Walking Across Egypt (DVD)

...touch irritating but that aside, Walking Across Egypt is a quietly, homely and humorous watch.

I did a quick search for it and it's available to buy for around £2.99. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a touching story, who has enjoyed previous performances by Jonathan Taylor Thomas or Ellen Burstyn or who would like to see Mark Hamill playing a very different part from Luke Skywalker!
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The story "Walking Across Egypt" was written by Clyde Edgerton. I read the book when I was a kid and was bought the DVD (released in 2000) for Christmas two years ago. Unfortunately I've since lost the book so I can't comment on how well it was made into a film but I do enjoy watching the DVD so here's my opinion on it.

Directed by Arthur Seidelman and produced by Heath McLaughlin, the film begins by following a stray dog across fields and down small country roads until he stops on the porch of Mattie Riggsby (Ellen Burstyn). Mattie an ageing woman with grown up children but no grandchildren is independent in living in a large house alone. A small scene in a funeral parlour suggests that she is planning for the inevitable and that she can't trust her spoilt children to decide the finer details of how she would like to be buried. As a devout Christian, Mattie attends church services regularly and it is at one of these services that the sermons words "What you do to the least of these, you do to me" stick with her.

Mattie has the stray dog collected and taken to the pound. It is then that she learns of Lamar (Mark Hamill) the animal control officer's nephew. Lamar's nephew, Wesley Benfield (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), a 17 year old orphaned teenager is detained in juvenile penitentiary. Believing in "helping the least of these thy brethren" and guilty for not giving a home to the stray dog Mattie decides to visit Wesley. Taking him some pound cake and iced tea.

Mattie befriends young Wesley but he quickly takes advantage of this lady's naive and kind nature escaping from the penitentiary and residing with her to avoid being caught. Mattie tries to instil manners in Wesley and teaches him right from wrong. However, Wesley is too busy enjoying her home cooking and her bathtub. During his stay Mattie teaches Wesley to fish (watch out for the obviously prop fish!) and swim but she gets no thanks for this and he steals her money. The law finally catches up with escapee Wesley and Mattie has some thinking to do about her trust in him.

I particularly like the moral behind this film which I think suits a teen to adult audience but it is less suitable for younger children. The concept that the lives of young delinquent Wesley and absorbed in the church Mattie at the other end of life might cross is a simple one but so effective in that they have much to learn from each other and Mattie wants to give him a second chance. The story is touching and heart warming.

This film, as the book, isn't completely serious either. Mattie has two overly nosy neighbours who like to know exactly what is going on in the Rigsby house hold. Also, Mattie gets stuck in a rocking chair for hours, which is based on a true event that actually happened to Clyde Edgerton's mother. This ability of Clyde Edgerton to make characters of his books believable and real shines through in this film adaptation too. As a result of this incident, Mattie's grown up children show their concern for her living alone but this concern is short lived.

The DVD contains extra cut scenes and clips from the making of the film which makes it more enjoyable. The DVD has a PG certificate due to some swearing and a scene where two boys fight, one with a knife, in the juvenile penitentiary. The film is 100 minutes long but the story is a little slow to start with. Both lead roles are acted well and the complement each other. However, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, cutie-pie face exaggerates his role as a lovable rogue. Maybe this was deliberate but I'd have liked to see a young boy who looked like a rebel and Mattie turn him around rather than a butter-wouldn't melt sort who we are meant to believe committed grand theft auto. Set in North Carolina the accents get a touch irritating but that aside, Walking Across Egypt is a quietly, homely and humorous watch.

I did a quick search for it and it's available to buy for around £2.99. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a touching story, who has enjoyed previous performances by Jonathan Taylor Thomas or Ellen Burstyn or who would like to see Mark Hamill playing a very different part from Luke Skywalker!
 

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