Movies You May Have Missed - #9 Angus (1995)

"Superman isn't brave... he's indestructible. And you can't be brave if you're indestructible."

Well, here we are... one of my all-time favorite movies. I really have a soft spot for this one. I suppose part of the reason for that is that I saw it in the theater when it was originally released, and watched it many times on video when I was growing up. However, I revisited this movie about five or six years ago and found that not only does it hold up surprisingly well, but also that my fondness for it is rooted not only in nostalgia... this is a great movie.
I'll start this right off the bat by pointing out the sad, disappointing truth: This movie is not available on DVD. Yes, that's right. We're in 2009, and this great little movie is STILL not on disc. Apparently, rights issues have held up the release, but more on that later. Needless to say, the clips below are from my VHS copy of the movie, currently the only way to see it.
Angus is the story of an overweight high school boy (the title character), who, when picked as the "Winter Ball King" at the upcoming school dance as a prank by his nemesis Rick Sandford (James Van Der Beek, in his first major role), decides to actually go through with it for the chance to dance with Melissa (Ariana Richards - Jurassic Park), the girl he's had a life-long, unspoken infatuation with.
Now, wait. Let's stop right there. I know what you're thinking. How many times have we seen that before? The answer: way too many. Although the story doesn't really have anything new to offer, the characters shine, and that's the real reason to see this film. Angus was played by first-time actor Charlie Talbert, who was discovered by the director at a Wendy's restaurant, goofing around with a friend as they waited in line. He truly is a revelation. Talbert never really went on to do much after this, but he really was amazing in this role, and I'd like to see him make a comeback.
The other two reasons for the film's success are director Patrick Read Johnson and writer Jill Gordon. Johnson had previously directed two mainstream comedies, Spaced Invaders and Baby's Day Out, but it's obvious that he was working on a more personal level here, and that passion continuously shines through. Gordon, a former television writer for shows like My So-Called Life and thirtysomething, adapted a short story by Chris Crutcher into this feature. The fact that she was involved with My So-Called Life says it all, and needless to say she brings lots of nice little realistic touches to this story of high school life.
After a pre-title sequence in which we see Angus grow up through the years, we join him in the present day, where he and his best friend Troy (Chris Owen - American Pie) are both on the school's football team, yet are still unappreciated. This title sequence, set to Love Spit Love's "Am I Wrong", is a wonderful opening to the film, and sets just the right tone - humor and honesty, with a little bit of heartbreak thrown in:

This is probably a good time to point out the music in the film. Although the movie itself was far from a hit, the soundtrack was a bestseller. Filled with songs from alternative bands like Weezer and Green Day, the music is stellar. Below, here's a scene featuring great use of the Goo Goo Dolls song "Ain't That Unusual". It's also a great example of the direction in the film; this short sequence is obviously evocative of the character's isolation, and gets this point across efficiently and effectively:

And here's a montage sequence featuring Green Day's song "J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)", which they wrote specifically for the film:

Now it's time to talk about the two biggest tricks this movie has up its sleeve: Oscar winners George C. Scott and Kathy Bates. Playing Angus's grandfather and mother, respectively, Scott and Bates both deliver great performances in a short amount of screen time (although they are, quite understandably, first-billed). Most of their work is done separately, but this is the second of their two scenes together, which I've always found quite moving:

Apparently, from what I've read online, the original cut of Angus was quite different from the final version. In the original short story (which I've never read) both of Angus's parents are gay, and the film was shot with this story structure intact. Eventually, however, perhaps due to test screenings or some other reason, this was changed, and Angus's opening narration explains that his father died of a heart attack when his mother was in labor. That's all fine with me, since these changes meant the beefing-up of the grandfather character, and the addition of fine scenes like this one, in which Scott explains to Angus that "Superman isn't brave". Great stuff.

Here's another music sequence, set to Peter Gabriel's "Washing of the Water". It's a scene following a main character's death (which, although I won't reveal who, you can probably figure it out), and it's all done very well: simple and beautiful, with no dialogue.

And finally, Angus gets his "moment" as he dances with Melissa. The best-ever use of Mazzy Star's wonderful (and overplayed) "Fade Into You". A heartbreakingly short moment of triumph for Angus after all the trials and tribulations throughout the film, but that's how it should be, because after all, that's how it really is.

Although it was barely a blip on the radar when it was released back in 1995, Angus has steadily grown a cult following over the years, leading many to ask "What gives?" of the movie's non-presence on DVD. Apparently there was a huge movie-rights snafu somewhere along the line: The movie was a production of Ted Turner's short-lived Turner Pictures, but was distributed by New Line. As the story goes, the film is still under copyright by Turner Pictures, but New Line thought that they were the owners of the film when they sold the rights to the movie years ago. Neither of the companies remember who they sold the rights to, and no one has stepped forward to claim they own it. So the only reason that this film is unavailable (even the VHS is out-of-print) is that someone lost some paperwork. Hopefully this will be cleared up at some point.
But as the many fans of this film know, we're just glad that it's available at all. Although the humor can be a little broad at times (probably in an attempt to appeal to a young audience), Angus gets so many things right that it's easy to look past its faults. It came from the heart and swung for the fences, and although it really is a simple little story about a big kid who dreams of being anything other than himself, it was told with such honesty and warmth and affection for its characters that it has found a steadily increasing audience, grateful for the conviction of the filmmakers in presenting us a warm, admirable and memorable character named Angus.

If you'd like to see Angus released on DVD, please sign the petition here. Although this is unlikely to single-handedly influence a studio to release it, every little bit helps.