The year is 1951, and the Red Scare is rampant, especially since The Hollywood Ten has hit the headlines. Film writer Peter Appleton (Jim Carrey) has been Blacklisted and while out driving has a car accident. He finds himself on a beach of a small town, with a clue who he is. One man, Harry (Martin Landau), believes Peter to be his son, Luke who has been missing since the war. Peter, with not idea of who he is, believes himself to be Luke, along with the rest of the town, and he and Harry restore the cinema to its former glory, meanwhile the FBI are on the hunt for Peter and the film produces a climax that reminds us what it means to be a citizen of the United States.
The Majestic certainly isn’t lacking in heart or story. While the town is called Lawson, The Majestic was actually filmed in Ferndale California, a town vertually untouched, with wonderful old store fronts, which are well maintained to keep their old charm. Each store front bears service photos in period correct frames and service flags. Cameras as well as items stocked in stores are correct and the clothing is stunning, however stockings on women are never shown. A poster for It’s a Wonderful Life is shown in the background when Harry is discussiong renovating the cinema. This makes perfect sense to be the last picture shown or upcoming, because he says he closed the theatre after the war, which ended in 1945, and It’s a Wonderful Life was released in 1946. Additionally, all of the films which are shown or have posters for are pictures which were released in 1951. One error occurs during the welcome back party; the song “Stranger on the Shore” while fitting, (due of Peter’s entrance to Lawson) was not released until 1961, ten years after the film takes place.
The film has other fun elements. In Appleton’s first film, Sand Pirates of the Sahara, personal favorite, Bruce Campbell stars, plus the idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark gets a cameo appearance as well. I will also admit that I couldn’t stand Jim Carry before seeing this film, and I think it proved his worth as an actor.
A valentine to the movies, The Majestic is a film that sheds light on the darker side of the 1950s while also reminding its audiences of the magic of what the cinema was all about.
