Twilight of the Golds

Running time: N/A

An outstanding ensemble cast highlights this powerful and thought-provoking film as part of our tribute to Jennifer Beals. Suzanne (Beals) and her husband Rob (Tenney) are happily expecting their first baby. Rob, a dedicated geneticist, is working on the cutting edge of prenatal tests for various diseases. He believes in the good his work can bring, so he agrees to have his unborn baby tested for everything his work can determine. But now that science can discover virtually everything about their baby, the young couple and their families are faced with having to deal with what they learn. Before they even know the baby's name, they know he will probably be gay. Brendan Fraser is excellent as Suzanne's gay brother, all too familiar with his family's attitudes toward gays. Jennifer Beals plays her role with touching sensitivity; confused about her once-close relationship with her brother, and about her husband's reaction to the news. A standout in this complex and riveting drama is a brief, but powerful, scene with Jack Klugman as Suzanne's Orthodox Jewish father-in-law. Director Ross Marks accomplishes a remarkable film adaptation of the controversial Broadway play, spotlighting the complexities related to genetic testing that divide a family. --Jeffrey Vargas