Tracks of My Tears

It's really sadistic how we're so very drawn to movies in which we are practically forced to love a character (despite flaws!) and then watch them die. Slowly. And I'm not talking about, like, Final Destination, but rather the formula terminal illness movie. Beaches, Love Story, Terms of Endearment, Fried Green Tomatoes -- you know from the very beginning that your Plucky Heroine is going to die, but you're still gonna get all teary-eyed about it when it inevitably happens. Gus Van Sant brings us the latest entry in the "manic pixie heroine meets her mortality" genre with Restless, starring the lovely Mia Wasakowski and newcomer Henry Hopper. The two play a couple who meet at a funeral and begin to forge a relationship despite the fact that Wasakowski's character has Not Got Long To Live. Of course, our heroine is super quirky and has a zeal for life, while her suitor has a fascination with death. I'm thinking she'll teach him to carpe diem while a twee indie soundtrack forges on in the background. I'm also thinking that like we have during all of its tear-jerky predecessors, we'll be sobbing into the popcorn when our heroine finally meets her maker. Pack up the Kleenex and head to the Modern Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., for showings of Restless at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday; 5 p.m. Saturday; and noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8.50, or $6.50 for Modern members. Visit themodern.org/magnolia.html.
Fri., Oct. 7, 6 & 8 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 8, noon; Sun., Oct. 9, 2 & 4 p.m., 2011