Director: Peter Askin
Starring: Joan Allen, Antony LaPaglia
Rating: 15
Running Time: 102 minutes
Availability: March the 2nd on DVD and Blu-ray
Film adaptations of Stephen King’s writings rarely work. Whether it’s the limited budgets or serial nature of his bigger projects – especially in the 80s and 90s – audiences are treated to dud after dud. Occasionally, though, an adaptation finds its mark, delivering the suspense and depth promised in his writings. Amongst lesser works, there’s always a THE MIST, MISERY, or THE RUNNING MAN waiting to be discovered.
If a viewer watched A GOOD MARRIAGE blind, they’d have little inkling it’s a King short story. Published in his Full Dark, No Stars collection, the premise doesn’t stand out for its originality. In the film, a model couple, Bob (Antony LaPaglia) and Darcy Anderson (Joan Allen), are introduced in a series of awkward scenes establishing their standing as business pillars of a wholesome, suburban community.
At an award ceremony for their achievements, A GOOD MARRIAGE gets off on the wrong foot by presenting a friendship between Darcy and her neighbour which feels staged, similar to a melodramatic TV-movie. Additionally, a loose, reoccurring plot point – starting with a strange man sitting at the bar – is woefully under directed, contributing minimal intrigue to the story’s momentum. It’s not until Darcy discovers a horrific secret in her garage that the film’s atmosphere deepens.
What unfolds is a surprisingly flat thriller, especially considering what is at stake as the plot thickens. To her credit, Joan Allen is a strong, watchable lead, at times carrying both the film and the only occasionally convincing Antony LaPaglia. After Darcy comes to terms with her situation, the film dips into a torpid pace up until a poorly executed confrontation between the two leads. However, instead of descending into horror clichés of repetitive cat-and-mouse shenanigans, the film manages to breathe life into what is largely a shallow story by introducing former detective Holt Ramsey (Stephen Lang) as the film’s final reveal.
Ramsey’s appearance is by far the most intriguing plot point in the film. He’s an ex-detective with ailing health, sporting a clue or two about the secret world of the Andersons. Unlike the rest of the film that, up till the last 20 minutes felt like a generic thriller, the film’s final quarter is quintessentially Stephen King. With Peter Askin’s meagre direction, it’s the source material that finally registers. Darcy and Ramsey’s final scenes embody a strong, urban-mythic quality in message and uncanny sensibility, similar to the open ended morality tales of the TALES FROM THE CRYPT franchise.
Aside from a strong ending and Allen’s commendable effort at energising proceedings, the film lacks technical auteurship and the vital atmosphere-building that makes thrillers/horrors stand out. A GOOD MARRIAGE rarely rises above the slew of ordinary thrillers that precede it – banking on Stephen King’s name is not enough.
Verdict
A GOOD MARRIAGE is available to buy now on DVD and Blu-ray.
