Excellent Performances A Treat To Watch In ‘Myth Of Fingerprints’

It’s a rare movie that offers as many original, compelling actors as “The Myth of Fingerprints.”

For starters, there’s the smoky-voiced, rarely seen-in-movies Blythe Danner, playing the matriarch of a repressed, cable-knit clan assembling at Thanksgiving to chew on turkey and old family secrets.

There’s also vibrant Julianne Moore, as Danner’s daughter, who projects a brand of unapologetic hostility that’s refreshing in this setting.

Plus Roy Scheider as a control-freak father; James Le Gros as a neighbor who’s bananas; and quirky Hope Davis (“The Daytrippers”) as a visitor whose frankness upsets the clan’s delicate balance.

It’s a Good Bone Structure family (the cheekbones here are better than any you’ll see on a Calvin Klein runway), and everybody gets a scene or two to let ‘er rip, acting-wise.

Writer-director Bart Freundlich keeps tight control on the many interrelated minidramas and, although he’s a mite too fond of psychobabble, the tangy dialogue allows for sharp characterizations.

Danner, for instance, has an amazing moment when Scheider issues an order to his son and she shoots the son a conciliatory wink that tells us everything we need to know about the way these three people relate.

What you won’t find in “Fingerprints” are easy answers (that title, for instance? Never explained). This wool-loving, communication-hating clan doesn’t resolve much in between grace and the inevitable, meal-ending blow-up. That may irritate some people and, even though I like the movie, I’d have to admit that the insistently tasteful, subdued music, which would be perfect for the funeral of a supermodel, drove me up the wall.

The best way to approach the movie is not to worry about its minor flaws, but to sit back and watch the actors strike sparks.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: “THE MYTH OF FINGERPRINTS” Location: Lincoln Heights Credits: Directed by Bart Freundlich, starring Julianne Moore, Noah Wyle, Roy Scheider, Hope Davis, Laurel Holloman, Brian Kerwin, James LeGros, Michael Vartan and Blythe Danner Running time: 1:30 Rating: R