by Frank Calvillo
Adapting plays to film is an act which has been around since the beginning of the moviemaking process. The trick, however, is in trying to make the play look and feel like its own entity and convince people that what they’re watching is something far greater than merely just a filmed version of a stage production. For all its glory and power, The Member of the Wedding fails in this instance, just as so many other titles before it have as well. What saves it is the story’s ideology, some of the best performances of the decade, and a truly great script.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann, The Member of the Wedding focuses on 12-year-old tomboy Frankie (Julie Harris), who is tired of being considered a child and has dreams of leaving her small, southern town and venturing out into the world. With her older brother’s wedding approaching, Frankie becomes determined to join him and his new bride on their travels, in spite of the doubt she faces from her family’s housekeeper Berenice (Ethel Waters) and next-door neighbor John Henry (Brandon De Wilde).
One of the biggest assets of The Member of the Wedding remains its powerful script, which is brimming with author Carson McCullers endlessly beautiful dialogue. The opening narration describes Frankie as follows: “This was the summer when for a long time she had not been a member, she belonged to no club and was a member of nothing in the world. Frankie had become an unjoined person and she was afraid.” Through such a short passage, we are instantly transported into Frankie’s head and immediately share in her hopes and fears. The staginess of the film (with the majority of the story taking place in the kitchen) is obvious and can make the proceedings feel a bit dry. Yet whenever such a feeling sets in, out comes that dialogue with lines such Frankie musing, “It seems that before this summer, I used to have such a good time,” coming off as both poetic and wise.
If The Member of the Wedding is about anything, it’s about the desire for maturity and a deep longing to explore the outside world. Frankie is fed up with the childish existence she’s lived up until now and is longing for the excitement she believes adulthood will bring. Near the film’s end, when Frankie’s plans come undone, the audience gets how much of a tragedy it is for her when she can’t go. They feel how crushing it is even if everyone else in the film sees it as nothing more than a childish tantrum. Ultimately this is a dreamy film about growing pains and all the complications which come with them. It is about the beginning of the end of childhood and the start of all that lays ahead, whatever that may be.
The Member of the Wedding is truly an actor-driven film, and its cast brings out the strength of their characters so well and play off of each other even better. Harris’s performance is so strong, its incredible when you realize she was a 27-year-old playing a 12-year-old girl. That may show itself during close-ups, but Harris perfectly embraces the youthful spirit and frustration that comes with such a young age. Because of Harris, there isn’t a single moment where you don’t commit to the utmost emotional investment in Frankie. Waters, meanwhile, is simply magical as Berenice, scolding Frankie when she needs it, but also realizing her deep need to belong. Finally, as the film’s comic relief, De Wilde is so utterly charming as John Henry, proving to be such a great young actor and a true instinctive performer who works with his more seasoned co-stars seamlessly.
There’s a definite sadness that comes with the ending of The Member of the Wedding. This isn’t because of any one character’s fate, although truth be told, there isn’t a single person familiar with the story who wishes things would have turned out differently. The true sadness instead lies in the mourning of time passing, people changing, and special moments vanishing without a trace. The film’s ending certainly shows how sad that can be, while Frankie’s overall journey illustrates how special an event it is.
The Package
The Member of the Wedding’s special features include, among other things, a lovely introduction by producer Stanley Kramer’s wife Karen. The legendary producer’s wife then joins Kevin Spacey for a short documentary chronicling the play’s journey to the screen. While Kramer praises the film, Spacey takes it upon himself to educate those watching on why he feels theater is superior to film, until he remembers what he’s there for. Another documentary, The World of Carson McCullers, features biographer Virginia Spencer Carr, who provides a brief rundown on the playwright.
Two commentaries accompany The Member of the Wedding. The first sees film historians Derek Botelho and David Del Valle with, oddly enough, singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega, who each provide interesting bits of history regarding the film and the original text. The second commentary features Carr, who talks at great length about McCullers and the story’s subtext.
The Lowdown
Although it never fully escapes its stage origins, The Member of the Wedding is a fantastic piece of film in its own right thanks to its script, performances and Kramer’s penchant for superb storytelling.
The Member of the Wedding is now available on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
