Sweet Revenge

Looking for a copy of the movie to see if my wife was actually in the movie or a second. Sweet Revenge was filmed at our houseboat and I was a little irate because I couldn't get home from work. Stockard Channing used our bathroom to freshen up and signed her name in lipstick on the mirror; which I thought was a little presumptuous. My wife was watching the production with her hair in curlers which the director liked and wanted to keep her in the film, but since we were going out that night she skipped the last couple of takes. We always wondered if she was in the print or not. We couldn't really tell from the showing. I would sure like to see it one more time. I thought the funniest scene was transposition of the police siren with the ice cream loudspeaker. Otherwise, I agree the plot was a little thin.

If you're looking for a movie with meaning, this isn't it. But, if you're looking for about 2 hours of car-stealing fun, this is the movie for you. The plot is easy to follow (she steals cars to buy her dream car) and the acting is wonderful. I'm surprised at how much chemistry Stockard Channing and Sam Waterston have together (of course, you could put Stockard Channing opposite a hot dog and she would have find a way to make the scene work.) I'd never heard of this movie before and didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I wonder why this film wasn't considered good when it came out. It really isn't a bad little film. If you need only one reason to see this movie, watch it to see the development of Stockard Channing's acting technique. This woman should have a mantle full of Academy Awards. She slips into Vurrla and her different aliases so easily that you wonder (at least I did) if she has some type of personality disorder. I don't mean that in a cruel way, but her transformation into the character is so complete that you forget you're watching Stockard Channing playing a character and feel as if you're peeping in on Vurrla. When you're so engrossed in a movie that you forget that you're watching a movie, that is the hallmark of a great acting (think Olivier in "Othello" or Davis in "The Little Foxes).

Vurrla Kowsky (Stockard Channing) has an eye for a new Ferrari Dino. She's a car thief and gets pulled over. Her public defender Philip Le Clerq (Sam Waterston) assumes that she's a victim of circumstances and tries to reform her. In reality, she gave a false identity and constantly lies to him. She has many aliases and is an unrepentant thief. Philip follows her back to her rundown boarded up place. Only her car radio stealing best friend Edmund knows her real name. Sweet Revenge is her car's name. Philip tries to help her despite continuously being lied to.

This little-seen Stockard Channing indie is a nice showcase for her. The film works best when she's paired with Waterston. It really should be a film about the two of them. The film stagnates without them together even when she does some crazy stuff. Their back and forth injects a fun chemistry into the movie.

Having known specialists in 'midnight auto' Ms. Channings portrayal of an obsessed car thief rings very true-to-life. To anyone else watching this movie the mechanics of the trade must have been an eye-opener. Of course, every car nut worth his (or her) salt has probably lusted after a Ferrari 246 Dino; but not to the degree that's reflected in Ms. Channings single-minded pursuit of that modern classic automobile.

At the time "All American Girl" was released I was living in Sea-Tac WA, the primary film setting. No effort made in trying to create a fictional locale. There was plenty of local press coverage and the movie may have even premiered there (?) Just about every frame contains shots of both the beauty and grittiness of the place and the characters inhabiting the world of grand-theft-auto (a perfect tonic BTW, for that Roger Corman/Ron Howard film on the same topic).

Not that I found the movie a 'downer'. Far from it. There's plenty of humor supplied by Ms. Channing, presaging later roles on film and TV. Her character's various changes in disguise as she alternately sells and steals a Porsche 356 in order to get up the scratch for the ultimate score are just too funny.

Making a film like "Sweet Revenge" could probably not come close to happening these days. The age of the Anti-Hero is long gone. One should be glad that it was released when it was. There's nothing else around quite like it.

Also recommended, "Gone in 60 Seconds" (the original).

In this made-for-television flick, Stockard Channing plays a no-good, selfish, pathological liar with a rap sheet longer than her arm. Her current fixation is stealing cars, so that she can sell them and hopefully get enough money to actually buy a Ferrari. Beyond that, she has absolutely no life plan. She's not thinking of getting a legitimate job, an apartment or house, a quality boyfriend, or even a bath. What a great heroine to root for.

For some reason that never becomes clear, her young, trusting public defender—played by Sam Waterston, who else?—tells the judge to be lenient because she's a good kid and just needs a little guidance. He continually sticks up for her and tries to help her, even though she proves time and again she has neither the interest nor the tools to fully accept his help. She's incredibly unlikable, and it's very frustrating to watch her drag Sam down with her, especially for fans who know him on Law & Order. Unless you really love Stockard Channing—I don't; she's just too angry-looking all the time—you'll probably want to load up on your Jack McCoy fix the way nature intended, with a Law & Order marathon.