Peter Bogdanovich’s 1973 “Paper Moon” could stand up to the remake test — if Hollywood remade movies about character and story and not just explosions. As a film it’s an odd combination of anachronisms. First of all “Paper Moon” was released in 1973, but it was a period piece set during the great depression. To add to the confusion, the film was shot in black and white. These time-scattered elements come together in a film that feels dated but purposefully so. The homage to classic films carries over not just from cinematography but through blocking dialogue and a sort of over-the-top style of acting that is off-putting at first but contributes to a solid whole.
The story presented is that of newly orphaned Addie Loggins (Tatum O’Neal) and a con man that just could be her father, Moses Pray (Tatum’s real life father, Ryan O’Neal). Moses Pray finds the young girl at her mother’s funeral. Moses claims he knew Addie’s mother well, but when confronted that he might be her father, he denies any relation. He sees opportunity in the unfortunate orphan to make a few bucks with short cons. Moses leaves the funeral with young girl in tow promising to deliver Addie to her aunt in Missouri. In reality he just needs the girl for a quick scam before putting her on a train.
Moses quickly cons a man into giving him $200 for this orphaned girl’s well being. It’s here we see who Addie is or can be. Over a Nehi soda and a Coney Island hot dog she demands the money from Moses. If he’s not her father then the money is hers. The two quarrel briefly and come up with an arrangement. Moses has already spent some of that $200, but Addie can travel with him until he makes enough money to pay her back.
The two travel over the windswept Midwestern countryside. Moses sells bibles to widows — or at least cons them into buying them — and young Addie proves to be incredibly gifted in the short con as well. It’s only a matter of time before the young girl becomes an ingenue of the grift. We also see that the student may be the master here as Addie begins to quietly pull Moses’ strings.
The story isn’t a complex one, but it’s speckled with fun dialogue and engrossing chemistry. Real-life father and daughter banter back and forth while conning the depression era populous of the Midwest. The acting doesn’t seem flawless. It’s understandable for young Tatum O’Neal to miss the mark a couple of times, but her father, Ryan O’Neal, lacks any excuse for overperformed deliveries. This makes me think it’s all part of the plan. It’s not an accurate depiction of the Great Depression but a tribute to cinema’s depiction of the era. When viewed with that lens the senior O’Neal’s Jack Benny-like delivery becomes a welcome ingredient in a love letter to cinema’s past.
Young Tatum O’Neal’s affection for her father works amazingly in the quiet moments. Though the script requires her to engage in Olympic-level bouts of sulking when it’s just her and her father driving across dusty roads, there are unmistakable glances of admiration, love and just plain fun.
It’s that fun that essentially carries the movie and makes it relevant today despite its almost 40-year pedigree. On the surface “Paper Moon” is a tale of a con man and his would-be daughter, but not far underneath is a charming story that lacks all cynicism. The performances are showboaty for a reason and increase the nostalgia for a more innocent American landscape.
All this leads me back to the question: Should it be up for the “True Grit” remake treatment? I vote a resounding no. It’s the father-daughter chemistry that really makes this movie shine. If Hollywood were to get ahold of this idea in the coming years we might be unfortunate enough to see Tom and Suri Cruise hopping behind the wheel of an old Model T and blasting out at you in 3D.
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| 3 3/4 out of 5 Old Time Radios |
Starring: Ryan O’Neal, Tatum O’Neal,
Madeline Kahn
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Runtime: 102 minutes Rated PG
