Of Mice and Men (1992) – A migrant farm worker and his gentle-giant friend make their way through the Great Depression looking for work. When a beautiful woman enters the equation, all their dreams may come to an end.
Directed by Gary Sinise
Starring Gary Sinise, John Malkovich, Ray Walston, Sherilyn Fenn
Why I Liked It – Sinise brings great affection to a great American classic story.
John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” is one of the greatest stories written by or about Americans. I say that not only because I’m a huge Steinbeck fan, but because of the lasting place of reverence the book holds. The Great Depression changed this nation and much of the rest of the world in ways that still affect us today. Beginning with the collapse of the American economy, unemployment and poverty hammered the world.
But that’s the story at the macro level. This story is told at the micro-level. Two men, George and Lennie, try to keep hunger away by working as traveling farm workers. They go where the work is, and are rewarded with a few dollars, a place to sleep, and food to eat. Lennie (Malkovich) has severe mental challenges. He doesn’t understand most of the world around him and can lash out if frightened. He relies on his pal George (Sinise) to keep him working and out of trouble. It doesn’t always work out, and they need to keep moving. George creates a dream future for them, with their own little farm. The farm provides Lennie with a calming image to get through uncertain moments.
It’s a simple dream that will not hold back bad times coming for the pair.
Steinbeck purists will gladly note all the changes between the book and the movie. Most of them I find insignificant. For example, in the novel Lennie is much larger than John Malkovich. Malkovich’s performance brings such emotional strength that the size issue doesn’t strike me as at all important.
On the other hand, I want to note the change in the ending. “Of Mice and Men” has been around long enough that I’m not overly concerned about spoiling the ending for anyone. But out of deference to those who don’t know the story, I’m willing to hedge my bets. At the end, George has to make an important and soul-crushing decision. In the book, that decision tortures George, and he drags his feet before making it. Sinise focused more on the emotional bond between the two men. George decides with much less delay, but still with deep emotional pain.
There are a handful of standout performances here. The story can not succeed if Lennie and George are not portrayed with skill. Both Malkovich and Sinise are superb here. That’s without surprise to me; both are wonderful actors with long track records of success. Sherilyn Fenn is stunning as the boss’s wife (here named Daisy. She has no name in the book, where she is referred to only as Curley’s wife). Her life is unhappy, and she plays on the affections of the men around her to antagonize her husband and soothe her ego. It’s an easy role to make one dimensional and Fenn is fabulous. Finally, a tip of the hat to veteran character Ray Walston in a small role as Candy. He’s an older farm worker struggling with the loss of one hand. The age and handicap are setting him up to be fired, and he joins forces with George and Lennie for a shared future. By the end of the story, Candy will be left with nothing. Walston is emotionally powerful in this role.
Great story, wonderful job of acting and directing. All the emotional power of Steinbeck’s story is here, even as a few details are changed.
You can stream this version of the movie on Pluto TV, Tubi, and hoopla.
Rating – **** Recommended
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