Maddening social message makes 'City' a must-see

There's nothing like a pleasant surprise. By all appearances, it looked as though "Mad City" would quickly fade into memory as yet another bad idea taken too far by Hollywood. This powerful and socially attuned work stands as one of the most rewarding film experiences of the year.

REVIEW
	Mad City At Ann Arbor 1 & 2 and Showcase

Dustin Hoffman stars as Max Brackett, a TV news reporter at a network affiliate in suburban California. His brash, cavalier attitude toward local news so upsets the head of the news division (played by TV and film veteran Robert Prosky), that he sends Brackett to cover an uneventful story at the local natural history museum.

While there, a recently fired security guard named Sam Baily (John Travolta) arrives, armed with a shotgun. While pleading with the museum curator, Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner), Baily accidentally discharges his weapon, injuring another guard outside the museum.

To avoid capture, Baily locks the museum doors and holds hostage Mrs. Banks, about 15 visiting children and their teacher. Brackett, meanwhile, is in the bathroom of the museum watching the drama unfold and reporting the story over the telephone to

Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta star in Costa-Gavras' latest tense drama, "Mad City."

the affiliate.

When Baily finally discovers Brackett, each man recognizes an opportunity in the other. In Baily, Brackett has the human-interest story of a lifetime, one that will put him back on the network news, where he began his career. And Baily sees in Brackett a chance to be heard, to voice his hopes and dreams in the court of public opinion.

What ensues is a marvelously subtle examination of the extent to which the media constructs the situations that they cover, and the human tendency to rally around these media events. Sam Baily becomes a celebrity as Brackett carefully crafts a public persona for him. And the fates of the two men become linked as the public's attention begins to wander to the next spectacle.

So many examples leap to mind of "average folks" thrust into the media spotlight (one of the most tragic being the case of Richard Jewell). In many cases, one wonders whether there was ever a newsworthy "story" to begin with, or if it was merely a media "fiction." These bizarre sagas remind us of the tremendous power of the media not only to report news but to create it. According to "Mad City," this is no longer a tenable distinction.

The plot thickens as the network's arrogant anchor Kevin Hollander (Alan Alda) arrives to usurp Brackett's coverage of the hostage situation. We see the way in which the "official version" of a news event may bear very little resemblance to the facts of the matter. By the end of "Mad City," even the audience is unsure as to what exactly transpired and how we should interpret it.

Director Costa-Gavras is not exactly exploring uncharted territory with this film. "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975) and "Network" (1976), two classic films by Sidney Lumet, explored the insidiously expanding power of the media in making news. Costa- Gavras does not retain the caustic edge of Lumet's work, but chooses to focus on the human players in his drama.

It is fortunate that he has recruited a superb cast for "Mad City." Hoffman lends Max Brackett stunning authenticity, and gives his best performance in years. His career has been in a holding pattern ever since "Rain Man" (1988), which he followed with a string of bad decisions. In "Mad City," Hoffman once again gets the sort of meaty, substantive role on which he built his illustrious career.

Travolta also deserves credit for making "Mad City" such a successful film. In his hands, Sam Baily is an endearing man-child whose only real weapon is his naïveté. And even though Travolta gets off to a shaky start, he is never overshadowed by Hoffman. But Alda is a poor casting choice as Hollander. Alda is terrific as a heel or a jerk, but he cannot play a corporate cutthroat well. He's just not credible when he says things like, "If you don't play along, you're gonna be delivering the surfing report in Kansas." Of course, Alda gives a great performance (it's nice to see him getting so much work lately), but he makes the character a little too likable.

Also, Costa-Gavras could have made a leaner film. The hostage ordeal stretches on too long, causing the film to lose some of the punch it might have had. Such objections evaporate, though, after the film's crushing finale. While Costa-Gavras has not made a film that will attain the same status as his classic "Z" (1969), or even "Missing" (1982) or "Music Box" (1989), "Mad City" should be seen and its message taken to heart.

John Travolta is Sam Baily in "Mad City."

11-10-97