HBO’s subtle ‘Empire Falls’ miniseries rings true

Richard Russo’s vision of small-time life in a Maine mill town comes boldly to life this weekend on HBO.

“Empire Falls,” which airs in two parts at 9-11 p.m. Saturday, May 28, and 9-10:30 p.m. Sunday, May 29, on the premium cable channel, successfully captures the feel of Russo’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which isn’t all that surprising, since the Camden author wrote the screenplay for it himself.

“Empire Falls” was filmed entirely in Maine over 56 days in the fall of 2003, and was shot primarily in the Waterville and Skowhegan areas, with filming as well in Ogunquit and York. The authentic locales make the town of Empire Falls believable, in a way that couldn’t be duplicated in cheaper Canadian locations.

The miniseries focuses on Miles Roby (played by the always superb Ed Harris). Miles is that Maine archetype: a person who is smart enough to be successful elsewhere, but who settles by staying in his hometown because of family entanglements.

Miles runs the Empire Grill, where his brother David (Aidan Quinn) is the cook and his daughter Tick (Danielle Panabaker) works after school. The grill is owned by Francine Whiting (Joanne Woodward), the matriarch of the family who has long owned the town (and its people), and Miles feels certain that he will inherit it upon her death.

Miles’ soon-to-be-ex-wife, Janine (Helen Hunt), is about to marry Walt Comeau (Dennis Farina), the self-proclaimed “Silver Fox” who owns the local health club. Their relationship is none too amicable, and Tick often gets caught in the middle.

Another thorn in Miles’ side is his irascible father, Max (Paul Newman). Newman makes the most of his screen time, turning Max into a memorable coot. One of the executive producers, Newman, who previously worked with Russo on the film “Nobody’s Fool,” was a driving force in steering “Empire Falls” to HBO.

Much of the story is smoothly unveiled through flashbacks to Miles’ youth, both happy and sad moments with his beloved mother Grace (Robin Wright Penn).

Slowly, Miles evolves during “Empire Falls,” developing a plan to get out from under Francine’s thumb in order to make a better future for Tick. Eventually, a traumatic event leads him to take his daughter out of town for a time. But he eventually returns, and both he and Empire Falls are better off in the end.

Newman’s attachment to the project and the richness of Russo’s script allowed producers to attract a stellar cast of film actors willing to take supporting roles. With actors such as Harris, Newman, Woodward, Hunt, Quinn and Robin Wright Penn involved, “Empire Falls” gets elevated by a cast as is seldom seen in a television movie.

“Empire Falls” is a gentle, subtle work. While the miniseries’ makers used the opportunity of a longer length to good advantage, they didn’t abuse the creative freedom that HBO allows, with limited violence or profanity. While it’s emotionally challenging, it’s actually a film that families (well, those with older children) can watch together.

Dale McGarrigle can be reached at 990-8028 and dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net.