''Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day'' is a 1996

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

written and directed by Christopher Münch about a Chinese-American's attempt at saving a railroad in post-

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It stars Peter Alexander and features

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

singer

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Pos ...

in a supporting role. The title comes from a poem by Octavio Paz.

Cast

*Jeri Arredondo as ''Nancy'' *

Henry Gibson Henry Gibson (born James Bateman; September 21, 1935 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor and poet. His best-known roles include his time as a cast member of the TV sketch-comedy series ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' from 1968 to 19 ...

as ''Albert Robinson'' *

as ''Skeeter'' *Diana Larkin as ''Wendy'' *

Alexandra Bokyun Chun Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "pro ...

as ''Angela'' *

John Diehl John Henry Diehl (born May 1, 1950) is an American character actor. Noted for his work in avant-garde theater, Diehl has performed in more than 140 films and television shows, including '' Land of Plenty'', ''Stripes'', '' City Limits'', ''Nix ...

as ''Pinchot'' *Peter Alexander as ''John Lee'' *Joan Newmark as ''Mrs. Hopper''

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

has given the film a 20% rating from 5 critics. In a mixed review for the ''New York Times'',

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...

wrote "Part allegory and part photo essay, the film has a poetic beauty that rises above its brooding reticence. But too much of it lingers ineffectually over thoughts not quite spoken and deeds left undone." She praised the film's cinematography, saying "Whether capturing the natural beauty of clouds and wilderness or the grand old trains that summon a vivid American past, the film's look is extraordinarily eloquent and pure." The ''Baltimore Sun'' gave the film a very positive review, which said "Munch has taken a kernel of a true story and made of it a richly contemplative work. It is a celebration of cinema and of railroads, which when joined, have a unique and romantic capacity for transporting us to a different time and place." Comparing the cinematography to photos of Yosemite by Ansel Adams, reviewer Kevin Thomas concluded that the film is a "wedding of dreams and technology" and "a beguiling, unique reverie."

Awards

At the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, Rob Sweeney won the Cinematography Award and Christopher Münch was nominated for the Grand Jury Award. It also won Munch the Someone to Watch Award at the 11th Independent Spirit Awards.11th annual Spirit Awards ceremony - FULL SHOW, 1996, Film Independent on YouTube
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References

External links

* * {{Amg movie, 135546, Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day
Trailer
1996 films American black-and-white films 1996 drama films American independent films Michael Stipe American drama films Films produced by Andrea Sperling Anti-Asian sentiment in the United States Rail transport films 1996 independent films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films