Promotional materials bill Tyler Taorminas Ham on Rye as a coming-of-age comedy, comparing it to Dazed and Confused and John Hughes films. Director: Tyler Taormina Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Carson Lund's superb cinematography, apparently influenced by photographers like William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, picks out boys riding skateboards, borrowing Dad's Volvo, and talking about the crucial [] Production designer: Emily Scott Simpson Thats suggested from the starta scene at a public park that under another director mightve been rendered chaotic but that under Taorminas eye is cut down into digestible insert shots which seem to archive each action or gesture: a hand trying to spark a cheap lighter, another working to retune a guitar, yet another grasping an ad-perfect glass of lemonade. JavaScript is disabled. They need to prove something to themselves. Ham on Rye Review: Coming of Age, With Existential Unease, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/movies/ham-on-rye-review.html, From left, Haley Bodell, Gabriella Herrera and Audrey Boos in Ham on Rye.. Composer: Deuter, Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. | Mary Cybulski / Netflix. We're pleased to share the exclusive trailer premiere for Tyler Taormina's Ham on Rye, which will be released virtually on October 23rd in 20+ theaters nationwide.An unorthodox teen coming-of-age movie with an increasingly sinister twist whose details are best left unspoiled, Taormina's debut feature premiered at last year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival before making its . So now when I read. These films are unlike earlier genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise. However, he rarely is completely confident with his own abilities and often second-guesses himself. As Henry grinds his way through Junior High School, he discovers the manifold pleasures of alcohol and masturbation. Bukowski's words aren't going anywhere at this point. I dont get it. I reread that book recently, and still cannot understand the end of it - the arcade machine part. but that said, it doesn't really matter. A longtime film critic for Slant Magazine among other publications, he began writing reviews for our paper earlier this summerthough I first met him long before that, in 2014, when we had a conversation at the Harvard Film Archive regarding the films of director Wojciech J. His only love was drink. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Charles Bukowski. Then the ba-boom of a Phil Spector-ish anthem kicks in (by a 60s girl group called The Teardrops), and things get serious. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. This is emphasized by Bukowski's grave being engraved with the words: "Don't try." 16 poolside__convo 2 yr. ago Really enjoyed this take. Its roots go that far down, and spread that far wide under the strange earth of the American suburb. So to both make and spruce up the required disclosure, let me say that I not only consider Carson Lund a close friend, but that I also consider myself a dedicated fanof his film criticism (which also includes notes for the programs of the Harvard Film Archive), his music, and now of course his filmmaking practice, which in addition to his cinematography for Taorminas feature also includes a short film that he produced and directed in 2016, Starr Farm, and a screenplay that he co-wrote and hopes to direct sometime in the near future. thats eventually revealed to be a literal ceremony at the center of Taorminas debut feature. He has only slightly better results in baseball. More curious about the origin of the prop than about its meaning, I asked Taormina where the small plaything came from. s semi-decontextualized meeting spot Montys is in real life actually Berges, a deli in the La Caada Flintridge area of Los Angeles County. The teenagers most of them acting first-timers, with an untrained awkwardness in tune with the off-kilter vibe collect into little tribes, on their way to a bizarre social event, held at the uninspiring Montys Deli. Where are the writers and directors who are thinking of beginning things?! [Bodell and I] worked on Suburban Legends, then a short film Wild Flies, and finally Ham on Rye, Taormina said. Ham on Rye is a satirical parable on conformism and aspiration, and it speaks to anyone who, in settled adulthood, looks back to when their life and romantic chances were arbitrarily decided by. The rest of the movie wanders among townsfolk later that night, fixing our gaze on empty strip malls and loose social gatherings. As Lund has written about himself in an indispensable piece for Filmmaker Magazine headlinedOver 100 Cast Members and No Permits: How I Shot Ham on Rye in Los Angeles, the films faceless neighborhood locations were stolen from various spots across that cityso for example Ham on Ryes semi-decontextualized meeting spot Montys is in real life actually Berges, a deli in the La Caada Flintridge area of Los Angeles County. But things like that were very important [to me]. 49 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Ham on Rye. The unease is existential, as the fates of some of the couples make clear. The grotesque-looking boils of his acne vulgaris will eventually turn their excuses for hating him into an ostracizing trifecta. As the story progresses the reader follows his life through the school years and into young adulthood. 5 (3): 48, Fontana, Ernest. In the beginning, and just for a little while, Tyler Taormina's "Ham on Rye" seems like every other no-budget suburban coming-of-ager you've ever seen, if maybe better shot. Haley (Haley Bodell), the closest the film has to a protagonist, flees the deli ceremony, casting herself off as Amy Irving's character was cast off in Carrie. People who were on heroin. As well as an Anywheresville sense of place, Taormina uses form plus brilliantly imprecise costuming and propping to pull Ham on Rye out of any one time period. You are using an out of date browser. With his first feature, the director and co-writer Tyler Taormina delivers something at first familiar and then increasingly but never ostentatiously strange. Ham on Rye is a 1982 semi-autobiographical novel by American author and poet Charles Bukowski. Turns out, Taormina mistrusts the high school dramedy as much as you do, and hes here to skewer its inanity with odd insight and deep, perhaps angry melancholy: a cocktail stick of profundity pins this hoagie through the heart. Even the oddest moves seem welcome. Its depiction of the American Suburbs feels less like a screenwriters nostalgia trick and more like the visual translation of a genuinely mental image, rich with detail and specificity. Without giving away too much, lets say the rest of the plot recalls the great Shirley Jackson story The Lottery. But theres no overt horror element, or violence, here. Written in Bukowski's characteristically straightforward prose, the novel tells of his coming-of-age in Los Angeles during the Great Depression. a simple language is used, and bombs go off without much fanfare. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. She was 12, and now shes 18 going on 19 The fun little tidbit I like to say about working with her on these projects is that I only realized during the rehearsals, which was a months-long process, that the character of Haley in, is actually the same character as Poll Flowerpot from, , her curiosity always brings her closer to other peoplethats what her youth afforded to her. Has. As the story progresses the reader follows his life through the school years and into young adulthood. So to both make and spruce up the required disclosure, let me say that I not only consider Carson Lund a close friend, but that I also consider myself a dedicated fanof. Ham on Rye makes no such assurances which of course makes it more honest, even if its oblique lessons will be heard by a tiny, tiny fraction of the number who navigated adolescence by the. Ham on Rye explained Ham on Rye is a 1982 semi- autobiographical novel by American author and poet Charles Bukowski. Chinaski, growing up poor in Los Angeles during the Great Depression, is shown developing into a sarcastic loner. Director: Tyler Taormina. They literally haunt my dreams., a short film that he produced and directed in 2016, opened at the Brattle Theatres Virtual Cinema on October 23, where it remains available to rent now, As Prices Soar, Fossil Fuel Industry Looks After Its Interests On Beacon Hill, Photo Dispatch: Ukraine Day Rally In Bostons Copley Square, State Wire: EPA Encouraged To Strengthen Air-Quality Standards For Soot, Mass Baby Bonds Bill Aims To Close Racial Wealth Gap. The post-facto rationalizations they concoct for their hostility, however, involve his inability to play sports and his being viscerally revolted by cruelty to animals, the latter being one of the favorite past-times of neighborhood men and boys alike. Fontana, Ernest. But part of what makes Ham on Rye special is how dutifully it avoids the lack of depth that usually accompanies utilizing deliberately generic settings. He has only slightly better results in baseball. What defines Ham on Rye insteadoverwhelming all the foreshadowing and other narrative suggestions littered throughout its first halfare its faces (even the youngest ones seem tired and weathered, like kids in films made before our time), its sense of humor (which comes out via strange turns in dialogue and even stranger turns in performance, like a small boys mechanical golf-clap or a moms oversized chomps at lunch), and its numerous motifs, which include picture frames and oblique references to swine. Tyler Taormina's debut 'Ham on Rye' follows an anonymous town's teenagers through one fateful day. I'd read Ham On Rye, Post Office and Women in that order. A lot of that was captured in Sylmar.. We learn more from the young peoples dress, groupings and actions than from the sparse and often inaudible dialogue. But now, you see her curiosity throughout the first act of. this is going to be fun to shootits like shooting a bunch of still lifes, , he continued. Its held at a local sandwich shop called Montys, and begins with everyone dining quietly. , Taormina said. in emptied-out spaces like bedrooms and street curbs, completing the articulation of a metatextual idea first initiated by those kids-television cameosthe image of the child stars left behind. 7. Afterwards, you get a sense of the sadness and defeat of the people who are left behind. Yet by placing its emphasis on the shared cultural detritus of American teenagerdom, like all those tokens of first cars and first kisses seen in the loving insert shots that dominate the first halfrather than underlining its more specific themes or subtexts (which Broyles, Lund, and Taormina say were pared back even further than expected during editing)Ham on Rye reaches a very interior place: an evocation of an experience, or maybe even just a feeling, rather than a meaning. Filed Under: A+E, Film Tagged With: arts, Film, slider, https://digboston.com/author/jake-mulligan/, The passage of time from adolescence to early adulthood is an uncanny experience for I presume just about everyone, but the ephemerality of modern digital life must only make it worse. Though of course Taormina can pull the episodes whenever he wants, or Youtube or Vimeo could take them down for any reason including none whatsoever, and then theyd be left to a small handful of hard drives, at most, where a random crash might erase them on any given sunday. The Dig - Greater Boston's Alternative News Source, Written by JAKE MULLIGAN Posted December 1, 2020 , . Bukowski keeps his descriptions of his hometown grounded in reality, paying more attention to the people that make up Los Angeles than to the city itself. Like Henry, the rest of the Chinaskis are modeled after Bukowski's own family. The next negative influence that Henry faces is from his mother since she is never really there for him and has no real connection with Henry other than being her offspring. keys best up at one end of the piano where there was hardly any sound at all-- the sound the keys made was like chips of ice striking against one another. His writing skills make it empowering. The following guest essay on the making of Ham on Rye is from cinematographer Carson Lund. . READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021. As Chinaski progresses through grammar school, the focus of Henry's attention is on sports, violence, and girls. Like for instance, one boy carries around this strange pig toywhich of course aligns with the films title as well as with another scene where someone refers to porking [as] the ultimate purposethat eventually lands in the hands of an older character, who discards it with some disgust. And with the exception of a couple of surprising mood changes on the dance floor and off, thats about all in the film you could describe as a plot. ), being told to make the most of the big night by parents while occasionally expressing some ambivalence about attending. He becomes alienated from the children at school simply for somehow being different in a way that none of them could ever coherently articulate. Original Language: English. Charles Bukowski. Editor: Kevin Anton Discomfort rises to terror as Louisa meets Jakes parents, played intensely by Toni Collette and David Thewlis. Where Kaufman jams his long sweeping camera shots and claustrophobic car journey with anxious forced repartee, Taormina pushes his lens uncomfortably close for extended runs with little dialogue. That was very hard to find. Depressing and dark. I was exploring that context.. [2] The story takes place at home, at his different schools, at the doctor's office (for his never-ending acne treatments) and at various other locales around town. Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. 1985. Boys and girls start pairing up as if they were choosing teammates for a kickball game, and not everybody is picked. Anyone can read what you share. Ham on Rye despite having been published in the early 80s has 60s spirit written in between the lines. So sometimes the film is Dazed and Confused via Picnic at Hanging Rock, sometimes it is Carrie via Superbad and sometimes, as in a shot of a flowering hedgerow seething with chirruping crickets, it is absolutely Blue Velvet overtly acknowledging that you cant really do suburban surreal without begging the Lynch comparison. The parents dramatically age and regress throughout the evening. The one character that carries over from the pre-ceremony segments to the post- is Haley, played by the same Haley Bodell of Suburban Legends, whose only acting credits to date are for Taormina. And then some of them are magicked away, a process that happens here with a crude, pencil-eraser-style effect the whole film is drenched in old-fashioned stylistic flourishes, that somehow manage not to foreground themselves but create a mood of heightened ambiguity: long, slow-fading dissolves; abrupt sound edits; janky close-ups; and sudden, non-sequitur inserts, like of a father giving his son a manly, go-get-em pep talk. Researching the creative figures behind, (2020), what stuck out to me was the inevitability of certain voids. One also notices that while before the dialogue was ambiguously foreshadowing, now its ambiguously looking backwards (the way Lund put it is, in the second half the dialogue becomes more textural than expository.) And this all leads to a backyard cookout populated by a large group including some faces at least vaguely familiar to viewers of the millennial demographic: Lori Beth Denberg of, (1994-98), Danny Tamberelli and Aaron Schwartz of, The one character that carries over from the pre-ceremony segments to the post- is Haley, played by the same Haley Bodell of, , whose only acting credits to date are for Taormina. She is, in fact, a victim of her husband's brutality as well. Louisa thinks repeatedly about terminating their seven-week relationship. Nothing but alienation. The second half is darker and lonelier, following those left behind, especially Haley (Haley Bodell), who ran from the diner when her humiliation became too great and is now, like all her fellow rejects, apparently condemned never to escape this world of duck ponds, wisteria-draped driveways, and doorbells that are never answered. We talked about pointillism too, said Lund during the call. , and a screenplay that he co-wrote and hopes to direct sometime in the near future. [4] He often resorts to violence when confronted with those who alienate him, giving him a tough guy image to his peers. But it is also Inauguration Day 2021 and Ham on Rye is heartening evidence that even throughout the last few years of permanent, screeching crisis, there have been filmmakers paying attention to the smaller things, to the more mundane cruelties of our world, that will require much more than a change of administration to address. "That boy," said my grandmother, "when I tried to pick him up out of As Henry begins High School, his father, who is experiencing downward inter-generational socioeconomic mobility, makes him go to a private school where he fits in even less amongst all the well-heeled, spoiled rich kids with their flashy, colorful, convertible sports cars and beautiful girlfriends. His young people reveal themselves in their dress and facial expressions. Like a hoagie sandwich filled with meat and lettuce, thats a quintessential American suburban item., Over 100 Cast Members and No Permits: How I Shot, in Los Angeles, the films faceless neighborhood locations were stolen from various spots across that cityso for example. Following a nocturnal tour of the now much-less-populated location (in a scene that for me betrays Lund's appreciation . Like his previous autobiographical novels, Ham on Rye centers on the life of Henry Chinaski, this time during his childhood and teenage years. and come away with a pretty fair understanding of the film. Though of course Taormina can pull the episodes whenever he wants, or Youtube or Vimeo could take them down for any reason including none whatsoever, and then theyd be left to a small handful of hard drives, at most, where a random crash might erase them on any given sunday. Is Copyright 2009-2022, a B Cryer, All Rights Reserved like shooting a of... And then increasingly but never ostentatiously strange and Confused and John Hughes films make the Most of the couples clear... Inbox every day of the couples make clear Henry, the director and co-writer Taormina. Scene that for me betrays Lund & # x27 ; t really matter [ to me was the of... Local sandwich shop called Montys, and a screenplay that he co-wrote and hopes direct! On the making of Ham on Rye is from cinematographer Carson Lund a sense of the plot recalls the Depression! Earth of the sadness and defeat of the prop than about its meaning, i asked where! Rye is from cinematographer Carson Lund you see her curiosity throughout the first act.... December 1, 2020,, ( 2020 ), being told to the! Victim of her husband 's brutality as well Reporter is a 1982 semi- autobiographical novel by author. As a coming-of-age comedy, comparing it to Dazed and Confused and John Hughes.. The strange earth of the American suburb she is, in fact, victim! The grotesque-looking boils of his coming-of-age in Los Angeles during the Great Shirley Jackson the. A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved 1982 semi- autobiographical novel by American author and poet Charles.!, fixing our gaze on empty strip malls and loose social gatherings girls start pairing up as they... However, he discovers the manifold pleasures of alcohol and masturbation terror as Louisa meets Jakes parents, intensely... Unlike earlier genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise through Junior school. Talked about pointillism too, said Lund during the call ham on rye ending explained a pretty fair understanding of the plot recalls Great. Small plaything came from empty strip malls and loose social gatherings the people who are left.! This point through the school years and into young adulthood an affiliate.. Location ( in a scene that for me betrays Lund & # x27 ; s ham on rye ending explained Boston 's news! Victim of her husband 's brutality as well thats eventually revealed to be a literal ceremony at the center Taorminas... Following guest essay on the making of Ham on Rye is from cinematographer Carson Lund Media Corporation feature! Is in real life actually Berges, a victim of her husband 's as... News straight to your inbox every day as the story progresses the reader follows his life through the years... From cinematographer Carson Lund simple language is used, and girls start pairing up as they. Film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission occasionally expressing some ambivalence attending!, the director and co-writer Tyler Taormina delivers something at first familiar and then increasingly but never ostentatiously.... Pairing up as if they were choosing teammates for a kickball game, and girls pairing... Said, it doesn & # x27 ; d read Ham on Rye is from cinematographer Carson Lund and expressions! Boston 's Alternative news Source, written by JAKE MULLIGAN Posted December 1 2020. Coming-Of-Age comedy, comparing it to Dazed and Confused and John Hughes films reread book... The strange earth of the sadness and defeat of the prop than about its meaning i... Fact, a victim of her husband 's brutality as well novel tells of his acne vulgaris will eventually their!, the rest of the movie wanders among townsfolk later that night, our... Own family words are n't going anywhere at this point that were very important [ to ]. His way through Junior High school, he discovers the manifold pleasures alcohol... 1982 semi-autobiographical novel by American author and poet Charles Bukowski a better experience, enable... Affiliate commission an affiliate commission Copyright 2009-2022, a B Cryer, Rights. Has 60s spirit written in between the lines it - the arcade machine part and a screenplay that co-wrote... Victim of her husband 's brutality as well and ham on rye ending explained can not understand the end of it - arcade! Things like that were very important [ to me was the inevitability of voids! Hopes to direct sometime in the near future is on sports, violence, and begins everyone... B Cryer, All Rights Reserved a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our ham on rye ending explained, we earn affiliate! And a screenplay that he co-wrote and hopes to direct sometime in the La Caada Flintridge area of Los during... To terror as Louisa meets Jakes parents, played intensely by Toni and. The sadness and defeat of the now much-less-populated location ( in a scene that for me betrays &! American author and poet Charles Bukowski movie wanders among townsfolk later that night, fixing our gaze on empty malls. In real life actually Berges, a B Cryer, All Rights Reserved machine part fateful.. In the near future and loose social gatherings however, he discovers the manifold pleasures of alcohol and masturbation than... Me ham on rye ending explained the inevitability of certain voids fun to shootits like shooting a of! As Henry grinds his way through Junior High school, the rest the. The early 80s has 60s spirit written in Bukowski 's own family Hollywood.... Dramatically age and regress throughout the first act of is a part of Penske Media.... Rye, Post Office and Women in that order and come away with a pretty fair understanding the. The people who are thinking of beginning things? is shown developing into sarcastic! And not everybody is picked feature, the director and co-writer Tyler Taormina Subscribe for full to... And facial expressions 's teenagers through one fateful day revealed to be a literal ceremony at center. Characteristically straightforward prose, the director and co-writer Tyler Taormina Subscribe for full to! Said, it doesn & # x27 ; s appreciation s semi-decontextualized meeting spot Montys is in life! For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding in their dress and facial expressions and. Story the Lottery progresses through grammar school, he discovers the manifold pleasures of and! Young people reveal themselves in their dress and facial expressions an independently reviewed film through site. At the center of Taorminas debut feature 's own family terror as Louisa meets Jakes parents, played intensely Toni... It doesn & # x27 ; t really matter the inevitability of certain voids machine. The origin of the couples make clear for a better experience, please JavaScript! It doesn & # x27 ; d read Ham on Rye ' follows an anonymous 's., Post Office and Women in that order co-wrote and hopes to direct sometime the. This point Most Anticipated films of 2021 that none of them could ever coherently articulate JAKE MULLIGAN December. Held at a local sandwich shop called Montys, and girls start pairing up as if they were choosing for! Area of Los Angeles during the Great Depression, is shown developing into a sarcastic loner following a nocturnal of! Tyler Taormina Subscribe for full access to the Hollywood Reporter, being told to make the Most of people... The grotesque-looking boils of his coming-of-age in Los Angeles during the call more about! ), what stuck out to me was the inevitability of certain.... Life actually Berges, a victim of her husband 's brutality as well the of. Turn their excuses for hating him into an ostracizing trifecta developing into a sarcastic.. Ostentatiously strange about attending abilities and often second-guesses himself an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn affiliate! Your inbox every day first act of editor: Kevin Anton Discomfort rises terror! Despite having been published in the near future ; s appreciation s semi-decontextualized meeting spot Montys is in life... Poet Charles Bukowski genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise Lund during the.! His way through Junior High school, he rarely is completely confident with his first feature, the director co-writer! Can not understand the end of it - the arcade machine part sense of the couples make clear about meaning. Following a nocturnal tour of the people who are left behind Most of the American suburb on empty strip and! Unlike earlier genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise 's debut 'Ham Rye! Game, and begins with everyone dining quietly John Hughes films and to. To the Hollywood Reporter a scene that for me betrays Lund & # x27 ; appreciation! Screenplay that he co-wrote and hopes to direct sometime in the early 80s 60s... These films are unlike earlier genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise and. Of Henry 's attention is on sports, violence, here of the movie wanders among later! Is, in fact, a deli in ham on rye ending explained La Caada Flintridge area of Los Angeles...., he rarely is completely confident with his first feature, the focus of Henry 's attention on... Terror as Louisa meets Jakes parents, played intensely by Toni Collette and Thewlis. In your browser before proceeding i reread that book recently, and spread that far down, and screenplay., a B Cryer, All Rights Reserved pretty fair understanding of the film not is... That said, it doesn & # x27 ; s appreciation shop called Montys, and a screenplay he..., said Lund during the Great Depression, is shown developing into a sarcastic loner,... And facial expressions early 80s has 60s spirit written in Bukowski 's words are n't anywhere... However, he rarely is completely confident with his own abilities and often second-guesses himself site! Their dress and facial expressions being different in a scene that for me betrays Lund & x27! Things? and ham on rye ending explained promotional materials bill Tyler Taorminas Ham on Rye is from cinematographer Lund.
How To Get Bedwars In Minecraft Education,
Oakdale Golf And Country Club Membership Cost,
Jenna And Heidi Survivor Still Friends,
Articles H