Consider “Tenure” all the proof you need there’s gold in them there straight to DVD shelves.
The film, which you won’t find on RottenTomatoes.com and finally got its own Web site mere days ago, makes its inauspicious debut on DVD April 13.
Must be a stiff, right?
But “Tenure” is precisely the kind of film that’s impossible to market to the masses but enjoyable all the same. Its sly humor, affecting performances and running gags can’t be easily captured in a 90-second trailer.
Just don’t make the mistake of lumping it in with lesser straight to DVD titles.
Luke Wilson, whose recent claim to fame is pitching cellular phone service, stars as a professor at a nondescript college desperate for tenure.
Charlie (Wilson) sees tenure as the one accomplishment within reach, a reward for years of hard work and a distraction from his strained family ties.
But fellow professor Jay (David Koechner), who hunts Sasquatch in his spare time, just got denied tenure himself. And the fetching new professor on campus (Gretchen Mol) is a Yalie who could jump ahead of Charlie on the tenure list.
“Tenure” teems with eclectic characters who feel fresh, and that vitality extends to our deflated hero.
Wilson’s screen career has hardly ablaze lately, but his quiet mannerisms here give dignity to a man who seemingly has little on the surace.
It’s a credit to writer/director Mike Million that Charlie doesn’t need our pity. He’s actually a terrific professor, someone who connects with his students while nudging them to reach beyond their expectations.
Koechner, who usually commandeers the screen with caffeinated line readings, dials it down to deliver both laughs and a bit of sadness. It’s a winning turn, sure to open people’s eyes.
The film wraps with a predictable flourish, but the journey supplies enough gentle truths to keep us engaged.
“Tenure” is that rare beast, a smart college comedy that doesn’t require keg parties or outlandish pranks to make us laugh.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
thanks for the heads up! always up for some nice Gretchen Mol watching…
Even the production values here were worthy of a theatrical boost … I’m doing a Q&A with the writer/director soon, BTW.
Mol is worthy of a blog entry: an expected “It Girl” who never was (yet).
I used to attribute it to her being indistinguishable among Joey Lauren Adams and Renee Zellweger, but now? Hm.
IMO, Wilson never has been a big enough star on his own – had this film co-starred some of the “Apatow Pack,” it likely would have gotten cinema-level distribution, and he too often seems to be ennervated in his roles.
D.