The immense beauty of this film derives in no small part, of course, from the brilliance of Capote's flawless writing. Capote wrote magnificent prose, not all of which translated well to the screen. This is a delightful exception, as it comes together into the quintessential adaptation of Capote and a holiday experience that is unlikely ever to be equaled.
The fragile narration by Mr. Capote himself floats like a dried leaf above this tender and intimate tale. The story itself is a lyric remembrance by Capote of the almost rhapsodic beauty of his holidays with his beloved Aunt Sook in the midst of his desolately poor Alabama childhood.
Perhaps the centerpiece of this treasure is the dazzling performance of Geraldine Page as Sook. She sets the tone and provides the driving force behind the story with a gentleness and innocence that infuse it with an undeniable genuineness.
The delicate affirmations the two friends share, the loss and longing, the foolish dreams that sustained them, and their moving holiday tradition; all are Capote at his best, long before he became his worst. The closing monologue is one of the most moving moments in cinema, not cheaply so, nor contrived, but earnest and real the way movies, and yes, the Holidays, should be.
The fragile narration by Mr. Capote himself floats like a dried leaf above this tender and intimate tale. The story itself is a lyric remembrance by Capote of the almost rhapsodic beauty of his holidays with his beloved Aunt Sook in the midst of his desolately poor Alabama childhood.
Perhaps the centerpiece of this treasure is the dazzling performance of Geraldine Page as Sook. She sets the tone and provides the driving force behind the story with a gentleness and innocence that infuse it with an undeniable genuineness.
The delicate affirmations the two friends share, the loss and longing, the foolish dreams that sustained them, and their moving holiday tradition; all are Capote at his best, long before he became his worst. The closing monologue is one of the most moving moments in cinema, not cheaply so, nor contrived, but earnest and real the way movies, and yes, the Holidays, should be.