He Saw, She Saw

Mon., Nov. 17, 1997

Logan Graf, Lake City Patrice W

‘Mad City’

The stars: John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman

The plot: An ex-security guard makes a mistake that causes one reporter to question his ethics.

HE SAW

“Mad City” was a so-so film. Dustin Hoffman was excellent as the reporter who happens to be in the right place at the right time. Hoffman realistically characterizes the problems reporters face between getting the story and helping a man remedy a mistake. John Travolta’s character, however, twists and turns at a moment’s notice. Don’t get me wrong, Travolta was great, it’s just that at first I could relate to his character but at the end I had no idea what was going through his mind.

“Mad City” made me question who really makes the news: the perpetrator or the reporter whose job it is to report the news?

Grade: B-

SHE SAW

Other than the fact that “Mad City” should have been about 45 minutes long, because it drags, there really isn’t anything wrong with the movie. In fact, “Mad City” offers a great answer to an abstract question such as, “Whatever happened to Vinny Barbarino?” Of course, if the Sweathogs don’t ring a bell, don’t go see this movie.

Travolta’s role was littered with lines such as “I’m just an average guy with an electric bill, a water bill, a mortgage and kids to feed.”

Wait a minute, bills? Aren’t those the things my parents complain about? I don’t care about bills, and that is the main reason I didn’t care about this movie. I couldn’t relate to it because “Mad City” wasn’t meant for a younger audience.

I’m sure this would be a great movie - for my parents. But I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t have to pay any, um … what are they called again? … bills.

Grade: D

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Logan Graf, Lake City Patrice Williamson, Rogers

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