Review of Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day (1996) by Lee M — 11 Dec 2011

As anybody who has read this film blog over the years can tell you, I am not at all fond of nostalgia. The lone exception to that rule involves trains which is where "Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day" comes in. That, the crisp black and white cinematography and a surprisingly fine turn from Henry Gibson are sadly the only elements that merit the film the barest of recommendations.

In the waning days of World War II, John Lee(Peter Alexander), a college engineering dropout who repairs trolleys in Los Angeles, is inspired by tales of his late grandfather, who he never met, working on building the transcontinental railroad to reinvigorate the moribund Yosemite Valley Railroad. So while there is some interesting history on display, it is also a little inaccurate in being about a decade too early in depicting the fall of the railroad and the rise of the automobile and freeway, not to mention the airplane.