Welcome to Dark Hollow
Plot Overview
Miss Lacy Anderson (Catherine Oxenberg)
is proprietress of the Renaissance Art Gallery in Seattle and her
younger sister Polly Adams (Ellina McCormick) is her assistant. These
two broads compete for new meat that crosses their beaten path. Polly
is the impetuous one, still a little boy-crazy and a chronic complainer,
so the assumption is she's on the rebound from a failed earlier marriage.
They were raised by Baptist parents who were “fanatics about
the Bible” (“real fire and brimstone”) but
the girls seem to have suffered no adverse effects; they are loving
sisters. Polly is a city girl through and through, but Lacy likes
to rough it in the Pacific northwest. Dominant Lacy taps swinging
Polly into accompanying her to “the middle of nowhere”
to meet the Montana artist whose painting was purchased by their keen-eyed
buyer Hans (Douglas Sebern.)
Dark Hollow was once a booming lumber
town, but now only two families remain, the Browns owning most of
it. Ben Brown (Rod Steiger) runs the place and dominates his
longsuffering sister Moira (Joan Benedict) who owns the hotel,
restaurant, and souvenir shop. Ben's son Ethan (Scott Plank) is the
laid-back sheriff of the place and his half-brother Sean (Eric Roberts)
a struggling artist and fine fisherman. Theirs is evidently
a Catholic family the way they cross themselves or pray at
appropriate times. The brothers competed over a girl some seven years
back and haven't gotten along since. They all pull together, though,
in a neighborhood watch occasioned by County Sheriff Frankie's
attempts to backtrack various missing female hitchhikers
(“People have been known to disappear.”) Ben has Moira
discourage strangers from staying long. Ethan keeps a sharp eye on
any women in town. And his artist brother draws their likenesses from
memory. But since all his drawings are abstract, they're not much
good for missing persons posters. And since the girls got bagged after
crossing the bridge out of town, the sheriff's vigilance in town won't
help much either.
Crime fighting gets a boost when the
two sisters from Seattle show up. First of all Lacy is a witness to
French traveler Astrid (Christi Marsico) having actually come through
town, and of her angry companion Vitally (Gabriel Clark) having struck
her before they split up. Without her cheap boyfriend's minimal
support, Astrid also had to pawn some jewelry to finance herself,
which remained behind as evidence of her having been there.
Ideology
Ben was marred by tragedy some thirty-five years back when his wife died in childbirth. Then he carried on an affair with his brother's pretty wife. They were eventually caught by ten-year-old Sean (“Your mommy's been bad”) and by his fish-weren't-biting-today dad (“Why hast thou given me an unfaithful wife?”) Obviously, Ben's religious training would have forbidden their affair. (Prov. 6:23-26)
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
This movie elaborates on this very lesson. (Prov. 6:27-29) “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” There are certain actions that have expected results despite our contrary intentions. In our movie savvy Lacy brings an extra pair of hiking shoes to Montana, but clueless Polly takes off cross country in her heels. She steps in a rabbit hole and twists her foot. Duh! On a Montana highway, Lacy pulls over onto the soft shoulder to turn around, and her wheel gets stuck in the mud. Certain things happen when you do certain other things. Commit adultery for fun and you're likely to feel guilty regardless.
There's a range of severity of transgression. (Prov. 6:30-31) “Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.” If you're poor and steal some necessity, you might be given a pass, though if caught you'll still have to make restitution. Sean was poor so we don't think ill of him when the pawned jewelry ends up at his place rather than in the store where it was sold. He needed the money and we understand. So, what?
(Prov. 6:32-35) “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.” Adultery is in a different class of sin, less easy to ignore. And since there's no way to make restitution, the offended party (“Why hast thou given me an unfaithful wife?”) is not likely to be mollified. Here the guy tossed his wife out into a gale (“I give you back to the sea”) and sacrificed himself as well (“My fate is in your hands”) making his son an orphan whose trauma-induced art will eventually hit troubled Ben hard (“You reap what you sow.”)
Production Values
(2001) was directed by Robin P. Murray, from a script written by Mick Davis. It stars Eric Roberts, Rod Steiger, and Catherine Oxenberg. The speaking parts got spread around, all of them being handled well, especially some by local talent. Eric Roberts excelled in his silent scenes. The movie is not rated but contained violence, profanity, adult situations, and nudity. Its title The Flying Dutchman refers to a ballad about an ice-encrusted ship. Its poetry is quoted by the literate artist. Its various overtures composed by Richard Wagner pervade the movie. The scenery is not the movie's strong point. Neither is the villain. Steady pacing is.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
The movie might have appealed to me more had I been a fan of the classical music that blankets it. It had a certain charm despite its dark side. For a mixture of genres it came out okay. The horror aspect unexpectedly has clung to my thoughts despite its predictability in the unfolding. It ain't a classic but it'll do in a pinch. But probably not for children.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Decent action scenes. Suitability for children: Not rated, but not children-friendly. Special effects: Average special effects. Video Occasion: Better than watching TV. Suspense: Predictable. Overall movie rating: Three stars out of five.
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