Green Card Reviews

Australian director Peter Weir attempts to add an international flavor to his recent American fare (WITNESS, DEAD POET'S SOCIETY) with the casting of French superstar Gerard Depardieu in his US film debut. Depardieu plays George Faure, a French alien who desperately wants to remain in the US. Andie MacDowell is Bronte Parrish, a quiet horticulturist who also has a desperate desire--she wants to rent an exclusive Manhattan apartment complete with a greenhouse. Trouble is, building management will only rent to married couples. Through a mutual friend, George and Bronte meet and strike a deal--they'll get married so that George can get his green card and Bronte can get her apartment. They marry in a quick legal ceremony, then part company. Things get tense, however, when immigration officials start snooping around, an investigation that threatens Bronte's lifestyle and George's visa. As a result, the duo must get to know each other so they can convince investigators that they've been in love for years. The film's fine photography and effective use of music make GREEN CARD one of the few Disney ventures that doesn't seem like a made-for-TV movie, but the threadbare screenplay and Weir's weak direction are barely able to hold things together. Much of the dialogue is insipid, and the action is driven by absurd coincidence and unmotivated behavior to the point that one can only feel exasperated by it all. Peter Weir's talent, so evident in his Australian work, remained dormant here, but Depardieu's lively performance is a redeeming factor.