Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Of Mice and Men Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 20, 2016

1939 is often cited as the absolute acme of the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood, and it’s hard to argue when one considers even some of the films that were released that year: Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Dark Victory, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ninotchka, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Gunga Din, Drums Along the Mohawk, Wuthering Heights, Love Affair and Gulliver's Travels are just a few of the titles that appeared during that epochal twelve months. The Best Picture nominations for the year included ten films, nine of which have been named above (I’ll let armchair “research assistants” figure out which those were). The tenth? A film which doesn’t always make those oft-quoted lists of 1939’s best, but one which has continued to evoke strong responses in audiences: the first cinematic adaptation of John Steinbeck’s immortal Of Mice and Men.

The 1939 version of Steinbeck’s melancholic novella featured a number of interesting elements, including a gorgeous score by Aaron Copland (who received two Academy Award nominations for his work, one for Original Score and one for Scoring, though I'm not 100% certain what the differentiating criteria between the two categories were), and a rather affecting performance by Lon Chaney, Jr. as the “mentally deficient” giant, Lennie. The film nonetheless had a certain studio patina slathered on it that may have created a veneer that at least partially separated the action from the emotions of the audience. As he discusses in his commentary included on this Blu-ray as a supplement, Gary Sinise had had a long history with the property, having appeared in various theatrical stagings of Steinbeck’s work, including with eventual film co-star John Malkovich. When Sinise was offered the chance to direct a film, his mind immediately went to the challenges and opportunities that a new version of Of Mice and Men might afford.

While Sinise offers a few “bells and whistles” in his cinematic adaptation, including brief bookending segments that have elements that never appeared in either the book or play forms of the property, this Of Mice and Men hews very closely to the original play, with Horton Foote’s adaptive screenplay often lifting whole swaths of dialogue whole cloth from Steinbeck’s original (stage) version. John Malkovich essays the role of lovable giant Lennie, while Sinise himself portrays Lennie’s best friend and protector, the smart if sometimes contentious George Milton. Both men work was migrant farm workers during the Depression, and as the film begins, they’re on the lam after the latest mishap caused by Lennie, a well meaning man child who nonetheless seems to have a genetic predisposition for getting into trouble.

That trouble is alluded to more overtly in this version than it is in either the play or the 1939 film, at least with regard to an on screen presentation. Lennie likes to stroke soft things, which often leads to calamities like dead mice, but he also evidently has a penchant for pretty women, whom he doesn’t necessarily see as sexual objects, merely something else that’s soothing to touch. Women, obviously, have a different reaction to being manhandled—even if relatively gently—by the outsized and probably threatening looking Lennie. With foreshadowing firmly in place, the story moves to its main locale when Lennie and George are hired to work on a ranch outside of Soledad, California.

The ranch’s Boss (Noble Willingham) isn’t immediately swayed by Lennie’s demeanor, but some quick thinking by George overcomes any initial difficulties, and the two seem to bond instantly with ranch hand Candy (Ray Walston), who might be more accurately described as ranch single hand, since he is missing the end of one of his arms. A less felicitous relationship seems to be developing with Curley (Casey Siemaszko), Boss’ son and a martinet with a bit of a Napoleon complex. Making things even more potentially dangerous is the overtly flirty wife of Curley (Sherilyn Fenn), a seductive woman who begins casting goo-goo eyes at George from almost the first moment she sees him. While perhaps a bit confused by Lennie’s disabilities, she’s also not shy around him, either.

Sinise and British cinematographer Kenneth MacMillan (Henry V ) offer an often incredibly scenic tour through the fields that Lennie and George work in, with an almost Andrew Wyeth-esque approach toward lighting and presentation. While the film’s visual acuity is one of the things that sets it most firmly apart from the black and white 1939 version (one which is curiously studio bound quite a bit of the time), what really gives this version its power is the uniform excellence of the performances. It’s to Sinise’s huge credit that he reins in the actors here, trying to keep a naturalistic tone despite some almost inherently histrionic situations. Malkovich is perhaps a bit too mannered as Lennie (at least when compared to the less affected seeming Chaney, Jr.), but there’s true power in the symbiosis between Lennie and George in this version. Fenn makes for an appealing (if smarmy) Circe, beckoning men to their doom, at least until fate unkindly intervenes.

Of Mice and Men Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Of Mice and Men is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Culled from the MGM archives, this has the somewhat dated appearance that often attends catalog high definition releases from the former major studio. Telecine wobble, damage and an at times slightly clumpy looking grain field may also argue for an older transfer. That said, elements are in generally good shape with regard to age related wear and tear, though colors have faded perceptibly, with flesh tones looking pretty ruddy and only the most brighly lit outdoor sequences popping with real immediacy. Detail is very good in close-ups, offering good views of textures on costumes and other fabrics. Some of the nighttime or dimly lit scenes don't offer a wealth of shadow detail, and are further hobbled by the aforementioned grain resolution issues. This is never less than watchable, but also shows clear evidence of being less than optimal. My weighted score would probably come in around 3.25.

Of Mice and Men Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Of Mice and Men features a nice sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix which more than capably supports Mark Isham's rather Copland- esque score, as well as the film's dialogue and ambient sound effects. Fidelity is very good, with no obvious damage or distortion.

Of Mice and Men Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Feature Commentary with Director Gary Sinise. Sinise is pretty low key here, speaking barely above a whisper sometimes, but offering some excellent background on his infatuation with the project and how he hoped to shape things in his own way.


• In Conversation with Director Gary Sinise and Screenwriter Horton Foote (1080p; 27:15) is a very interesting sit down between the two, with Sinise acting as a kind of virtual host, but partaking in a wide ranging dialogue with Foote.


• Making Of Mice and Men (1080p; 6:01) is a brief EPK-ish promotional featurette that does have some interesting looks at various scenes being filmed.


• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 18:44) feature optional commentary by Sinise.


• Makeup Tests for the Main Characters (1080p; 11:48)


• Sherilyn Fenn Screen Test (1080p; 7:46)


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:16)

Note: Though ostensibly in 1080p, at least some of the supplements look like upscaled standard definition video.

Of Mice and Men Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sinise has only two feature films to his directorial credit (the other one is Miles From Home), but if Of Mice and Men is any indication, he really ought to be helming films more often. This is an often affecting and effective adaptation of Steinbeck's tale of sadness and resilience. Performances are top notch and the film is incredibly scenic quite a bit of the time. Video quality is a little lackluster, but audio is fine and there are some appealing supplements. Highly recommended.