The Film of Opportunity

The meek don’t exactly inherit the Earth in Hollywood, and with all the noise surrounding Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn at the Oscars this year, it was easy for a little festival film like Thomas McCarthy’s The Visitor to remain under the radar. Richard Jenkins was quietly nominated for his role as Walter Vale, a lonely widower who goes to his seldom-used apartment in Manhattan and finds a young immigrant couple living there illegally. He sees that the couple has nowhere else to go and, in the ultimate nice guy move, befriends Tarek and Zainab and helps them as they face deportation and an unsure future. Like his quiet character, whose spirit is revived through this chance encounter, Jenkins takes the opportunity to shine in this lead role after a consistent career as a supporting actor. Because everyone likes a little reminder that nice guys don’t always finish last. The Collin College Auteur Film Series is hosting a free screening of The Visitor 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Spring Creek Campus Conference Center (2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano). For more information, visit ccccd.edu/auteurfilms/films.html.

Wed., April 1, 2009