You know a film is bad when the only quote the studio can scare up for the ad campaign comes from Larry King.
And yes, the King serves up a blurb for the new horror misfire “The Fourth Kind.”
But that’s not the lamest quote you can find to sell a movie. Consider the one used on the DVD package of “The Amateurs:”
“It’s as if Frank Capra made a porn film.”
Not bad, right? But guess who said it?
Jeff Bridges. Yes, the same actor who stars in “The Amateurs.”
But “The Amateurs” isn’t as awful as you fear. The story of a tight knit group of misfits who make an adult movie comes equipped with low key charms. They mostly derive from the cast, a who’s who of character types clearly having a blast.
If only the screenplay matched their level of enthusiasm.
Bridges stars as Andy, an aimless sort whose ex-wife married up while his life keeps heading south. He gets the bright idea one day to hire his fellow losers – with names like Moose (Ted Danson) and Some Idiot (Joe Pantoliano) to make a movie. An adult movie, to be precise.
The film project gives the crew of sense of purpose, all the while showing that a little hard work and determination can go a long way.
Wish the same were true of the script, which gives us an intriguing premise but seems too self satisfied to fully commit. We get some wacky characters and some naughty gags, but by now that level of humor has been well trod by everything from Howard Stern to “The Man Show.”
Bridges’ character never coalesces into someone worth cheering on. It’s simply Bridges doing a variation of The Dude, burnished by his still potent screen premise and that perfect mane of hair. The flirtations between Tim Blake Nelson and Glenne Headly, seem too scattershot to be worth our while.
Andy’s sidekicks, from Danson playing a closeted man to the perennially unsung William Fichtner, give “The Amateurs” a giddy sense of discovery, as if even they aren’t sure where the story is headed.
The film, once dubbed “The Moguls,” never got a theatrical boost, and it seems several subplots – like Andy’s romance with Lauren Graham – were left behind to streamline the production.
“The Amateurs” isn’t good, but it is good-spirited and just novel enough to deserve a Larry King rave – at the very least.
(Photo: Patrick Fugit, William Fichtner, Jeff Bridges and Tim Blake Nelson star as small town buds who team up to shoot a porn movie in “The Amateurs.”)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting recommendation. May have to check it out – I love me some William Fichtner!
Keep them expectations low, Tink. It’s a lark of a film – and you can see where it should be better. But it still has a bit of charm to it.