Wag the Dog

Wag the Dog
January 9, 1998
New Line Cinema
Comedy
VHS
B-

This was released the same day as Good Will Hunting, but it has dated worse, partly because it became dated almost immediately.  Yes, the writers are not to blame that Clinton would be involved in a sex scandal (with an over-21 intern rather than a teenage Firefly Girl), but the timing could've been better.  The main problem is that the movie generally is never as incisive and clever, or for that matter as impressively outrageous, as it thinks it is.  2009's In the Loop would be better on all these counts, as well as have an actual war result within the film rather than a "pageant" of war.  That said, I think Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman work well together.  (They would later be in-laws in Meet the Fockers, which I've seen but don't own.)  Anne Heche isn't bad but makes less of an impression.  And the less said about Woody Harrelson's psycho rapist comic relief character, the better.

George Gaynes, who kept hitting on Hoffman in Tootsie, here has a much smaller role, as Senator Cole.  Kevin Furlong was Dennis Riday in Hot to Trot, and is Jockey #2 here.  Phillip V. Caruso is primarily a still photographer, but he played photographers in this and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.  Jenna Byrne plays Sharon here and would be Cindy Castellucci in The Wedding Singer, while Jason Cottle is A.D. here and would play Byrne's husband Scott there.  Derrick Morgan is a CIA Agent here and would be Armcast Henson in Never Been Kissed.

As in In & Out, Jay Leno appears as himself.  Craig T. Nelson plays the President's opponent, Senator John Neal.  This time, Kirsten Dunst plays Tracy Lime, the young actress pretending to be Albanian.  Andrea Martin isn't given much to do as brainstormer Liz Butsky, but she does it flamboyantly of course.

At least it has a better title than "Good Will Hunting," even if it does need an explanation.

In & Out

In & Out
September 19, 1997
Paramount
Comedy, Romance
VHS
B-

Screenwriter Paul Rudnick had appeared as himself in Celluloid Closet, a documentary that showed that for gay characters onscreen, their fates were often tragic, or overly comic.  While this movie is exaggerated (and directed by Muppet veteran Frank Oz), it places its gay stereotypes in a small-town full of stereotypes.  And the twist is that the Kevin Kline character, Literature teacher Howard Brackett, must be gay because he's so smart, nice, and well-groomed.  By the time most of the entire town stands up and says that they're gay, too, in his support, "gay" is definitely a compliment.

But along the way there are of course farcical complications.  The trouble starts when stupid yet Oscar-winning actor Cameron Drake outs his former teacher during an acceptance speech.  (Cam is played by Matt Dillon, 17 years after Little Darlings but passing for his early 20s.  The blond hair helps.)  This comes as a shock to everyone, including Howard, who's engaged to Emily Montgomery, played by 34-year-old Joan Cusack.  And his mother tells him she doesn't care if he's gay, she still wants the big wedding.  (Now 65-year-old Debbie Reynolds, ties George Burns for the longevity record, 45 years after Singin' in the Rain.)  Meanwhile, reporter Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck) wants the real story (and more), and principal Tom Halliwell (Bob Newhart, his stammering and discomfort used to fine effect) wants to avoid scandal, with graduation coming up.

The timeline is all screwy, with the Oscars presented on a Wednesday and graduation the following Monday.  (In what month?)  I have to wonder if this is carelessness, or if it's meant to add to the air of unreality.  It's almost like the story couldn't quite take place in our world.  (That the small town is in Indiana has recently become ironic.)  And it is very much a gay comedy for straight people.  I remember the dismay and then amusement in my theater when Selleck kissed Kline.  I don't think it would be as shocking now.  Although only 18 years have passed, this movie is already a relic, and I suspect that even a few years later we wouldn't have got the trick ending, where it looks like Howard and Peter will get married, but it's actually Howard's parents renewing their vows.  (His dad is played by Wilford Brimley, and I kept thinking, "Because it's the right thing to do.")   As a movie, I think it's still cute, sweet, and sometimes funny.  (The straight guys debating Barbra Streisand films will never get old.)  Kline is a good moral and narrative center for the film.  Everyone else is doing what they're hired for, although this is far from my favorite Joan Cusack role.

Note, there is never a moment when someone says, "Um, Howard, maybe you're bi," although admittedly he's much less sexual than Chasing Amy's Alyssa Jones.  The mainstream was definitely not ready for that kind of complexity.

Joseph Maher was Gridley in Going Ape! and is Father Tim here.  (He's got one of those faces where you feel like you've seen him somewhere before.)  Richard Woods was a Board Member in The Hudsucker Proxy and is Reverend Morgan here.  Marla Sucharetza was Exercising Woman in The First Wives Club and is a School Reporter here, while Debra Monk was Jilted Lover there and is Mrs. Lester here, and J-Smith Cameron was Miss Sullivan there and Trina Paxton here.

Audience Member Todd Stockman would be Dad in The Object of My Affection the following year, while Audience Member Jeannette Gould would be Senior Center Woman in Two Weeks Notice (all uncredited).  John Cunningham, who almost steals the movie as the Be a Man Tape Instructor, would be Justice of the Peace in Two Weeks Notice.  Wally Dunn is Cousin Lenny here and would be Gym Teacher in School of Rock.  MacIntyre Dixon, who was Cole Oyl in Popeye, has a small role as a Bachelor Party Guest here and would be the bus driver in School of Rock.   

This time, Dan Hedaya plays a Military Attorney in the film within a film on Oscar Night.  Jay Leno appears as himself, 18 years after his role in Americathon.  Selma Blair, then 25, has an early role as Cousin Linda.

Americathon

Americathon
August 10, 1979
United Artists
Comedy, Musical, Sci-Fi
VHS
B

My review of the "fotonovel" is here:
http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/11/americathon.html.  I'll add that the music really does make a difference, particularly the Beach Boys, "still together after 40 years," singing over the opening and closing credits.  I also think Monty's (Harvey Korman) answer to "My Way," which opens "My life, I'm loved and hated, yes, even envied because I'm gifted," is near perfect.  I still laughed out loud at the movie, during this umpteenth viewing, although not every joke works.  (There is an audible silence, like we're waiting for the laugh track, after the joke based on the picture below.)  The energy is sometimes off and the timeline makes no sense (Chet and Mouling disappear for days before they're kidnapped, and no one notices.)  Still, there are touches that I like, such as the surprisingly sweet (if not really) developed romance between Riegert's Eric and Chet's "old lady" (wife? girlfriend?) Lucy, played by Ritter's real life wife Nancy Morgan.  And any line about the ventriloquists is gold.

Peter Marshall plays a respected newsman and Chief Dan George the wealthy founder of NIKE, both nice bits of counter-casting.  Howard Hesseman is a sound-booth technician who often seems disgusted by what's being televised.  Meat Loaf is a daredevil who's so popular he comes back.  (Unlike the more dubious entertainers.)

Jerry Maren is still alive at 94, although he was in the Lollipop Guild in The Wizard of Oz and Little Professor Atom in At the Circus.  One of the musclemen, Dennis Tinerino, was Atlas in Hercules in New York, while Kal Szkalak was an athlete in Sextette.  May Boss, who plays Adele Miller (who boxes a young Jay Leno), was "Frail Old Lady" in Rabbit Test.  Rollin Moriyama and Mitsu Yashima, who pretend to be Chinese here, were the Japanese couple in the taxi in Foul Play.  (John Lone and Ben Fong Torres are part of their group of tourists.)

Selma Archerd, who's a "telethon phone celebrity" here, was a passenger in The Big Bus and would be Mrs. Williams in Can't Stop the Music.  Ventriloquist Jerry Layne would also be in Can't StM (and on Three's Company).  Fred Lerner, Commando #3, would be KAOS #2 in The Nude Bomb.  Gene LeBell, who plays the referee, was in I Wanna Hold Your Hand and would be in Going Ape!, while Sosimo Hernandez, who's Juan Flan here, would be "Flugist" in the latter movie.  I don't have the Del Rubio Triplets in any other movie, but I was delighted when they turned up on Married with Children as Peg's aunts.