Maryjane

I didn't expect to like this movie. Drugs do not fascinate me. So, was I surprised when I found myself liking everything about the film: acting, directing, music, camera. Each scene stands on its own feet, each character is interesting and well-played. "Maryjane" can teach movie makers a thing or two about the seventh art! Firstly: don't be so crisp and neat. Compared with "Maryjane" most other films are laughably polished, yet they fall short of art. "Rebel Without a Cause" is too pretty to be artistically successful. The clockwork is too obvious. The same goes for countless other movies, especially "Laura". "Maryjane" has that rare dreamy quality of "Carnival of Souls". Without trying hard, it achieves something ineffable. It's a shame that this movie, which represents the best of that unique, slouching late sixties esthetics is not available on DVD or even video.

Like any sensible person, I expected a 1968 movie called Maryjane "starring" Fabian and Diane McBain to be a complete hoot. It turns out to be maybe one good script rewrite away from being a minor classic, Rebel Without A Cause about stoners instead of juicers.

The only clunker is the dopers' clique, who basically look way too much like Spanky and Our Gang and are about as menacing as the Chess Club. Otherwise, this is one of about three drug-related films from the sixties you can watch without cringing: no ridiculous "insider" names for marijuana, no hallucinations, and some startlingly well-balanced dialogue about the issues involved. Fabian is believable and intense - three words I NEVER thought I'd use in the same sentence. There's an actual plot, they've got the nerve to make it twist around a bit, and almost every time you think the movie's going to go for a cheap resolution of a plot twist, it surprises you by actually doing something intelligent.

It's incredibly difficult to find, and it's probably not worth spending a fortune on, but against all expectations Maryjane is a 6/10. This is NOT another Weird World of LSD, Acid Eaters, or Teenage Devil Dolls.

During his early career Fabian had some extraordinary luck to get to work with such screen immortals as Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Stewart Granger and James Stewart in between turning out fluff for the teenage market. As his teen idols had passed him by, Fabian must have wondered where those other guys were and how he could get into another film with any one of them while doing Maryjane.

The plot here's been done a gazillion times before for the drive-in trade. Fabian's a new art teacher assigned to the small town high school where a clique of 'cool kids' rule the school. The cool kids are headed by rich and spoiled Kevin Coughlin who can always get a good supply of marijuana which of course is Spanish for Maryjane and its got a lot of other nicknames as well.

Fabian's of a different generation than the older teachers and he admits to actually trying the stuff once. That gets him down as marked man for law enforcement. But it doesn't score him any points with Coughlin and company.

Fabian's got other problems as well, he's trying real hard to romance another teacher, Diane McBain, but she turns frigid on him. And he's trying hard to help young Michael Marotta who wants so desperately to fit in with Coughlin's bunch.

If you've seen these teen drive-in dramas before you know pretty much how it will all end. Except for McBain, she's a bit of a shocker, especially considering the times. Let's just say that this woman has some real issues.

Maryjane did not revive Fabian's career in Hollywood, when good teen idols are passé, they usually stay passé. What he wouldn't have given for another film with Jimmy Stewart right about then.

Frankly, I was expecting a laugh fest, but this flick is not too bad. Technically, it feels like a 60s TV movie, rather than a feature, but it is filmed well, and the acting is acceptable.

Actually, I enjoyed it mainly for its slice of 60s life and decor.

I had just watched "The Bad Seed" the night before, and didn't realize while watching this film that Patty McCormack plays the girlfriend of the "bad" teenager - she would have been in her early twenties by 1968.

I missed the first thirty minutes, and the bit parts by Garry Marshall and Peter Marshall, and for that matter, Teri Garr.

My main complaint would have to be that Fabian's teacher character does one stupid thing after another. For instance, he witnesses an ice cream truck man hand over a container of what turns out to be pot, to the student he suspects of dealing drugs, who then accidently drops it on the pavement, while scuffling. What does Fabian do, after already being falsely arrested for drug possession? HE PICKS IT UP AND TAKES IT HOME. In addition, every time he gets a lead on some drug situation going down, HE DRIVES THERE HIMSELF, rather than call the police. Granted, he wants to help one particular "nice" kid, but that doesn't require being an idiot.

The director is known for mild exploitation films, but in this case, he pulls it off without too many unintentional laughs.

I saw this on the FLIX cable channel today. (FYI - it's interesting to see what other films were lensed at the mansion seen at the end of this film. Check out the listing on the left.)

Fabian looks an awful lot like Michael J Fox.

The film was good and it made you realize how much times have changed. Attitudes about marijuana are not nearly as close minded as they were back then. A teacher admits to smoking pot once in his life and he gets called a "dope fiend" by the chief of police. The principal and the coach won't even talk to this man in the hallway anymore because he admitted this. They hold secret meetings about spying on students to catch the dope dealers. Nowadays, schools could care less if a kid or a teacher has smoked pot. Just as long as it isn't interfering with their work, it's ok.

I thought Fabian's character was a little over the top. He had too many things going on. One minute he's an art critic who admits to smoking pot, the next he's driving full speed out to meet some people at a drug deal to save a temper-prone, "sensitive" kid's life. And then he really pushes his luck with the hot lady teacher on a blanket by the ocean by literally forcing her to go on a date with him where he makes his moves way too fast. Then when she bails him out of jail, he doesn't dwell on the fact that she spit out $5000 for him, a guy she doesn't even want to talk to..? In the meantime, his voice remains calm while he keeps this very intense look on his face. This guy is all over the place and it doesn't make sense to me.

I did like the leader of the pot club, however. At first he seemed too much of a clean cut, white, dorky football star to be the drug dealer he was, but as the movie went on, it became more apparent why this "disguise" made sense. He really was a rebellious, pot smokin' jerk, he just didn't wear the costume. That would be too obvious and he was smarter than that.

The outcast, teen angsty kid did a good job acting like an idiot. He even had that idiot look in his eye like he is not taking in anything you are saying. When he gets wasted, he really plays the part well!

All in all, the movie is worth watching if you can find it. There are good twists and good characters in this film. Fabian's role has too much going on for me to find it realistic, but the other characters are pretty real. It's a teen drama. I wish there had been trippy pot scenes, but they just barely touch on that.