TV Eye
Mystic Redux
By Belinda Acosta, Fri., July 6, 2001
When Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel The Mists of Avalon debuted in 1983, it garnered a loyal legion of fans who found the book not only entertaining, but liberating. It was deemed a paragon of feminism in some circles and a tribute to female spirituality in others. Now Bradley's novel, which won the 1984 Locus Award for best fantasy novel, is coming to the small screen as a TNT movie starring Anjelica Huston, Julianna Margulies, and Joan Allen.
Bradley's densely written, lush novel is often described as a revision of the oft-told King Arthur tale, in which the women behind Camelot are brought to the foreground. In most Arthurian films, the love triangle between Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere is the linchpin of a larger story about seeking and defending valor, honor, and tradition in 13th-century Britain. In these versions, Arthur's sister Morgaine (aka Morgan le Fey or Morganna) -- if mentioned at all -- is characterized as a scheming slut or a slovenly ditz. Not so in The Mists of Avalon. In Bradley's hands, and in the film directed by Uli Edel, Morgaine (Marguiles) is sympathetic, noble, tragic, and achingly human. Morgaine narrates much of the film, which begins when she is a girl, several years before her beloved brother Arthur is born. Unlike typical Arthurian tales, Mists takes place around 700 A.D., when Britain was constantly fighting off Saxon aggression. But it is the struggle between the old goddess-centered religion with the new Christianity that drives The Mists of Avalon.
As Viviane, the Lady of the Lake and high priestess of Avalon -- the spiritual homeland of the old religion -- Anjelica Huston is an imposing yet loving figure. Joan Allen makes a great turn at playing Viviane's sister, the evil Morgause. British actress Caroline Goodall is the third sister, Igraine (Morgaine and Arthur's mother), whose destiny and faith in the old ways fill her life with heartbreaking sacrifices. Samantha Mathis (American Psycho) plays Gwenhwyfar (aka Guinevere), the Christian princess King Arthur agrees to marry in an effort to maintain balance between the Christian and the pagan worlds.
Because The Mists of Avalon is incredibly rich, some liberties have been taken with its re-creation on film, which is sure to dismay some fans of the novel. But the louder outcry will most likely come from die-hard fans of the traditional Arthurian legend. In my living room, Papi Chulo proclaimed several times, "That's not how it happened!" Reminding him that this was a revision of the Arthurian legend -- with emphasis on "legend" -- did not balm his curious sense of outrage. His reaction exemplified just how canonized the King Arthur legend has become over time. As Edward Atterton (who plays Arthur) recently said in an interview, "Along with playing James Bond, every school boy in England has at some point dreamed of being King Arthur." With the long-overdue The Mists of Avalon, many young girls may now dream of playing Morgaine or Viviane.
Part I of The Mists of Avalon premieres on Sunday, July 15, 7pm, followed by encores at 9 and 11pm. Part II airs Monday, July 16, 7pm, with encore screenings at 9 and 11pm. Consecutive screenings of both parts air Friday, July 20, at 8pm, Saturday, July 21, at 11am, and Monday, July 30, at 7pm. The Mists of Avalon is rated TV-14-SV. While the sex and violence is not graphic by feature film standards, the suggestion of incestuous sexual situations may disturb some viewers.
Meet Colby Donaldson
At last week's KEYE presentation of the upcoming CBS prime-time fall season, none other than Survivor II second-place winner and native Texan Colby Donaldson was in attendance. It seems that every possible question has been asked of Donaldson, so I offer this recap of my one-on-one conversation with him: the Top 10 Reasons to be Mrs. Colby Donaldson.
10. He's ditching the Aztec (look for it on eBay).
9. Yes, his teeth are really that white.
8. He's better looking in person than he is on TV.
7. Your straight and gay friends will envy you.
6. He'll never ask you to cook rice the way Keith Famie did.
5. He's loyal to the bone. When jokingly asked when he would steal Jeff Probst's job, the Colbster launched into a lengthy tribute to his good buddy.
4. He's a good sport. At the request of KEYE he posed for an interminable round of photos with adoring, giggling, mostly female fans.
3. Did I mention those teeth?
2. A sense of guilelessness. When asked what skills he learned playing Survivor he could use to navigate the L.A. entertainment industry, his response was, "Nothing, really."
1. He rides a Harley, baby.
Call Me Meathead
In last week's "TV Eye," Maureen Stapleton was credited with playing Edith Bunker in the sitcom All in the Family. That was incorrect. It was the marvelous Jean Stapleton, Maureen's sister, who played Edith. A thousand pardons for the error.
E-mail Belinda Acosta at [email protected]
