uniform

About Tom * Chick Reid * Gallery * Interviews * Films * TV Theatre * FAQ * About Ground Control * Contact Info * Links

I Love A Man In Uniform (1993)

Director: David Wellington

Writer: David Wellington

Cast: Brigitte Bako, David Hemblen, Kevin Tighe, Alex Karzis

Character: Henry Adler / "Flanagan"

Billing: 1st

Plot: Bank clerk Henry Adler lands his shot at the big time, with a leading role in cop drama "Crimewave". Finally getting the respect he's always wanted, he takes to the streets in his uniform, and the borders between realities become blurred.

Review: A stunning film on several levels, most notably where the script and Tom's career-best performance are concerned. The interiority of the film, where Henry is in every single scene, allows an identification and sympathy with the character usually only found in the best psychological novels. Wellington's script also delivers an intense sense of realism, with no weary expositional dialogue, or lengthy explanations of why Henry does what he does. No psychiatrist is needed to step in, because the explanations are found in his words and actions, and in the people around him. The depiction of Henry-as-actor is fascinating, as he first memorises the script needed for the audition, and then proceeds to memorise the script of the world, the speech of other characters, to be used again on subsequent occasions. Even without the wider plot, the set of the television show is an interesting enough arena to sustain the film, with its collection of small but well-played characters.

Of the supporting players, David Hemblen is convincing as Henry's ever-distant father, whilst Brigitte Bako does an amazing turn as the young actress doomed to play "hookers with a heart of gold". Although Kevin Tighe plays his role as the older cop with finesse, it suffers from being so markedly at odds with the rest of the film. However, Tom, who spends much of the film on his own, talking to himself and acting against reflected parts of Henry's personality, holds it together in a way which makes a very complex character seem both effortless and real in a film where reality is always questionable.

Trivia: Tom won the Best Actor Genie for his performance. Filmed in Toronto. Directed by David Wellington, who also did Long Day's Journey Into Night. Co-starring David Hemblen of The Sweet Hereafter and Norman's Awesome Experience, and Albert Schultz from Beautiful Dreamers.