University Daily Kansan / Friday, September 23, 1988
Arts & Entertainment
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'Kansas' called an American fable
David Stevens, director of the movie "Kansas," arrives at the Fox Theaters in Topeka last night for the world premiere of his movie.
Reactions to movie favorable
By M. Meredith Relph Kansan staff writer
America's heartland was displayed from celluloid memory at last night's premiere of "Kansas" in Topeka.
Filmed in the Lawrence area last year, the film opened to an audience of nearly 600 people, many of whom were Australian celebrities. The movie was the United States debut of the film by Australian director David Stevens, who attended the premiere showing. Matt Dillon and Andrew McCarthy appeared in the movie, were unable to attend.
MOVIES
It's difficult to categorize. It's a love story, it's got action and drama, everything.'
Stevens said he thought of the film as an American fable.
"It's difficult to categorize," he said. "It's a love story, it's got action and drama, everything."
He said the film did not poke fun at Kansans, but rather it portrayed the heartland as he saw it.
Stevens also directed the films "A Town Like Alice" and "Breaker Morant."
David Stevens Kansas director
Among those attending the screening were Lawrence mayor Bob Schumm and his wife.
Bob Salmon, director of the State Travel and Tourism Division of the US Air Force, said his department was trying to encourage more filmmakers to come to Kansas. He said the filming of "Kansas" made more than 88 million for the state.
"I think it is a positive thing for the state," Schumann said. "The film was very good. The casting was appropriative, and the settings were accurate and realistic."
The Kansas Film Commission is
working with the Travel and Tourism Division to find movie scripts for the state. Jerry Jones, coordinator for the commission, said he and several others had been asked to Las Vegas. New, next week to attend a trade show for filmmakers.
"We haven't found anything yet but we're scouting." Jones said.
He said the script for "Kansas" had been written several years ago,
but it was only last year that the actual filming began.
"They were looking for locations here and in other states, even though the film would be called 'Kansas.' " Jones said. "They found the house they liked and that's what made the decision."
The film was made in several locations throughout the state, including Valley Falls, Lawrence.
Topeka and Edgerton. The house used for the ranch scenes is west of Olathe.
"Kansas" will open nationwide today, and will be shown in Lawrence at the Hillcrest Theatres.
The premiere was followed by a reception at the ExpoCentre in Paris, where she received an award for benefit of the Kansas Film Commission. Steven presented a $2,000 grant to the Center for Arts and Culture.
The man who said he had enjoyed making the film here and looked forward to working again in Kansas.
Jones said the public reaction to the film had been positive.
"It's a lot like Australia," he said.
"It's been wonderful and I want to come back."
'Kansas' relies on cliches, stereotypes
Just when you thought it was safe to be from Kansas . . .
Yes, it's "Kansas," the movie, and its every stereotype you ever heard, like the police officer he’s kicked, fumbling law enforcement officers — a la “Dukes of Hazzard” — sleepy towns, hayfields, farms with farmers the daughter.
"Kansas" is Australian director David Stevens' first film in the United States. It shows.
The only non-Kansasism in the movie is the fact that they pronounce Arkansas City as "Ar-kansar city." Come on. If you're going to do Kansas, at least get our own hickens right.
And we're proud that a movie-maker chose to film a major motion picture in our state.
Doyle meets Wade Corey (Andrew McCarthy) on a freight train. Wade is on his way to New York to be in his best friend's wedding. But he has car trouble, so he hops into the back seat of a tour bus in Kansas.
But that moviemaker doesn't seem interested in Kansas. Not the state, but the city, focuses on a sleepy town in tiffinies, present-day Crescent County. Our antihero, Doyle Keselowski, goes up there, but he never quite fit in.
Doyle tells Wade of his hometown, the epitheme of the sticks, where the Fourth of July means a barbecue and all the beer on diner days.
So they hop off the freight and mosey on into town. While the celebrations are going on, Doyle makes a few quick Wade into robbing the local bank.
The alarm goes off and a cry is heard across the town, "It's the bank!" Immediately, vigilantes
Jill Jess
Arts/Features editor
an incompetent shirff its offices
n incompetent for the fank
in coiffure. Dolly and Wade are
satisfaction, Laude and Wade are
Of course, Wade takes a little idepest after hiding the money and saves the governor's daughter rom certain death.
While running away, Wade tires
passes on of one the richest farms
in the country. He works in the
work the wheat harvest Never
mind the fact that he has never set
a footstep or knocked down a tree.
This film relies so heavily on Kansas stereotypes that it is difficult to know whether to laugh hysterically or to be offended.
Dillon and McCarthy try admirably to portray characters the audience can care about. But Dillon's dime store cowboy is lazyly sleazy and McCarthy's easygiving driver is superficially low-
The only redeeming character in “Kansas” is Leslie Hope as Lori Bayles, the farmer between stereotype and reality. But, of course, no one will believe that in a real life there are two convertible anddates a fraternity boy who is in pre-law.
As long as we have movies like "Kansas," we will never escape the stereotypes.
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