Ironweed – DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll Feb 27, 2009, 14:11 GMT

Hector Babenco\'s bittersweet film, based on the Pulitzer Prize(R)-winning novel by William Kennedy, stars Jack Nicholson as Francis Phelan, a drunken former baseball player running away from life and the painful, guilty memories that haunt him. Set in the winter of 1938, "Ironweed" features Francis wandering the streets of Albany, New York, with his pal Rudy (musician Tom Waits) looking for odd jobs, cheap drinks, and flophouses. Meryl Streep costars ...more

The film is about ghosts so I was a bit spooked myself when I put this disc in the player, the Vestron Video logo came up, and I began to see the specter of VHS [insert scary noises here].  Lionsgate must’ve been hitting the hooch when they put this excellent film in such a bummer of a release.  

Albany, New York 1938.  The great depression of 1929 had put many people out of work and on the bottle.  It’s been a decade since the bottom fell out and many are still shell shocked from losing their jobs and still live the hobo life wandering across the country. 

One such lost soul is Francis Phelan (Jack Nicholson) who has finally wandered back home to Albany where he left his family.  He was drunk and dropped his infant son and the boy died.  Phelan hit the road and the bottle to try and forget his woes.

Another lost soul is Phelan’s sometime “soul mate” Helen Archer (Meryl Streep) who used to have a radio career but also found herself lost in the bottle.  Phelan’s return to Albany starts to resurrect some of the old guilt that he’s been dulling with booze and he starts seeing the ghosts of his past following him around. 

He tries to reconnect with his wife Annie (Carroll Baker), son Billy (Michael O’Keefe), and daughter Peg (Diane Venora) but the past keeps him from settling down.  

Sometime you just have to wonder what they’re thinking.  I have to do that with Lionsgate this time around.  They’ve put out one fantastic film, though ultimately depressing as the great depression, but it looks like the ghost of VHS past. 

That’s all I could think of when the Vestron Video logo popped up before the film started.  I guess I could rationalize that the blur and grain are to remind us of the depression, but I could tell that there was a masterfully shot film that was just given shoddy treatment on DVD.  I do think that it’s still better quality than VHS, but it could’ve been much better. 

To add insult to injury, they don’t even put it out in widescreen.  The film was shot at 1.85:1 and we only get a fullscreen (1.33:1) transfer.  Both Nicholson and Streep are fantastic and would be nominated for Oscars for their performances. 

The film has the feel of a Sergio Leone epic and even sounds like Ennio Morricone might’ve scored it.  It was John Morris that actually scored the film, but that he reminded me of that master composer should be taken as the highest of compliments and not a knock.

Ironweed, not unlike director Hector Babenco’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, captures a place and a time to great effect.  Spider Woman was given great treatment on DVD last year and it’s a crying shame that Ironweed was told “you’re a bum” and thrown out on the streets.  Not only are Nicholson and Streep grand, but they’re given ample support from the likes of Tom Waits and Fred Gwynne in small roles.  

Unfortunately, Ironweed is presented in fullscreen.  The only special feature is a 90 second photo gallery and previews for other Lionsgate releases.  

Beggars can’t be choosers, but I wished that more respect would’ve been given to Ironweed.  It’s an excellent film, but has some bleak subject matter.  I would’ve been just happy with a widescreen transfer, but sometimes a bum is just a bum.  The rating is for the overall quality of the DVD and not the quality of the film. 

Ironweed is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.