Too Much Sun

Too Much Sun
January 25, 1991
Cinetel Films
Comedy
VHS
C+

This early '90s oddity sets out to offend and to amuse, succeeding in both, sometimes simultaneously.  Homosexual siblings and their lovers are pitted against an evil priest and his trio of nuns, at least one of whom he's romantically involved with, in order to get the estate of Howard Duff (who soon died offscreen as well).  The brother and sister are played by Eric Idle and Andrea Martin.  Robert Downey, Sr. directed the movie and cowrote it, one of his cowriters being his wife, Laura Ernst, who plays Martin's lover (giving what's probably the best performance in the movie) and who died only three years after this movie came out, at the age of 36.  And Downey's son (then 24) plays one of two twisted realtors, his partner being Ralph Macchio.  Allan Arbus, not looking terribly much older a dozen years after Americathon, has a role as a chauffeur, although he disappears about halfway through.  So the movie is at least interesting for its cast.  Downey, Jr. also sings the title song, in his persona within a persona of an English rock star.  (His British accent still needed some work, though it's marginally better than Idle's American.)

Besides the stereotyping and tastelessness (the less said about the "lullaby" scene the better), the film also suffers from failing to uphold even its own reality.  There's a proviso in Duff's will that one of his children must become a parent within a year of his death in order to get the inheritance, which will otherwise go to the church.  But then there's a big showdown at the end, all centered around whether Martin is the mother of a 22-year-old.  And Idle is shown as trying to impregnate three women (his sister's lover, his one-time straight fling, and a prostitute), and it's implied that he can't reach orgasm.  (There's a funny line, where he inquires hopefully, "Did I come?")   And yet, later it's revealed that 22 years ago his one-time fling bore a son.  And, presumably nine months after the film is set, the prostitute is shown pushing a stroller.

Despite all this, there's something almost likable about the movie.  It kept almost winning me over.  Maybe with a stronger script, it could've been a lost gem.  As it is, it's just a time capsule of Bush I era sex-- AIDS results cards, 976 numbers, and all.