The Crushed Film Festival presents: Crossing the Bridge
by Sarah D. Bunting
The Movie: Crossing the Bridge
The Crush Object: Josh Charles
The Story: Stuck in a post-high-school rut, Mort (Charles) must decide whether a cross-border drug run is a solution to his problems, and whether his friendship with Danny (Stephen Baldwin) and Tim (Jason Gedrick) can survive. And whether he wants to become a writer, which, since he’s based on Mike Binder, I wish he’d considered at a bit more length.
…Ahhhh, yes: our hero considers an uncharacteristic narcotics felony, which in turn brings other dysfunctional aspects of his life into focus.It feels like we saw about four dozen versions of that roman a clef in the early to mid-nineties, and Crossing the Bridge, released in ’92, would seem more promising than most, due primarily to the casting — Charles, a yummy pre-Jesus Baldwin, and Gedrick before he started playing cops and Mafia dons exclusively.(And on a side note: could Class of ’96 come out on goddamn DVD already, please?)
Alas, the writer/director at the wheel here is the aforementioned Binder, who is eminently competent at framing and construction but also possessed of an ear of solid tin.On top of that, the movie is semi-autobiographical, which leads to two other problems: 1) the movie is, I suppose necessarily, set in 1975, but not terribly obedient to that except for the music cues, every one of which is so on the nose that it’s like a Gerard Depardieu convention; and 2) situations and events are included that have great meaning to the storyteller, but only marginal interest to the audience.Neither of these problems is particular to Binder — you see the latter a lot in “see, part of this is a true story” projects.But in several scenes that went on too long, or were directed too “big,” it seemed obvious that Binder was trying for fidelity to life instead of workable narrative rhythm. Framing a shot of the neighborhood guys returning from the Mud Bowl the same way the astronauts were in The Right Stuff is perhaps a bit much.
Crossing the Bridge is less bad than the sum of its parts, but it’s fairly bad anyway: pacing that alternates between abrupt and lazy; continuity problems; characters that have only outlines, until an overwritten scene calls for depth; reactions that don’t ring true, despite the fact that you’ve seen characters have them in a hundred movies before, so they’re both trite and fake.Confronted by Danny about whether he’s going on the run, Mort actually gets out his college acceptance letter and stares at it.Arguing with each other, or with the drug dealer, characters actually say things like, “What do you think this is, a fucking game?”
The drug dealer of course is crazy, of course has unlimited time to fuck with our protagonists just for funsies, and of course is played by Richard Edson.Of course nobody thinks to fingerprint the car they abandon 25 feet from the border.Of course Tim, the character least likely to do so, has a big revelation about their lives in the car.Of course Mort suffers from the tension between his background and his aspirations, and of course he gets a closing VO explaining what he learned.It’s Nostalgic Inciting Incident 101, and that it almost gets over is a credit not to Binder, who has made a career of these movies that don’t come from anywhere interesting or go where they need to fast enough, but to the actors.
The Backstory: I rented this baby in the Sports Night era, when my crush on Josh Charles reached its apex; alas, in CtB he looks like shit.Whoever did his hair gave him the Flap Horton $1.99 Special, and it does him exactly no favors.Stephen Baldwin, on the other hand, is en fuego; he’s young, he’s in shape, the long hair looks great on him, and having the most underwritten character of the three lets him pull some hilarious faces.Charles seldom looks that bad, so I stand by the crush itself, but I could have returned this dud to the video store ten minutes after renting it for all the good it did in that regard.
The Embarrassment Level: Renting it in the first place: 2.Watching it through to the end once it became clear that Mort would not get a plot-related haircut: 5.So, 3.5.
Tags: drinkin' the Jesus-Aid Flap Horton's Academy of Tonsorial Arts Jason Gedrick Josh Charles movies Richard Edson shut up Mike Binder Sports Night Stephen Baldwin The Crushed Film Festival
I watched this movie not because of any crushes I had, but because I work for customs (yep, that’s me, welcoming you to Canada) at the bridge that the movie was based on.
I don’t remember a whole lot about the story other than the most vaguest of outlines, but I do remember that any details regarding customs and the border crossing process, were almost all completely wrong. I mean laugh-worthy wrong. When they walked away from the car? Could not physically have happened. They would have had to walk back over the bridge into the US or keep walking to enter Canada, and both ways they would have been stopped before they even got to a booth. Abandoned cars are a) uncommon, usually suicides, jumping off said bridge, and b) a huge security issue, so not ever ignored. Notwithstanding that, they would have been detained and questioned about why they had no vehicle when they arrived at any customs booth going into either country. It’s like like trying to go through a drive thru on foot. It sort of sticks out.
I also noticed immediately and said to my then husband “Hey! The bridge is all lit up at night in this movie! Those lights weren’t even installed until the 90’s!” I mean they couldn’t have turned them off for filming? Or did some editing?
Anyway, thumbs down to accuracy for the details in this movie.
I don’t have a comment on this particular movie because I’ve never seen it nor have I ever heard of it. However, Class of ’96? Love. Jason Gedrick looked liked the oldest incoming freshman ever. I’d buy it in a second.
Crush seconded. I love me some Sports Night and I loves me some JC. I saw him in “A Number” at ACT here in San Francisco a few years ago, and not only was he GREAT in it, but he is still smokin hot.
Oh, Josh. You can compare yourself to Rosa Parks any day. (Okay, not really.) (But cute!)
Ooh, I hear you on Josh Charles. I fell for him in Dead Poets Society. You can keep your pants-wetting freshmen (Ethan Hawke) and your subtextually gay drama kids (Robert Sean Leonard). Give me some Knox Overstreet! Even if he did sort of feel up Chris while she was asleep.
Also, he is from my hometown so I have this belief that somehow it’s more likely that we’ll cross paths. The same thing goes for Bradley Cooper, who went to my university, albeit several years apart.
Totally rented this movie for the exact same reason. Is Threesome up next? Not that that was … good or anything.
I actually watched the almost totally unwatchable “Threesome” the other night just because of the presence of both Charles and the pre-jesus Baldwin. And Lara Flynn Boyle, whose character is made to complain that she thinks she’s fat (!!!). Granted this was pre-superskinny, but I was still just like “Seriously?”
ANyway, my point is that anything with those two guys is worth watching, even if it’s total crap.
I had it BAD for Josh Charles back in the day. Oh, who am I kidding? I still do!
Also, I was pretty sure I was the only person who actually watched “Class of ’96.” So glad someone else loved that cheese as much as me :)
Hee to “Flap Horton’s Academy of Tonsorial Arts.” You know that’s some bad hair.
Will someone please take away Mike Binder’s ability to subject us to overblown and shoddy films? I’m looking at you, Reign Over Me. Or the supremely unfunny, like his mercifully short-lived HBO show.
Weirdly, I had to sit through another cinematic triumph starring both Josh Charles and Stephen Baldwin – the utterly gratuitous and ridiculous Threesome – due to a friend’s crush on Josh Charles. She agreed at the end that we should have just rewatched Dead Poets’ Society for the eighty-billionth time.
The only thing I remember about Class of ’96 was my friends referring to Lisa Dean Ryan and Gedrick as Doogie Howser Girlfriend and Doogie Howser Girlfriend Liker.
I’m with pomme de terre. My love for Knox Overstreet can’t be overstated. I saw Dead Poets Society four times at the theater, and my crush got bigger with every viewing. I was in heaven when Sports Night was on.
The bridge used in the border crossing scene? The Hennepin Av bridge in Minneapolis, about five miles from my house. I remember the city making a big deal about the filming way back when. So, if you ever feel like a Crushed Film pilgrimage, let me know ;-)
My Josh Charles crush, absurdly, traces all the way back to the original “Hairspray,” in which he had one line. Josh Charles as Dan Rydell? Dreamiest thing ever.
@pomme de terre, jamie, et al: joshcharlesjoshcharlesjoshcharles. You can KEEP your stupid Ethan Hawke; you can KEEP your damn Peter Krause. I am so glad to hear I’m not alone in my crushery — and a hell yeah to Courtenay, but: anybody remember him from Things to do in Denver When you’re Dead? Am I the only who ever watched that movie?
Eh … Threesome had its moments (and is one of those rare occasions when Alexis Arquette is not in drag) and had a halfway decent soundtrack even if Lara Flynn Boyle chews the scenery as if she’s starring in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”. I’d say that the first 45 minutes flirt with decency before it takes a nose dive.
Just adding my “squeee!” to the Josh Charles crushwagon. I fell for him in Dead Poets Society, too, and he is the reason I watch “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” every time it is on TV.
He got a ton of mileage out of “For I am Dan,” didn’t he?
Matt, I might have to watch this just to see the bridge, then. I am old and boring and have no idea who Josh Charles is, but I love that bridge, and will sometimes go out of my way to drive over it (I live near Franklin/Nicollet.) The towers are exaggeratedly tall to invoke the iconic suspension bridges, because the river is so (relatively) narrow there that structurally it doesn’t require that much height. It’s also lit up in greenish Deco revival splendor at night.
Random bridge trivia: Wikipedia has a list of the Mississippi River bridges, set up so you can travel up or down the river as you please. For a cool little sideways overview of Minneapolis history, geography, and architecture, I recommend starting with “Broadway Avenue Bridge” and going downstream for a bit.
Random Liz trivia: I have a photo poster of downtown Minneapolis by night in my bedroom, featuring part of the Third Avenue Bridge and my beloved Moderne main post office (“Minneapolis Post Office” in Wikipedia – also worth reading. It had a rifle range once.) I am apparently way too fond of architecture – and Minneapolis.
Please, resume your movie conversation.
@Liz, I had to look him up too. I normally don’t crush on younger guys, but this one is beautiful! OMG, that mouth. Mmm. http://tinyurl.com/ckdmz7
Not so gorgeous now, but oh my!
I take it back – I saw one bad pic. He’s still hot!
@Courtenay Hairspray! Josh Charles! Baltimore, represent!
Do guys follow their crushes via bad movies, or is that a chick thing? Is there any other reason I have seen *Pie in the Sky,* in which Charles gets a chance at his dream job: helicopter traffic reporter?
*Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead*? I have seen parts of it at least a dozen times — it’s never out of cable rotation. Whatever happened to Keith Coogan’s promising career? (I’ve also seen *Adventures in Babysitting* at least a dozen times.)
“Do guys follow their crushes via bad movies, or is that a chick thing?”
*cough*DeborahForeman*cough*! Okay, so “Valley Girl” and “Real Genius” (bit part) were no strain, and even “April Fool’s Day” wasn’t bad, but “My Chauffeur”? The John Travoltaflick “The Experts”? And “Destroyer,” with Anthony Perkins and Lyle “Steroids Gave Me Football Stardom and an Early Death” Alzado? I suffered for that crush, all right.
@Alan: Hee, “April Fool’s Day.” I developed a crush on THOMAS F. WILSON after seeing that movie. So wrong.