Footprints: A Review

"Hollywood is like a black hole," the wisened character of Victor (H.M. Wynant) portends to amnesia victim and "Our Gal" Daisy, (Sybil Temtchine), a sort of everywoman character, particularly representing the lost souls in Hollywood. And, indeed, Hollywood does turn out to be a black hole for Daisy, who wakes up face down in Gene Tierney's footprints in front of Mann's Chinese Theater, formerly Grauman's Chinese Theater, devoid of memories; she's like Alice who's slid down the rabbit hole, only to find herself in a dreamlike purgatorial world.

After she wakes up, she encounters several interesting characters along Hollywood Blvd. who help her on her journey of discovery: a pair of tour guides (Charley Rossman, John Brickner), two superhero impersonators (Catherine Bruhier, Riley Weston), a Scientology recruiter (Joe Roseto), a Hollywood memorabilia shop owner (R.J. Cantu) and a sinister figure (Kirk Bovill), who may or may not be real. The mysterious Victor also befriends her, then vanishes, only to reappear like a mirage, a symbol of the crossroads she's come to; should she give up and perish or fight to live life, no matter how difficult?

Special guest appearances by veteran actors and yesteryear screen stars Pippa Scott (The SearchersThe SearchersThe Searchers) and H.M. Wynant (The Twilight Zone and Bill Boetticher's Decision at Sundown) reinforce the poignancy of Daisy's decision, for they represent broken dreams and fading stardust. At one point, Daisy remarks, "I feel like I'm living outside of myself." That line not only sums up the movie, but also how one can feel just trying to live life, particularly in the business of show.

Writer/director Steve Peros (The Cat's Meow) has finely crafted an ode to all that is Hollywood, old and new. A well-woven pastiche of Hitchcockian mystery Horation satire, and magical realism, Footprints is a compact film, coming in at around 80 minutes, that feels like a waking dream.

The winsome film score surreptitiously accentuates the insidiousness of Daisy's environment, and, though the film would have been stronger without the narration, it still delivers an emotional impact, like a light embrace from an old friend. Full of humor, charm, melancholy and nostalgia, Footprints is as sweet and satisfying as an old-fashioned malt at Johnny Rockets on a lazy Sunday afternoon.