Andy Garcia takes the path less traveled in 'City Island'

[TalkBXAdmin]

The name of the new film “City Island” may strike some as an oxymoron. However, the titular setting is an actual entity. Though officially subsumed in the borough of the Bronx, City Island is a small, self-contained burg situated in the middle of Long Island Sound. Even in the 21st century, it remains a quaint fishing village. “City Island” stars Andy Garcia as a corrections officer who is the patriarch of a contemporary blue-collar family.

At 53, Garcia is still strikingly handsome and retains his distinctive widow’s peak. Onscreen, Garcia exudes a menacing intensity. However, in person, he proved disarmingly warm and engaging. Before requesting room service to his Four Seasons hotel suite, Garcia graciously asked whether I wanted anything. When the order arrived, he took pains to effusively thank the employee for his prompt response. Here was a Hollywood star who was light years from being a prima donna.

Garcia reflected on his pathway to acting. A native of Havana, Garcia and his prosperous family fled Cuba in the aftermath of Fidel Castro’s seizure of power and immigrated to Miami. With a slight scintilla of bitterness, Garcia noted, “My father, who had been a lawyer, never practiced law again.” Garcia recalled the impact of watching “The Godfather,” which he described as “the greatest film ever made. I got into the business because of it.” As soon as “The Godfather: Part III” was announced, the role of Sonny Corleone’s hot-headed son became widely coveted. Yet the film’s director, Francis Ford Coppola, chose Garcia over many better-known names. Garcia recalled, “It was a dream-come-true.” The role garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the young Garcia.

Garcia remains best-known for his roles as characters on both sides of the law. In addition to “The Godfather: Part III,” he has essayed both criminals and crime-fighters in such memorable dramas as “The Untouchables,” “Black Rain” and “Internal Affairs.” Garcia quipped good-naturedly, “When you’re typecast, it means that you’re getting work.”

By contrast, “City Island” is a lighthearted family romp. It focuses on the secret aspiration of Garcia’s character to become an actor. He’s surreptitiously taking acting classes, which leads his wife (Julianna Margulies) to suspect that he’s carrying on an adulterous affair. As it turns out, dad isn’t the only one in the family who harbors a carefully-guarded secret.

Garcia explained what inspired him to take an atypical role: “The script was just so charming, so genuine and so fresh, I couldn’t resist it. It was very human. There were no real jokes in it, but I found it hilarious, yet at times very painful.” He added, “I liked the idea of doing a comedy and showing that it is something that I can do.”

In “City Island,” Garcia’s real-life daughter, Dominik Garc�*a-Lorido, plays his onscreen daughter. Regarding trepidation about acting with his daughter, Garcia was adamant: “She won the part, so it was kudos to her.” He said, “I know what she can do as an actress. I’ve gone past the jitters, because she’s now a colleague.”

Garcia has strong personal values, which have caused him to turn down roles that require him to take off his shirt. In reference to scenes in which his daughter appears scantily clad, he conceded, “When they come on, I just tie my shoes.”

“City Island” includes a hilarious scene in which Garcia’s character goes on his first audition. I asked Garcia the key to convincingly capturing an aspiring actor who is much less-skilled than he actually is as a thespian. He replied, “Try to be the best actor you can.” He cited another factor that contributed to the effectiveness of the vignette, “There was a structure to the scene. It was beautifully written.”

According to Garcia, “City Island” carries an important message: “It has to do with honesty and being upfront with things. Secrets only lead to complications in life. It’s better to be straightforward.”

Nathan Lerner sees more than 200 feature films a year. He welcomes feedback at culturevulture1@aol.com

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