In 1988, the great American director Robert Mulligan (To Kill A Mockingbird, Inside Daisy Clover) was nearing the end of his acclaimed career when he released his second to last movie, Clara’s Heart. As was common for Mulligan, the film was an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Joseph Olshan. It marked the return to the director’s chair after a six year absence, and it starred Whoopi Goldberg, who was making a return to the dramatic after her Oscar-nominated breakout in The Color Purple. While unknown at the time, this particular film is also notable for being the film debut of one Neil Patrick Harris, just a year before his breakout television role on Doogie Howser, M.D. The film did not exactly light the box office on fire, but it has maintained a dedicated fan base that has only grown since its release. With Warner Archive rescuing this one, it is only a matter of time before that group grows even larger.
The film itself showcases a lot of dark elements that may come as a surprise for those going into it expecting a lighthearted friendship between a wise caretaker and her young ward. The film begins at the funeral for the baby sister of David (Neil Patrick Harris), who has tragically died and left a family in emotional turmoil. David’s mother, Leona (Kathleen Quinlan), has absconded to Jamaica to tackle her grief the best that she can, which she only does through the help of a caring housekeeper, Clara Mayfield (Whoopi Goldberg). Leona is so grateful for her blunt, optimistic style to approaching life’s challenges that she asks Clara to return with her to Baltimore to work in her house and serve as a nanny for David. The thing is, David in no way is interested in having Clara be a part of his life, and he throws quite the hissy fit upon her arrival. Clara takes it all in stride, even as she trades jabs with David to prove she is no pushover. What David does not know is, Clara might just be the only one in his life that truly has his best interest in mind.
As is often the case after the death of a child, the relationship between Leona and her husband, Bill (Michael Ontkean), is crumbling before their very eyes. While the tragedy definitely did not help matters, we soon learn that the marriage was already in a highly precarious situation before the child was even born. Each parent finds comfort in new partners, and neither seem to have time for David. It’s true that David is no picnic when it comes to how he treats these new people in his parent’s lives, but no child deserves to be emotionally abandoned in the way that he is. It is heartbreaking to think where he might be if Clara was not around to bring David into her world, which allows their friendship to strengthen in a really beautiful way. This may seem to be flirting with tropes that have plagued such movies as Driving Miss Daisy or Green Book, where the almost-magical African American individual enriches the life of a stunted white person, but it is more complicated than that. What sets this film apart a bit is the secretive, underlying darkness that haunts Clara from her past. She is not a flawless character, and it is truly shocking when you are eventually given a window to her personal life.
Clara’s Heart is a daring film masquerading in the trappings of a Lifetime movie. There are some elements that drag the film down a bit, such as the mostly insufferable actions from David’s parents, but the lived-in performance from Whoopi as Clara and the stellar debut from Harris elevates this to another level of quality. The movie was not something that deserved any big awards, but it definitely deserves more appreciation for being an emotionally rich tale of recovering from loss and finding reasons to keep moving forward. Mulligan has shaped a fine tale that moves along at a nice pace while showcasing some stunning cinematography. Mainstream dramas such as this one are a rare commodity these days, so do not be afraid to seek this one out if you want something thematically satisfying with a bit of a darker streak.
Video Quality
Clara’s Heart gets a stellar upgrade on Blu-Ray courtesy of Warner Archive with a new 2020 1080p master. The transfer provides natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such digital anomalies. This disc also wonderfully represents the picturesque settings from Jamaica to Maryland that wow throughout the film. There are some nice, vibrant colors that make the film pop visually in an exciting way. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up deep black levels. The disc also handles fine detail in an expert manner. Subtle details in the production design are clearly defined, and textures on outfits are easily discernable. Warner Archive has provided a lovely transfer for a film that has long went unappreciated since its initial release.
Audio Quality
Warner Archive brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that beautifully reproduces the film sonically. The dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the score or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the waves at the resort in Jamaica to the quiet nature of Maryland. Scenes of joyous singing shine within the track. The movie is accompanied by a lovely score from Dave Grusin (Tootsie) that sounds great here. This is a track that represents the film in a very satisfying way. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Trailer: A minute-and-a-half long trailer that leaves out a lot of the darkness from the film in favor of something that looks a bit more run of the mill.
Final Thoughts
Clara’s Heart is a film with more depth than would appear upon first glance. The film has some heart wrenching developments will keep you glued to you screen. Goldberg and Harris are quite wonderful in their roles, which makes this an easy recommendation to fans of either. Warner Archive has once again come through by providing a wonderful Blu-Ray disc that is a treat for fans of the film. Give this one a shot if you want to stir up some emotions. Recommended
Clara’s Heart can be purchased directly through Warner Archive or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
