Scent of a Women (1992)

8/2/06

Scent of a Women is a wonderfull film directed by Martin Brest which itself recived a good deal of critical praise upon release in 1992. The film concerns Frank Slade (Al Pacino in a bravo performance), a retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and former member of President Lyndon Johnsons staff. Renderd blind by a gernade accident taken by most of his associates as perfectly representational of his life of carelessness, the 'old man' is farmed out to a neices family in New Hampshire. Charlie Sims (Chris O'Donnell), is a young man of limited means from Oregan, attending a prestigous private school in Franks area on a scholarship. Charlie is hired to 'care' for Frank when his family goes out of town over Thanksgiving weekend. Instead of the quite couple of days that Charlie expected, Frank takes the young man to New York City where he intends to take a final tour through the pleasures of life before killing himself. Charlie learns a number of life lessons from Frank, who (you guessed it) finds a new will to live through his friendship with the young man. You pretty well know the arc of the film by the end of its exposition heavey first half hour, but the journy the story takes really is worth your time. Bradley Whitford, Frances Conroy, and a young Philip Seymour Hoffman all have supporting roles in the picture.