Tuesday, September 8, 2009

#16 "Behind the Mask"

Stats: 1999. Starring Donald Sutherland & Matthew Fox. Not Rated. Based on a true story.

Background: I bought this movie from christianbook.com about 18 months ago. It was one of those impulse buys, prompted by CBD’s ingenious shopping cart tool that tells you how much more merchandise you can buy before the shipping rate goes up … and then they suggest items that will fall into that price range. Still, there’s no way I would have bought this movie had it not featured Matthew Fox, one of the stars of my current favorite show/obsession LOST.

One night last summer, my sisters and I decided to watch it, but about three minutes in, one of them declared it was too boring to watch (if you know my sisters, you can probably guess which one!). I later watched it by myself and really enjoyed it.

Reactions: Behind the Mask is the true story of Dr. Robert Shushan’s (Sutherland) friendship with James Jones (Fox). Shushan is a workaholic who runs a center for physically and mentally disabled adults. Jones, who is himself disabled, is a janitor at the center. When Shushan has a heart attack, Jones finds him and gets help; in the following months, the two men become good friends. In helping Jones pursue his dreams (from simple things like having a desk to his lifelong goal of finding his father), Shushan rediscovers his passion for helping others. And in Shushan, Jones finds a father figure and mentor. Ultimately, Shushan helps Jones connect with his father, and Jones helps Shushan repair his relationship with his son.

This is a great movie. Sutherland and Fox are excellent in their roles. (I guess Fox has a gift for playing crazy bearded guys … see the LOST season three finale’s “We have to go back!” Jack.) The best part of the movie, though, is after the final scene. At that point, we see pictures of the real Jones and Shushan, and we see a tape of the moment when Jones sees his dad again. Great stuff!

Verdict: Keep

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