SCENT OF A WOMAN
What's the story?
In order to make some extra money, prep school teen Charlie
(Chris
O'Donnell) takes a job caring for Frank "The Colonel" Slade over
Thanksgiving holiday. Charlie wants to back out of the job as soon as he meets
the man, but he's too nice to say no to the colonel's harried niece who
obviously needs a vacation. A tough, aging ex-military man, the colonel no
longer has control of his life due to blindness. He's bitter, angry, drinks
Jack Daniels like it's water, and lives in his niece's converted garage because
his other relatives can't stand him. Charlie has his own problems – for one,
he's a small-town teen attending a fancy prep school on scholarship. He's also
witnessed his bratty "friends" committing a crime, and after the
holidays he'll be forced to rat on them, accept a bribe from an authority
figure, or be expelled. Charlie's life-changing adventure begins when the
colonel drags him to New York City for a weekend of indulgences, after which
the colonel declares to his young caretaker, "I will blow my brains out
with a gun." As the weekend wears on, Charlie and the colonel slowly come
to understand each other.
Is it any good?
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| The Famous Tango Scene |
While there's little violence overall, Scent of a Woman is
intense -- Al Pacino. Al Pacino gives
a powerful performance that's on the verge of frightening as a very angry,
depressed man. The performance earned Pacino his first Oscar.
Because of the colonel's intense nature, and his suicidal
thoughts, the film is best suited to older teens, and some parts may be too
disturbing for more sensitive teens. There are many good messages here
(responsibility, caring for the disabled and down-and-out, anti-suicide, the
importance of friends and family, and more), but the film also shows the stark
reality of adult depression and alcoholism. The colonel pulls his life together
with Charlie's help, and repays that kindness in a big way.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
One can talk about the reasons the colonel is so angry and
depressed. How did Charlie get over his first impressions of the colonel, and
how did he try to help him want to keep on living? Why was the speech that the
colonel gave at the prep school so powerful? What do you think Charlie learned
from the colonel, and vice versa? Do you think the colonel is an accurate
portrayal of an addict? How is the colonel like or unlike addicts depicted in
other movies?
-- Contributed by Pranjal Batra
