the best of Jones and his gifts, not because he is a fool or weak, but because he has been reborn and remade in "Father's" image. There's a sad scene near the end of the film where Scarwid attempts to reconnect with him, only for him to passionately, impotently repeat catchphrases about the good he does. The saddest part is he does help people, he does have a purpose for goodness, but it has been perverted into what will lead to mass murder. At the end, Dourif swallows his own poison and quietly stumbles off to die - one final reminder of how alone he truly is.
Sinclair has the difficult task of carrying the emotional burden of family material that seems very cookie cutter. What cuts through is, like Dourif, the purity of her belief in Jones. She's a strong, proud woman, so hearing her call Jones "Dad" and seeing her support him over her family has an extra anguish. She represents the love and compassion that Jones once had for black people. When Jones abuses her son, she walks away rather than face reality. Like Dourif, this doesn't make her weak - it simply shows how unable someone in a cult is to trust their own voice. Unlike Dourif, in the end, Sinclair does see the madness, begging Jones to try to get everyone to Russia rather than a mass suicide. In a change from the real life event, Sinclair is talked over not by a man, but by Cash, in a disturbing display of what happens when solidarity is destroyed. Unlike most of the others, Sinclair goes out literally kicking, trying to live life on her own terms in her final moments. It's a harrowing scene, and one which feels all too real.
Unfortunately, the script lacks the depth of the performances, starting with a childhood scene which feels more like an offshoot from Our Gang. Dewhurst, as a deeply religious neighbor, has a nice connection with him, but then the movie jumps forward about 20- 25 years. Dewhurst and his mother reappear once for his wedding, then are never mentioned again. This is an odd choice, but you can almost forget as the narrative is still engrossing. Only later do the script problems kick into high gear.
Burton gives a good performance, and it's also important that after material which mostly uses black people as props, we get material from their point of view. The problem is his material feels shoved into the narrative, and LeVar is such a familiar face so soon after Roots you don't see a character. The same goes for Brenda Vaccarro as a rich lady who succumbs after Jones promises to heal her dying mother. You are watching Brenda Vaccarro acting, rather than believing any of what you are seeing. Only one scene (where she learns her mother has died and lashes out before being sedated) works. Otherwise she comes across as a Fantasy Island episode gone horribly wrong.
The final act with Congressman Ryan going to Jonestown feels perfunctory. Only the small moments featuring Dourif, Sinclair, Cartwright, etc. have weight. Never is this more apparent than the gunning down at the airstrip, which you'd think would be what the entire movie has been leading to. Between the news cameraman desperately trying to get the pictures after everyone around him is being slaughtered, and Foster and Quaid appearing at the airstrip just so they could be killed off as Jones' loyal henchman shouts "Traitors!" - MST3K would be proud. Quietly realizing their son is gone would have been far more powerful, and truer to life. It pales in comparison to the much more genuinely disturbing genocide scenes unfolding simultaneously.
If you want to see some superlative acting that will stay with you a long time, then you may want to watch - just don't look too closely at the script.
Other standouts include Cartwright (she does so much with her eyes, especially in the last years. When she ponders saying goodbye to her husband before killing herself - it's a masterpiece) Haynes (the first sexual outlet for Jones, pure and good and broken at the start, corrupt and dangerous and broken at the end, just like Jones); Cash (underwritten but vitally important, the one who fully accepts everything of him, the warm and firm hand of the "family," and a support system for Cartwright. Their small goodbye kiss is saddening and beautiful); Quaid and Foster (they never give in to Jones' vision but are helpless to stop him - taking you from quirky pet shop owner and luminous secretary to helpless husks).
The two main standouts are Dourif and Sinclair, who represent the strongest emotional scenes in the film and best show us what Jones represents to those outside his closest inner circle.
Dourif exquisitely underplays the role of the young heroin addict who unwittingly sets Jones onto his final path of complete sexual and psychological domination of those he deems worthy of his brand of salvation. He has nothing when Jones finds him, aside from a wife (well-played by Scarwid) who stands by helplessly as he claims ownership of her husband - mind, body and soul. The purity of the chemistry between Dourif and Boothe and a script which underplays the lurid factor of a sexual relationship between men means their scenes have a nuance which many other parts of the movie lack. Dourif to the end only sees the best and believes the best of Jones and his gifts, not because he is a fool or weak, but because he has been reborn and remade in "Father's" image. There's a sad scene near the end of the film where Scarwid attempts to reconnect with him, only for him to passionately, impotently repeat catchphrases about the good he does. The saddest part is he does help people, he does have a purpose for goodness, but it has been perverted into what will lead to mass murder. At the end, Dourif swallows his own poison and quietly stumbles off to die - one final reminder of how alone he truly is.
Sinclair has the difficult task of carrying the emotional burden of family material that seems very cookie cutter. What cuts through is, like Dourif, the purity of her belief in Jones. She's a strong, proud woman, so hearing her call Jones "Dad" and seeing her support him over her family has an extra anguish. She represents the love and compassion that Jones once had for black people. When Jones abuses her son, she walks away rather than face reality. Like Dourif, this doesn't make her weak - it simply shows how unable someone in a cult is to trust their own voice. Unlike Dourif, in the end, Sinclair does see the madness, begging Jones to try to get everyone to Russia rather than a mass suicide. In a change from the real life event, Sinclair is talked over not by a man, but by Cash, in a disturbing display of what happens when solidarity is destroyed. Unlike most of the others, Sinclair goes out literally kicking, trying to live life on her own terms in her final moments. It's a harrowing scene, and one which feels all too real.
Unfortunately, the script lacks the depth of the performances, starting with a childhood scene which feels more like an offshoot from Our Gang. Dewhurst, as a deeply religious neighbor, has a nice connection with him, but then the movie jumps forward about 20- 25 years. Dewhurst and his mother reappear once for his wedding, then are never mentioned again. This is an odd choice, but you can almost forget as the narrative is still engrossing. Only later do the script problems kick into high gear.
Burton gives a good performance, and it's also important that after material which mostly uses black people as props, we get material from their point of view. The problem is his material feels shoved into the narrative, and LeVar is such a familiar face so soon after Roots you don't see a character. The same goes for Brenda Vaccarro as a rich lady who succumbs after Jones promises to heal her dying mother. You are watching Brenda Vaccarro acting, rather than believing any of what you are seeing. Only one scene (where she learns her mother has died and lashes out before being sedated) works. Otherwise she comes across as a Fantasy Island episode gone horribly wrong.
The final act with Congressman Ryan going to Jonestown feels perfunctory. Only the small moments featuring Dourif, Sinclair, Cartwright, etc. have weight. Never is this more apparent than the gunning down at the airstrip, which you'd think would be what the entire movie has been leading to. Between the news cameraman desperately trying to get the pictures after everyone around him is being slaughtered, and Foster and Quaid appearing at the airstrip just so they could be killed off as Jones' loyal henchman shouts "Traitors!" - MST3K would be proud. Quietly realizing their son is gone would have been far more powerful, and truer to life. It pales in comparison to the much more genuinely disturbing genocide scenes unfolding simultaneously.
If you want to see some superlative acting that will stay with you a long time, then you may want to watch - just don't look too closely at the script.