ICEMAN. Directed by Fred Schepisi; written by Chip Proser and Jon Drimmer; produced by Patrick Palmer and Norman Jewison for Universal. Starring Timothy Hutton, Lindsay Crouse and John Lone. Rated PG.
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Note to Spurs fans: this movie is not about George Gervin. The title is meant much more literally. It refers to a primitive human frozen 40,000 years ago. Iceman could occasionally benefit from a fast break or two, since some of the scenes go on a bit too long. But overall it is an interesting and most unusual movie. Science fiction fans who like the emphasis on science will be the most appreciative.
While exploring for some unidentified mineral treasures in the Arctic, a large and very well-equipped company finds something quite different. After they slice up an ice block with lasers, they find Charlie (Lone), as he will soon be called, looking like an ivory statue. To everyone's amazement, when he is thawed, he comes to life.
The problems the well-meaning scientists face in trying to keep Charlie alive and non-psychotic are obviously tremendous. Luckily, they have a huge vivarium they've been using to house some bears and other native fauna. Charlie seems fairly content there until he discovers he's not really outside.
Crouse plays Brady, the doctor in scientific charge of Charlie, who wants to study his physiology for a clue to a human anti-freeze. Hutton is Shephard, an anthropologist who is more interested in Charlie's psychology and what this will show us about our evolution. Both actors give good performances (as does the whole cast), although Hutton has a few too many cute quirks. He is not as impressive here as he was in Ordinary People. But the power of his role in that movie would be hard to top.
The real focus of the movie is Lone as Charlie, although it does take a while—please forgive me—to warm up to him. His makeup is convincing, but not overly elaborate (Michelle Burke, who won an Oscar for the makeup in Quest for Fire does an equally impressive job here). Eventually it's his movements, and his "stage presence," in effect, more than his looks, that convince us of who he is. He is almost totally unlike us. But in spite of this he is a completely sympathetic character. In his first movie (he is an acclaimed stage actor) Lone displays a remarkable talent.
Much of the "action" of Iceman involves scenes of Shephard and Charlie teaching each other their languages, Shephard trying to relate Charlie's primitive religion to something in the modern Eskimos', etc. Not exactly up to Star Wars or Dirty Harry standards.
But there is a surprising amount of emotional excitement in Iceman. I often found myself gripping the armrests at the end of a scene, involved in spite of the dry-sounding subject matter. And there are some scenes, like Charlie's escape from the vivarium, which are thrilling by any measure.
Viewers who can't get interested in science fiction, or who find science in any form a turn-off, probably won't like this movie. But there is excitement and drama and beauty in science, and all of that is conveyed very well in Iceman.
April 25, 1984