King of the Hill
Originally Written: May 2001
Inspired by making my list of 10 best of the ’90s yesterday, I decided to rewatch one of the films I listed as an alternate for the list- Steven Soderbergh’s “King of the Hill,” released in 1993 (the year another Steven- Spielberg- released “Schindler’s List”).
I’m so glad I did, and I so wish I had a place for it on my top 10. Based on a memoir by A.E. Hotchner (now out of print), it stars Jesse Bradford as Aaron, a 12-year old kid living in St. Louis during the Great Depression (1933) with his kid brother Sullivan, his jobless father Eric (“The Fugitive’s” Jeroen Krabbe) who tries to sell wickless candles, and his ill mother (Lisa Eichhorn). He’s a star student at school, who’s supported by his caring teacher (Karen Allen, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), not to mention quite clever- able to make up stories about Charles Lindbergh for class and creatively lie about his parent’s occupations and their economical status, not just to save himself from embarrassment or pity from his classmates or teacher.
Aaron and his family live in a low-rent hotel which regularly locks out its tenants when they can’t afford the rent (Joseph Chrest plays the overzealous bellman whom takes pride in his duty). Some of the tenants include Mr. Mungo (Spalding Gray), an alcoholic whom takes an interest in young Aaron’s cigar band collection, as well as hosts a young prostitute (Elizabeth McGovern) every now and again; Lester (Adrian Brody, “The Thin Red Line”), whom is a big brother to Aaron; and Ella (Amber Benson), a lonely young woman who has a bit of a crush on Aaron, in addition to being epileptic with no medicine.
Slowly, Aaron’s domestic life unravels before his eyes. His father’s so broke he must send Sullivan off to one of their relatives, his mother’s so overcome with TB she must be put in a sanitarium, and his father gets a job selling watches out of state (promising to return and move them all to a better living situation), forcing Aaron to fend for himself with his intelligence, ingenuity, and street smarts while trying to hold out for his family to return to normal. “King of the Hill” (adapted by Soderbergh) follows the obstacles and triumphs Aaron encounters in his struggle to hold down the fort in waiting for his father’s return.
Truth told, I haven’t talked to many- correction, any- people whom lived during the Great Depression, and before seeing Soderbergh’s film, I only saw one other film about the era that I remember (John Ford’s classic “The Grapes of Wrath”). However, on the basis of these two films (“Hill”- in my mind- is every bit as good- if not a bit better- as “Wrath”), one gets- I suspect- a vivid feeling of what it was like in this dark time in America’s history. The period is evoked with rich detail and atmosphere (lushly shot by Elliot Davis), with an equally rich score by frequent Soderbergh collaborator Cliff Martinez. Soderbergh put Sundance on the map with 1989’s “sex, lies, & videotape,” followed by the underrated “Kafka” in 1991, “Hill,” the noir remake “The Underneath” in ’95, two odd, but personal projects- “Gray’s Anatomy” and “Schizopolis”- in ’96, then was back on the map with his Elmore Leonard adaptation “Out of Sight” in ’98, his twisty thriller “The Limey” in ’99, and a one-two punch last year with the Julia Roberts vehicle “Erin Brockovich” and drug epic “Traffic,” both of which earned big bucks at the box-office and Oscar nods for Soderbergh (he won for “Traffic”). While I have yet to see his work between this film and “Out of Sight,” the work which bookends those three films are enough to merit him the title of the most exciting modern American filmmaker, with his upcoming project- the star-heavy remake of “Ocean’s Eleven,” due in late 2001- generating much anticipation. While every film of his I’ve seen is smart, flawlessly-crafted, and cool as Hell, this is his best- intelligent, off-beat without being disrespectful to the sadness of the period, and emotionally resonant without being unbearably sentimental.
A large reason for that is his exceptional cast. Krabbe and Eichhorn are effective in the roles of Aaron’s parents- Krabbe in displaying the distant tenderness Eric has toward his family as a result of his job search and need to go out of town for his work when he does find a job, Eichhorn- in a limited role- moving as a devoted mother but unable to care for her sons with her illness. Brody is lively and a bright character as the “older brother” in Aaron’s life (even getting him a job as a golf caddie in a clever scene). Allen and Gray are compelling in small, but memorable roles as two of Aaron’s adult supporters. As Ella, Benson (a sweet joy as Willow’s wicca soulmate on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”- another reason I was compelled to revisit the film) also makes a lasting impression in a lovely, moving role of a young girl who finds a bright spot in her own difficult life by becoming friends- however briefly- with Aaron (she’s forced to leave when she starts to have frequent epileptic attacks); their scenes together have a tender delicacy and poignance that are as good as those Patrick Fugit and Kate Hudson share in “Almost Famous”- another terrific coming-of-age period piece from a 2000 Oscar winner (Cameron Crowe). It’s a small role, but Benson brings unforced heart and feeling to it that make it memorable. (Also, the gum-chewing black girl in the elevator is none other than Lauryn Hill (yes, the ex-Fugee, Grammy-winning hip-hop star).)
Still, the film is about Aaron’s coming of age, and young Bradford is remarkable in a performance worthy of comparison to Haley Joel Osment’s in “The Sixth Sense.” Bradford must carry the film on his shoulders, and does so with cunning intelligence and true-blue emotion, bringing out both the confident, charismatic inventiveness and heartbreaking desperation Aaron must confront if he’s to keep his family’s hopes of reuiniting- and having a place to live- in tact. He goes as far as locking himself in the hotel room with the threat of eviction hanging over him, while warding off hunger by cutting out PICTURES of food and eating them, hoping to get at least a psychological feeling of appeased hunger. It’s a brave, unforgettable turn that I’m embarrassed about forgetting how good it was.
Not surprisingly, “King of the Hill” was not a box-office success when it was released, making less than $1.5 million. At the time, Steven Soderbergh was still an underground, critical darling, even if his “Kafka” didn’t match the expectations set up with “sex, lies, & videotape.” Now that he’s hit box-office paydirt and Oscar success (both much deserved for this versatile wunderkind), it’s time for audiences to see what he did in between the indie that shook the industry (five years before Tarantino made it truly “hip” to be an independent filmmaker) and the major-studio financed pleasures of “Out of Sight” and “Erin Brockovich” (both of which prove- most certainly- that Soderbergh has NOT- and will likely never- sell out). Start with this rigorously unsentimental look at a young man’s triumph over adversity during a time when the country was at its most vulnerable.
