#35: Domestic Disturbance/Windtalkers

This week, Nathan and Clint go it along for a decidedly humdrum double feature in Travolta and Cage’s careers — the early-aughts slumps Domestic Disturbance and Windtalkers! In Domestic Disturbance, Travolta squares off against a sleazy Vince Vaughn (still knee-deep in Gus Van Sant Psycho modes, channeling his blue-collar menace) as the latter weasels his way into Travolta’s family as the Fun New Stepdad. Well, as it turns out, the Fun New Stepdad has a secret, and one he’s willing to kill a way-too-good-for-this Steve Buscemi to protect! It’s Movie of the Week schlock all the way down. On the other side of the equation, we go from mliquetoast to low-key racist, as John Woo starts wrapping up his too-short career in American film with the cliched, paternalistic Windtalkers. Ostensibly an ode to the Navajo code talkers who helped the Allies win WWII, Woo’s outsized, melodramatic war epic decides to instead focus on how our perfect, saintly Navajo characters (led by a criminally underrated Adam Beach) help our white protagonists come to a better understanding of ourselves. Plus, no doves! What’s with that?