'Daytrippers' an enjoyable ride

What do you do when you think your husband might be having an affair with another woman? Jump in the station wagon with your family and drive into the city to spy on him!

REVIEW
	The Daytrippers 3 1/2 stars At the Michigan Theater

And so begins the story of "The Daytrippers," a wonderful new film written and directed by Greg Mottola. It starts out simply enough: A young wife, Eliza (Hope Davis), finds a love poem from "Sandy." She thinks it may have been written to her husband Louis. After telling her parents about it, they offer to drive her into Manhattan, where Louis works, so she can confront him.

Eliza, parents Rita and Jim, her sister Jo, and Jo's boyfriend Carl all pile into the family station wagon to go downtown. But this is no ordinary road trip. Along the way, the family members make some very important discoveries about themselves and their relationships with one another.

With this low-budget film, Mottola has done an excellent job of realistically capturing a typical middle-class American family. The performances are perfect because they seem so real. The gruff dad wearing his baseball cap stays quiet as he concentrates on the road. The talkative mom chatters with everyone as the two sisters roll their eyes. And the boyfriend just tries to stay polite. This could be any family - the performances are easygoing and real.

The best performances of the film are given by Anne Meara, playing Rita, and Liev Schrieber, as Carl. With her gossiping, nagging and constant chattering, Rita makes the typical suburban mom. She has a lovable yet overbearing personality that creates some of the film's most hilarious moments.

Carl, Jo's boyfriend, loves to play the intellectual and share his world and political views. Schreiber plays this part cleverly and charmingly.

"The Daytrippers" appears to be a comedy with its funny characters and dialogue, but near the end, more dramatic elements come through. Frustrations run high as the family becomes more and more convinced that Louis is having an affair.

This is only topped when Eliza finally discovers the truth about her husband. Mottola adds a definite twist here, as both the family and the audience become surprised at the shocking revelation.

"The Daytrippers" is a perfect blend of social satire and intense drama, showing an average family's "journey" into the city.

05-14-97