The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008)

It's 1923 Mississippi. A blown dam upriver kills several people and causes extensive damage. Fisher Willow (Bryce Dallas Howard) returns to Memphis from Europe to find her father much hated for that selfish act to save his own property. She's sassy, self-obsessed, and has no one to take to come out to Memphis society. She decides to clean up longtime workhand Jimmy Dobyne (Chris Evans) to accompany her. He's a grandson to a former governor although his father (Will Patton) is a drunk and his mother is in an asylum. She borrows family heirloom diamond earrings from her aunt. She is ostracized at the party. Only her friend Julie (Mamie Gummer) invites her to a Halloween party. Fisher loses an earring on the walk up to Julie's party. Julie's cousin Vinnie (Jessica Collins) takes an immediate dislike to Fisher and a liking to Jimmy. Julie's aunt Miss Addie (Ellen Burstyn) is bedridden from her opium use in Hong Kong. Everybody is acting bad which is fine but nobody is doing it convincingly. It's a long forgotten Tennessee Williams script and I'm not sure if it shouldn't stay that way. At least, this production does nothing to enhance it. I can overlook Howard's overacting because her character is overacting. On the other hand, I don't get Jimmy's harsh understanding of Fisher's question. It comes out of nowhere and he over-reacts out of proportion. In the end, I ship Jimmy and Vinnie far more than Jimmy and Fisher. The chemistry of Jimmy-Vinnie is already good but Jimmy-Fisher has several bad starts. Not every Tennessee diamond is flawless but even in this rough one, there are moments of beauty.

Tennessee Williams' 'The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond' is a found screenplay that he never got to put on the stage during his lifetime, so when it was discovered among some papers everyone was ecstatic. This story however, is far from the classics he usually wrote. The character Fisher Willow is a débutante and an heiress, but not the usual conventional ones. She speaks her mind and does as she pleases and cares little of what others think of her, and this should make her lovable to the viewers but it doesn't really. There is a dark side to her, not unlike the dark sides to Blanche Dubois (A Streetcar Named Desire) or Brick Pollitt (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) from prior Tennessee Williams' plays. Her dark side is more innocent and tender but it is not fully explored or explained. The screenplay doesn't really understand her and so the audience doesn't really understand her. And we as a society tend to dislike things we cannot understand.Her love interest Jimmy Dobyne is equally as ambiguous as she is. He is poor and his father and mother are not (currently) fit parents, or really fit to do anything. Because of this he walks about with the weight of his family burdens on his shoulders but you can't really get a read on him either. He and Fisher are more than likely kindred spirits and it is made apparent that they've interacted before the actual story begins but it is not apparent just how long or how well they know each other. Jimmy thinks Fisher "Too good" for him, but is this just an excuse to not be with her? He doesn't seem interested in her romantically and Fisher doesn't seem to care, knowing that her money can buy her anything she wants, including him.Bryce Dallas Howard tackles the role with a mysticism that delves into the human psyche in a rather private way. You get the feeling that she knows the character inside and out but she won't share that information with us. Her portrayal should have been more obvious or blatant so that we could be right there with her. Chris Evans was spotty and unsure, perhaps because his character was, but again we are not confident that this is the reason. Tennessee Williams' lost script was not lost but put away. It is clear to me that he wasn't finished with the story or with the characters. Some revision was necessary and a goal was needed because currently the story seems to meander about unsure where it is going to take you. That's not to say that the movie isn't good. This is a great draft of a story that promises interesting and lovable characters along with a plot that is both ridiculous and relatable. It is after all the little things that we do or that happen to us that alter our lives. 'The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond' is currently no diamond, but still the rough with which the diamond is made. Not a wholly unpleasant viewing. 6.5/10

From the very start of this film there is an underlying tension. Between the script (And who can write better than Tennesee Williams in this genre) the editing, score and direction, we have the feeling that Fisher is bringing a nasty storm our way. She may not mean to, but she is a selfish and spoiled girl. She meets and falls in love with Jimmy, a working class young man with a deep loyalty to his father, an alcoholic who survived the Spanish American War and his mother, who has been locked up in an asylum.Jimmy's mix with the rich and disloyal world of Fisher brings about a series of events and though they were foreshadowed, we never knew exactly what was coming.the film is filled with terrific performances but none compare to that of Chris Evans, who plays Jimmy. From his authentic Tennnsee accent and the way he handles a filter less cigarette (not bad for a Boston boy) to the things he is able to say with his eyes. He fights his way through the film for what is right; for the dignity of his parents and every word he speaks is free of any sort of "acting techniques". When he stands in the rain and cries, we are barely able to keep from crying as well.This film will be a classic and should have caught the eyes of the Golden Globes, the Accademy and Cannes. The fact that Tenesee Williams didn't win best original screenplay (he was not even nominated) nor Chris Evans win best actor is a travesty. But Hollywood prefers Chris pumnped up and suited as Captain America. This film (along with London) is proof that this young man is the next generation of brilliance.

"The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond," is a real gem but it is not for everyone. If you are not a big Tennessee Williams fan, you probably will not like it. If you are unfamiliar with Tennessee Williams, then you are better off watching "A Streetcar Named Desire," or "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."Admittedly, this is not one of Williams' best stories. The reason the film works so well is the acting and directing.I had seen Bryce Dallas Howard in a few other films but they did not prepare me for this absolutely thrilling performance. This is not just the best performance of the year but it is the best performance in the past several years. She brings the character of Fisher Willow to life the way that Vivian Leigh did for Blanche DuBois. In many ways Fisher Willow is like a young version of Blanche. Fisher is a typical Williams' heroine. She initially comes off as a selfish, self centered, Southern Belle but underneath she is much more fragile than anyone suspects. Bryce Dallas Howard is able to bring this out with such complexity and nuance that we can sympathize with a character that we should not care about so much. Even in her best moments she seems as though she could shatter at any moment.This performance alone is enough reason to see this film. The story follows the familiar themes covered in other Tennessee Williams stories: loneliness, loss of wealth, fall from grace, and battling interior demons. The teardrop diamond could represent the wealth and status her family once had. It is not just a $5000 jewel. It is a symbol of what her family once was and what was once the old South.Jodie Markell does an impressive job directing. Her style is old school. She knows when to let the camera linger and when to let the scenes play out. The film does not seem rushed and it never drags. The cinematography is gorgeous with burnished orange dominating the color palette. "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond," may not be one of the four best movies made from a Tennessee Williams story but it is not far behind. This is mandatory viewing for any fan of Tennessee Williams.