The Matinee

The opening scenes of the 1995 film Two Bits, are black and white film clips from classic movies, and still shots of theaters from the 1930's. Set in the depression era, this film is an autobiographical story based on the life of the writer of the screenplay, Joseph Stefano. The atmosphere and nostalgia of the period translate much better on film than the story itself, which consists mainly of scattered scenes and dialog between a 12 year old boy and his dying grandfather.

As in most coming of age films, voiceovers are used to reveal deep truths or lessons learned at a particular crossroads in the life of the central figure. The most memorable voiceover, delivered by Alec Baldwin in this film, is a line spoken by a grandfather to his precocious grandson, "you're never too old to believe in a dream, or too young to make one come true." The narrator is Gennaro Sabatoni, (Jerry Barrone) who is, at the time of the story, a 12 year old Italian kid living in South Philadelphia. The story takes place during one day in the life of Gennaro, whose imagination is captured by the opening of new movie theater, La Paloma, in his neighborhood. During the height of the depression, the cost of a ticket to the matinee at a quarter, is a large sum of money. After the matinee, the price is doubled. Gennaro's entire day is consumed by trying to find a way to earn two bits, to pay his way into the theater, at a time when money is scarce for necessities, much less luxuries.

Gennaro's grandfather, Gitano (Al Pacino) is close to death, and has promised Gennaro an inheritance of a quarter. He has also promised that he will die sometime before the end of the day. Gennaro's day is filled with attempts to earn the two bits, as an insurance policy against his grandfather's possible survival.

During what seems like a very long day, Gennaro and his friend witness some strange scenarios on the streets of South Philly. They stand by and watch as a street fight breaks out when both a funeral and wedding are planned for the same day at a church, and the two families involved squabble over use of the premises. Gennaro is lured into a trap by his grandfather's physician who offers to pay him ten cents to perform a simple chore. The actual duty required is to service the physician's sex starved wife. A task of which the innocent mind of Gennaro cannot conceive. To top it off, Gennaro earns a nickle from a local shopkeeper who pays him to escort a crying woman, to whom he is unable to extend credit, from the store.

Still in need of another dime, Gennaro returns home to find that his grandfather's condition seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Gennaro's mother finally agrees to give him a dime in exchange for spending precious time with his dying grandfather. It is during this time, that Gitano makes a strange request of Gennaro. He tells the boy a heartbreaking story from his past and asks him to seek forgiveness from a person, against whom he committed a grievous indiscretion in his younger years. Gennaro agrees to honor this as his grandfather's final request.

The most appealing feature of this film is the nostalgic tone created by the drab colors and desperation of the characters as they experience the harsh realities of life during the depression. The symbolism of the intriguing new theater, as an escape from the drudgery of life, is expressed in Gitano's final words spoken at the end of the film, "it's just like La Paloma up here" (in heaven).

The most glaring weakness, is the slow pace of the film, which depends almost entirely on dialog and short sequences to carry the story line. The plot itself, is rather thinly veiled and consists of unrelated episodes that occur during Gennaro's day long adventure. The plot weaves from scene to scene without a real sense of connection.

Al Pacino's role of Gitano is a bit of a departure from his usual larger than life character. It is easy to sympathize with him here as a guilt ridden, dying old man, whose last wish is to help his grandson fulfill his dream. The child actor, Jerry Barrone, steals the show with his poignant performance and graceful presence. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as Gennaro's mother, delivers a touching, but restrained performance.

As coming of age stories go, Two Bits is not nearly as affecting as others of the genre such as Angela's Ashes, with it's raw edged emotions. On the other end of the spectrum, as a nostalgic period piece it avoids the sappy sentimentalism of The Majestic, another film in which the theater is symbolic of a life changing experience. All in all, it is a relatively entertaining slice of life film. It stops short of being remarkable, but does allow the viewers to immerse themselves in the lives of the characters for a short period of time. In the final analysis, isn't that what the theater experience is all about anyway?