In Case You Missed It… ‘Winter Passing’

Every once in a while there’s a film that slips through the cracks, unseen by most but is well worth seeing. Well, that’s sort of the point of this column, so it sort of goes without saying. Being surprised by a little film like ‘Winter Passing’ (2005) is a welcome treat from first time writer-director Adam Rapp. ‘Winter Passing’ boasts a cast that’s and unconventionally matched, bringing comedic and dramatic talents together in an unexpected harmony.

Reese Holden (Zooey Deschanel) is an aspiring actress, but aspiring to act isn’t paying her bills very well. Reese is approached by a publicist, eager to acquire the rights to print the love letters written by her father to Reese’s mother. Reese’s father, Don Holden, played by Ed Harris, is an accomplished and celebrated novelist who has also fallen off the radar and not published in many years. In fact, he hasn’t published since his wife, Reese’s mother, died.

Strapped for cash and not feeling altogether close with her father anymore, Reese accepts the offer to acquire her father’s love letters by requesting them as an inheritance. When Reese returns home, what she finds is something both familiar and unexpected. Returning home becomes a powerful lesson in life for Reese as she recovers a bond with her distant and remorseful father, learns some truths about her mother and meets the eccentric Corbit, played by Will Ferrell.

Ed Harris, as if to state ice cream and chocolate are surprisingly tasty, is excellent in ‘Winter Passing’ as the quiet, loner shell of a man he once was, living outside the city with a former student of his named Shelly (Amelia Warner) whom is anything but warm and inviting to Reese’s return. Despite Shelly and Corbit’s willingness to take care of him, Don Holden spends much of his time alone, locked away in his garage turned into a writer’s fortress of solitude. Harris deceptively presents himself with long, ratty white hair and his weak, feeble posture add to his knack for portraying an alcoholic, something he’s done before with ‘Pollock’.

Harris deserves some additional credit for his role in ‘Winter Passing’ as he managed to help pull above average performances from his two co-stars, whom I love dearly but are not generally known for their range. Zooey Deschanel gives one of her more accomplished and least characteristic performances alongside Ed Harris, who allows Deschanel to lead one of their strongest scenes together, when Don brings up his disappointment in Reese for not attending her mother’s funeral. Likewise, Harris helps to refine Will Ferrell’s performance as the quirky but thoughtful Corbit.

Corbit and Don share some subtle personality traits, which is part of the reason they click so well. One of the best examples of this is when the two characters are driving golf balls in a room upstairs, a ritual they partake in together every night before dinner. While Don Holden is considered a genius of his craft, Corbit is a man who dreams of being a musician but his fears keep him from pursuing a performance in front of strangers.

Corbit is shy and awkward, but his intentions are pure and he develops a bond with Reese over time. While Amelia plays the part of the overly cautious step-mother, Corbit is sort of like a son to Don, but becomes more of a diamond in the rough for Reese who finds Corbit is growing on her the more she gets to know him.

Corbit: “Well, I gotta go rock. And if you see Holden, tell him his balls are clean.”

This is one of my favorite quotes to illustrate the kind of character and humor that comes across from Will Ferrell, but the key to this is to see how the material is presented. This line of dialogue can easily be taken as typical crazy talk from him if not put into context. Corbit is almost a child in a man’s body, but not really. He loves music and it’s the primary focus of his daily activities, but at the same time he cares for his make-shift family. Don’s balls being clean refers to the golf balls that the two of them bond over in a strange way each night.

Ferrell is a funny guy, but I enjoy his work best when he scales it back a notch and brings some real humanity into his character, such as in ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ he does so as well with ‘Winter Passing’ on a much more intimate level. The three stars of the film, Harris, Ferrell and Deschanel, work together to create an emotional evolution within a family that has all but destroyed itself, picking up the few remaining pieces and attempting to make it work, despite the tragedy that tore it apart.

This tends to be a trend with me, but movies that incorporate a creative use of good music tend to draw my attention. The soundtrack for ‘Winter Passing’ features music by Cat Power, Mr. Complex, Kinsbury Manx, Azure Ray and The Shins, to name a few. However, Zooey Deschanel also contributes to the soundtrack with two songs she sings herself, and three songs she actually wrote, one of which is a piano piece she wrote called ‘Bittersuite’. Director Adam Rapp also wrote two songs and even Will Ferrell lends his voice in one scene. His voice is far from perfect, but his rendition of I Can’t Tell You Why by The Eagles is surprisingly moving.

‘Winter Passing’ is not the most amazing piece of cinema that you’ll see and it’s received mixed reviews, but for me it was a wonderful experience catching this the first time after finding the previously viewed DVD at Blockbuster for $5 and saying to myself, “Ed Harris and Will Ferrell in a movie together? This I’ve got to see!” Then, throwing in Zooey Deschanel and her big, puppy dog eyes is nearly always a deal-sealer with me. Maybe you’ll enjoy this film as much (or more) than I did, maybe you’ll hate it or feel it’s generic indie drama as some out there have, but I was certainly not upset by parting with my $5 for ‘Winter Passing’.