A Review: The Myth of Fingerprints

There are many myths about New England. The people are hearty, educated, talkative and stoic. They drive Volvos. Altogether good people. Yet beneath all that snow lies some dark and unwholesome mysteries. First-time director/writer Bart Freundlich captures this traditional New England spirit in his film, The Myth of Fingerprints.

It’s got the classic Puritan motif – the New England family’s Thanksgiving. The now-grown children and their significant others come to spend the holiday once again in their parent’s home. It seems today all families fall under the "dysfunctional" category, and this family proves to be no different. Roy Scheider’s dad is sufficiently stoic and deep. Noah Wyle with his ER-wide-eyed cuteness is cast perfectly as the youngest son. Julianne Moore, as the eldest and most screwed up sibling, takes her unique big screen persona and molds it into one of the film’s most honest performances. As expected, family ties shift and dark secrets unfold.

But what Freundlich’s tight, clean film brings to the screen is a fresh perspective on how adults come together as a family. Scheider’s character is quirky, bordering frightening, especially when he steps outside his fatherly role. His walls are so high that it’s hard to be sympathetic to what eventually proves to be a sadness. Although the children find that they don’t fit inside their roles either, they still seem to fall back on old habits. Wyle and Moore bicker rather than communicate. Laurel Holloman’s optimistically played youngest child sits on the fringe of the action, watching, and is refreshing in the few moments she gets film time since her character’s oddities haven’t fallen into the darkness of her family yet. The brothers’ girlfriends seem to be cut from Holloman’s mold: cute and nonthreatening, and still new enough to not be brought down too far into the problems this family faces. Moore’s character is not as lucky; within her family, she is lost, unable to function in any role, and pushes everyone away from her.

The Myth of Fingerprints doesn’t try to explain everything, and it doesn’t shout out pivotal moments. The family problems don’t lead to a pat ending where everything’s resolved. Instead, you’re left with a sense of continuance, and questions unanswered. Freundlich introduces you to this New England family and lets you come up with the answers on your own.