SISKEL & EBERT

Transcript "DEJA VU" Review As It Appears in Show #1234

Tape date: 4-22-98
Air date: 4-25-98

Roger Ebert: "DEJA VU" IS AN UNABASHED LOVE STORY, A GLORIOUS FANTASY ALL THE MORE MEANINGFUL BECAUSE IT INVOLVES GROWN-UPS, instead of the post-adolescents who usually star in movie romances. Too many movies are about love at first sight, between people who could use a little second sight. "DEJA VU" stars VICTORIA FOYT as a woman who gradually realizes that she's involved in a web of enchantment that spans two generations. The movie opens in Jerusalem, where she meets a mysterious woman who seems to know a lot about her, and gives her a precious piece of jewelry.

[FILM CLIP #1: V. FOYT & A. MARKS]

Roger: A few weeks later, in England near the white cliffs of Dover, she meets a stranger, played by STEPHEN DILLANE, and they experience the curious feeling of love at first sight.

[FILM CLIP #2: S. DILLANE & V. FOYT]

Roger: They both meet again as house guests, and the host's sister, played by VANESSA REDGRAVE, seems to be very wise about the eternal truths of love.

[FILM CLIP #3: V. REDGRAVE & V. FOYT]

Roger: I HAVE TO SAY I LOVED "DEJA VU," WHICH IS THE BEST FILM IN THE LONG CAREER OF ITS DIRECTOR, HENRY JAGLOM. HE WROTE THE MOVIE WITH ITS STAR, VICTORIA FOYT, AND IT'S AN UNAPOLOGETIC LOVE STORY, FLAT OUT, NO COMPROMISES, UNAFRAID TO BE SENTIMENTAL AND HEART-RENDING AND EMOTIONAL. And at the same time it has a certain wisdom about life, about the way that we have to take our chances and make hard decisions. You see a grown-up romance like this one, and it kind of pulls the rug out from under all the cornball romances involving shallow and inexperienced people. MY GUESS IS THAT MOVIEGOERS WHO LIKE "CITY OF ANGELS" ARE LIKELY TO BE HIT EVEN HARDER BY "DEJA VU."

Gene Siskel: YES, BUT I'M AFRAID IT MAY NOT GET THE WIDE DISTRIBUTION OF "CITY OF ANGELS" AND PEOPLE MAY MISS A TRULY WONDERFUL FILM. And it's wonderful for the reason you mentioned which is: It is adult. It is about people who have been around, who feel life as they talk, they are saying something that they actually know, which is rare, rather than just reciting words off of a script.

Roger: YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS STILL SUCH A THING AS WORD-OF-MOUTH, IF IT'S STILL POSSIBLE FOR A MOVIE TO FIND ITS AUDIENCE AS "THE FULL MONTY" DID, THEN "DEJA VU" WILL CATCH ON, IF THEY JUST LEAVE IT IN THE THEATERS. I PREDICT IT CAN GATHER AN AUDIENCE AND BECOME A PHENOMENON, BECAUSE IT DELIVERS, I THINK, SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ARE TRULY HUNGERING FOR.

Gene: YES, THEY ARE AND "DEJA VU" PROVIDES IT. SO, I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT AND I HOPE PEOPLE DO FIND IT. TWO THUMBS UP, WAY UP, ON HENRY JAGLOM'S "DEJA VU" ­ A WONDERFUL LOVE STORY!