Searching Souls Hit the Road in ‘Jerome’

“Jerome,” a standout at the 1998 AFI FilmFest, looks even better on a second viewing. When you know what’s coming, you’re better able to pay close attention to the high level of artistry and craftsmanship that went into it. Yet so taut and compelling is this picture, an example of mature, disciplined American independent filmmaking at its best, that you are caught up in it all over again.

There are no false notes in this stylish yet low-key, beautifully structured and photographed film, a miracle of economy and compassionate psychological insight. A macho-looking yet highly introspective Bakersfield welder in his mid-30s (Drew Pillsbury) has one day finally had it after years of grinding routine under a heavy-handed boss. He takes off in the boss’ car and heads for the artists’ community in Jerome, Ariz., where he hopes to turn his junk-sculpture hobby into a full-time pursuit.

Pillsbury reaches deep within himself to create a superbly understated yet wonderfully expressive portrayal of an individual who has an imaginative life beyond the comprehension of family and friends. Pillsbury’s Wade Hampton is a decent, responsible man who would never have fled job and family had he not been so starved of understanding and encouragement. Blue-collar guys like Wade are simply expected to take whatever life dishes out, and their alternative passions are not always taken seriously.

To his every complaint his wife (Beth Kennedy), who admits she has had a good marriage, simply points out that there’s no other job he can do--and leaves it at that. It was a vacationing co-worker who some time in the past sent Wade a postcard from Jerome, describing what it was like and inadvertently igniting a dream and giving a focus to his ever-growing frustration.

Once out of the security of his rut and on the open road, however, Wade is a fish out of water. Stopping at a rest area as he heads toward Needles, he encounters a woman about his age, Jane (Wendie Malick, easily Pillsbury’s equal; she co-stars in TV’s “Just Shoot Me” with David Spade, who is the film’s executive producer). She asks him for a ride, saying her car has broken down. His instincts reflexively cause him to reply, “I don’t think that would be a good idea.” But he is a kind man, and since he has thrown caution to the wind so dramatically, he’s experiencing a rush of freedom.

Jane comes across as a restless free spirit, alluding to a husband she has left, and asks only to be dropped off at Needles. Attractive, bright but also edgy, she’s a motor-mouth who makes it clear she feels she has been mistreated by men, yet comes on to Wade. There’s a desperate, rootless quality to Jane that suggests she’s unreliable at best and dangerous at worst.

Wade’s innate gentlemanliness that led to giving her a ride in the first place, coupled with his inexperience outside his heretofore conventional existence, leaves him wide open to whatever situation Jane’s continuing presence creates. That the film is dryly punctuated with an unseen documentary crew interviewing the key people in Wade’s life suggests that this good man is headed for big trouble. There are decided similarities between “Jerome” and Edgar Ulmer’s classic “Detour,” but instead of a film noir, “Jerome” is more of an energetic yet reflective, acutely contemporary road movie.

Written, directed and edited by Thomas Johnston, David Elton and Eric Tignini, “Jerome” concludes on a note of paradox, reminding us in a fresh way that freedom always comes from within.

* Unrated. Times guidelines: some language, scenes of strong violence, complex adult themes.

‘Jerome’

Drew Pillsbury: Wade Hampton

Wendie Malick: Jane

Scott McKenna: Cal

Beth Kennedy: Pamela Hampton

A Phaedra Cinema release of a JET Film production. Written, directed and produced by Thomas Johnston, David Elston and Eric Tignini. Executive producer David Spade. Cinematographer Gina DeGerolamo. Editor the JET Film Co. Production designer Linette Shorr. Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes.

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