Bebe-Neuwirth Movie Reviews

Given what she had to put up with, Lillian Hellman must have been one of the most miserable women around: Communist witch-hunts, battles over finances, and an alcoholic lover who blatantly and casually took mistresses. Yet as she is portrayed by Judy Davis in A&E's Dash and Lilly, directed by Kathy Bates, her life seems immensely romantic. A steely woman with as much ambition as talent, Hellman never bent to the mores of her time, flaunting her sexuality in a manner that seems somewhat brazen even today. While the film purports to be about the love story between two great writers--Dashiell Hammett (Sam Shepard), creator of Sam Spade, and Hellman, a playwright of such hits as The Children's Hour and The Little Foxes--in truth the story is hers.

The framework for the film is Hellman's preparations to testify before the House of Un-American Activities Commission. Beginning with a flashback to Hellman's first come-on to Hammett in the 1930s, their entire love life is portrayed, along the way introducing luminaries of the day, including Dorothy Parker (played with verve by Bebe Neuwirth, although she is decidedly underused). Hammett is frequently offscreen--due to his trysts, his army service, and his jail term--so we follow Hellman, who is the more complex character.

Despite the compelling literary temperaments and romance, the movie suffers from a lack of character development. We are never privy to what exactly draws Hellman and Hammett to each other; we only learn that their dependence is absolute and more than a little misguided. What makes Hellman the tough broad she is we never learn; what goes on in Hammett's head is never unearthed. But the glimpses into their writing processes and the tumultuous ups and downs of life in those uncertain times are fascinating. Shepard gives a stiff performance, although he doesn't have much to work with, but Davis is wonderful, with her unyielding bearing and her realistic portrayal of the unease a woman such as Hellman must have felt; she skillfully treads that fine line between submissive, feminine lover and political, aggressive writer. Overall, Dash and Lilly is a pleasant watch, although it leaves one wishing that it had delved a little deeper into the psyches of the lovers, which would have made it a great watch. --Jenny Brown