While there have been many instances of taking a classic piece of literature and reimagining it in a modern setting (10 Things I Hate About You, Clueless, Cruel Intentions), few have the charm and wit that accompany Easy A. Rather then just a modern rehash of the novel "The Scarlet Letter" it’s a social commentary on young people’s obsession with promiscuity, told in the funniest way possible by the only harlot who’s never even had her first kiss. It’s a delightful romp with sharp dialogue and strong performances, in particular Emma Stone as the title character.
Stone starts as Olive, a whip smart high schooler who is essentially a nobody. When her best friend Rhiannon (Aly Michalka of the new series Hellcats) asks her how she spent her weekend Olive lies and says she spent the entire weekend with her non-existent college boyfriend (how she actually spent the weekend is so wonderfully lame that you instantly fall in love with her). Rhiannon thinks this means Olive lost her virginity and mere moments later the rumor has been facebooked, e-mailed and twittered to everyone at school. Soon afterwards her gay friend Brandon (Dan Byrd) asks her if he can claim the two of them had sex so he won’t be picked on by his homophobic classmates. She agrees and ends up creating a business out of it, having guys give her gift cards in exchange for them saying she slept with them. But things soon grow out of control, leaving Olive trying to figure out how she can regain her old life back.
This is the first time Emma Stone has headlined a movie, having previously played supporting roles in Zombieland and Superbad. And with this single role she’s proven she deserves the title of leading lady. She manages to completely charm the audience with her combination of awkward gusto and shark wit. In some ways she is almost too charming for her role, as one wonders how a woman like her could ever go unnoticed.
The supporting cast is also very enjoyable to watch. Some other actors of note are Amanda Bynes as the head of the school Christian group who makes it her mission to get Olive out of school, Penn Badgley as the most non-judgmental school mascot around, and Thomas Haden Church as the beloved teacher who’s teaching "The Scarlet Letter" in his class. In addition we have Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as Olive’s free spirited parents, the only two people in the world who let their daughter do whatever she wants while at the same time raising a well adjusted studious person.
In addition to the performances the movie is filled with clever and hilarious dialogue. A couple of gems I’ll reveal to wet your appetite are “What is it with gay men and lady parts? Do you think I have a Gnome down there?” and “If the Good Lord had wanted Micah to graduate, he would have given him the right answers.”
I’ll avoid the painfully obvious way of saying this film is a winner. Simply put this is a movie you should go out and see right away. You’ll laugh, you’ll smile, you might just learn a thing or two. Go see Easy A
Showing posts with label Comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comedy. Show all posts
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Conan O'Brian Further Screwed Over By NBC
It seems that NBC really is doing everything to keep things the way it was, even if it means completely reinventing itself and screwing others over in the process. By this I mean that they are doing everything they can to keep Jay Leno on their network.
This all started in 2004 when Jay Leno announced that he would be leaving The Tonight Show in 2009. At first things went as they were expected to. A successor (Conan O’ Brian) was chosen and other networks started trying to lure the popular comic over to them. But in December 2008 it was announced that Jay Leno would remain on NBC with his own talk show. Furthermore it would air at 10pm five nights a week, significantly reducing the number of hour long scripted programs the network usually aired.
Let’s get one thing straight, this decision was mainly based on money. True NBC didn’t want to lost Leno, who was a ratings darling for the network. But a bigger realization in this decision was that it was much cheaper to produce one five days a week talk show then five hour long dramas. And the fact that this decision came during the beginnings of the recession only added more incentive for the network to try and save money.
It has been four months since The Jay Leno Show began airing and the results haven’t been great. Viewership for the show has been less then expected. Today it was announced that The Jay Leno Show will no longer air at 10pm after February 11th. Instead it will be trimmed to a ½ hour format and air at 11:30pm, with The Tonight Show airing at 12:05AM instead.
This is a slap in the face to Conan O’Brian, who already has had to put up with a ton of crap from NBC and Jay Leno. First instead of simply handing over the late night torch, as Johnny Carson did when he named Jay Leno his successor, Leno stole a lot of O’Brian’s thunder with his decision to remain on television. With Leno doing topical humor at an earlier time Conan’s material would unfortunately seem like it was already heard. Not that it was his fault; just that it was the nature of the situation.
But this is an even greater insult. Because Leno isn’t doing well in a 10pm time slot he’s rewarded by getting his old slot back and having Conan give up time for his show. That is not right. Leno had his tenure during the late night hours and now its Conan’s time.
While I would like to see Conan remain The Tonight Show host, it might be for the better if he moves to another network. One where he is appreciated and treated with the dignity he should have gotten all along.
This all started in 2004 when Jay Leno announced that he would be leaving The Tonight Show in 2009. At first things went as they were expected to. A successor (Conan O’ Brian) was chosen and other networks started trying to lure the popular comic over to them. But in December 2008 it was announced that Jay Leno would remain on NBC with his own talk show. Furthermore it would air at 10pm five nights a week, significantly reducing the number of hour long scripted programs the network usually aired.
Let’s get one thing straight, this decision was mainly based on money. True NBC didn’t want to lost Leno, who was a ratings darling for the network. But a bigger realization in this decision was that it was much cheaper to produce one five days a week talk show then five hour long dramas. And the fact that this decision came during the beginnings of the recession only added more incentive for the network to try and save money.
It has been four months since The Jay Leno Show began airing and the results haven’t been great. Viewership for the show has been less then expected. Today it was announced that The Jay Leno Show will no longer air at 10pm after February 11th. Instead it will be trimmed to a ½ hour format and air at 11:30pm, with The Tonight Show airing at 12:05AM instead.
This is a slap in the face to Conan O’Brian, who already has had to put up with a ton of crap from NBC and Jay Leno. First instead of simply handing over the late night torch, as Johnny Carson did when he named Jay Leno his successor, Leno stole a lot of O’Brian’s thunder with his decision to remain on television. With Leno doing topical humor at an earlier time Conan’s material would unfortunately seem like it was already heard. Not that it was his fault; just that it was the nature of the situation.
But this is an even greater insult. Because Leno isn’t doing well in a 10pm time slot he’s rewarded by getting his old slot back and having Conan give up time for his show. That is not right. Leno had his tenure during the late night hours and now its Conan’s time.
While I would like to see Conan remain The Tonight Show host, it might be for the better if he moves to another network. One where he is appreciated and treated with the dignity he should have gotten all along.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Hidden Danger of Situational Comedy
Many parents try to protect their children from the imagery and situations seen in horror and action films. They feel that seeing relentless bloodshed and sadistic terror will warp a young person’s mind and drive them to pursue violent impulses later on in life. But while most parents are diligent in limiting children’s exposure to violence, they remain largely unaware of another dangerous piece of media that can warp their minds. That media is television sitcoms.
As you read this I’m sure you think what was written has to be a typo. How can sitcoms damage a young person’s mind? They’re shows designed to entertain through comedy. But a closer look into them reveals a hidden danger.
In many sitcoms a typical episode will run like this: the characters get into a troubled situation. Hilarity will ensue and by the episode’s end the problem is neatly solved and everything is more or less back to normal. While it may seem harmless for children to watch this, it can have a damaging effect. It can make children believe that life’s problems can always be solved quickly with a grand plan. If we get into a fight with someone we just need to come up with a hilarious and well meaning scheme and the fight will be over. In sitcoms problems are solved quickly and (with the exception of the grand scheme) neatly. Where in life this is far from how things are resolved.
In real life problems are very rarely quickly and simply solved. They are messy and complicated. An example is a serious fight between friends. By serious I don’t mean a disagreement on what restaurant to have dinner at. I mean an explosion of anger and words that leaves both parties hurt and shattered. A fight of this magnitude isn’t solved quickly by a quirky plan. It takes a long time of attempting to work through the issues that have come up as result of what happened. There are times where the friendship can not be salvaged. And in the event that it is it’s rarely the same again because of the line crossed from the fight. The fear of being hurt again causes the two to not trust each other as openly as they used to.
A perfect example of a resolution to a sitcom fight is in two episodes from the fifth season of the popular show “Will & Grace”. In the first episode, “The Kid Stays Out Of The Picture”, Grace decides to pursue a relationship with a doctor named Leo. Unfortunately this conflicts with her and Will’s plan to have a baby together. Once Will discovers that she wants to back out on their plan the two characters have one of the most intense fights ever seen in sitcoms. Long held resentment is brought up and each person pierces the other by throwing back their most negative character traits as if they were bullets. The episode concludes with Will throwing Grace out of their apartment and out of his life. In the second episode, “Humongous Growth”, Karen and Jack scheme to get their two friends to kiss and make up by tricking them into attending a kid’s birthday party without either knowing the other will be there. Once they find each other they continue to fight and squabble. Finally Karen essentially locks them up together by throwing their keys into a children’s ball pit. While rummaging through the pit Will and Grace talk about what happened and the issues between them. By the episodes end the two of them are friends again.
The fight in the first episode was so powerful and realistic that there needed to be a significant amount of time before it was resolved. While it’s known that they would have eventually forgiven each other (the title of the show is Will AND Grace after all) there should have been a few episodes gap before they made up. Instead it was quickly resolved in a timely manner. If youngsters see this they may think that is how it always is in life. That all of our problems in life, no matter how detrimental they are, can be solved in a quick and efficient manner. This means that impressionable youths can carry this belief into real life and thus be unable to deal with life’s problems once they arise.
In collusion I’m not saying that sitcoms should be outright banned from the family household. They offer entertainment and enjoyment. I’m saying that parents should reinforce to their children that what they are watching isn’t real life and they shouldn’t imitate what they are seeing. It may sound silly, but it could go a long way.
As you read this I’m sure you think what was written has to be a typo. How can sitcoms damage a young person’s mind? They’re shows designed to entertain through comedy. But a closer look into them reveals a hidden danger.
In many sitcoms a typical episode will run like this: the characters get into a troubled situation. Hilarity will ensue and by the episode’s end the problem is neatly solved and everything is more or less back to normal. While it may seem harmless for children to watch this, it can have a damaging effect. It can make children believe that life’s problems can always be solved quickly with a grand plan. If we get into a fight with someone we just need to come up with a hilarious and well meaning scheme and the fight will be over. In sitcoms problems are solved quickly and (with the exception of the grand scheme) neatly. Where in life this is far from how things are resolved.
In real life problems are very rarely quickly and simply solved. They are messy and complicated. An example is a serious fight between friends. By serious I don’t mean a disagreement on what restaurant to have dinner at. I mean an explosion of anger and words that leaves both parties hurt and shattered. A fight of this magnitude isn’t solved quickly by a quirky plan. It takes a long time of attempting to work through the issues that have come up as result of what happened. There are times where the friendship can not be salvaged. And in the event that it is it’s rarely the same again because of the line crossed from the fight. The fear of being hurt again causes the two to not trust each other as openly as they used to.
A perfect example of a resolution to a sitcom fight is in two episodes from the fifth season of the popular show “Will & Grace”. In the first episode, “The Kid Stays Out Of The Picture”, Grace decides to pursue a relationship with a doctor named Leo. Unfortunately this conflicts with her and Will’s plan to have a baby together. Once Will discovers that she wants to back out on their plan the two characters have one of the most intense fights ever seen in sitcoms. Long held resentment is brought up and each person pierces the other by throwing back their most negative character traits as if they were bullets. The episode concludes with Will throwing Grace out of their apartment and out of his life. In the second episode, “Humongous Growth”, Karen and Jack scheme to get their two friends to kiss and make up by tricking them into attending a kid’s birthday party without either knowing the other will be there. Once they find each other they continue to fight and squabble. Finally Karen essentially locks them up together by throwing their keys into a children’s ball pit. While rummaging through the pit Will and Grace talk about what happened and the issues between them. By the episodes end the two of them are friends again.
The fight in the first episode was so powerful and realistic that there needed to be a significant amount of time before it was resolved. While it’s known that they would have eventually forgiven each other (the title of the show is Will AND Grace after all) there should have been a few episodes gap before they made up. Instead it was quickly resolved in a timely manner. If youngsters see this they may think that is how it always is in life. That all of our problems in life, no matter how detrimental they are, can be solved in a quick and efficient manner. This means that impressionable youths can carry this belief into real life and thus be unable to deal with life’s problems once they arise.
In collusion I’m not saying that sitcoms should be outright banned from the family household. They offer entertainment and enjoyment. I’m saying that parents should reinforce to their children that what they are watching isn’t real life and they shouldn’t imitate what they are seeing. It may sound silly, but it could go a long way.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Untypical Roles Being First Viewing
While actors usually try not to become typecast in certain roles, many times it ends up happening. Either from there own volition or by the roles they are offered, actors will many times act in the same genre or play the same type of roles. Meg Ryan is usually cast in romantic comedies. Arnold Schwarzenegger usually plays fearless action heroes. Though after a while typecast actors will break out of their mold and play a role that audiences wouldn’t expect them to play.
An interesting experience is when the first thing someone sees a typecast actor or actress in is a role that is against their type. It changes one’s perspective of them since they never saw them in the roles they are known for. Recently I’ve realized that there are a number of actors and actresses I first saw in roles they were against their type. This article tells of a few of those instances.
AMY ADAMS
Known For: Playing upbeat and likable characters, such as a pregnant wife in Junebug and fairytale princess Giselle in Enchanted
First Seen In: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, playing the nasty cousin to resident witch Tara.
While many know this actress for playing extremely lovable characters, fans of her early work will see her playing a character that was anything but lovable. Amy Adams appeared in the season five episode “Family” of the brilliant show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the episode Tara, a skilled witch and Willow’s girlfriend, was visited by her family on the eve of her 20th birthday. They informed her that she had to return home with them because she was part demon and would eventually turn evil. By the episode’s end it was revealed that the demon tale was a lie and Tara severed ties with her family.
The episode had Adams play Tara’s Cousin Beth, a nasty and manipulating woman who had successfully been brainwashed to be subservient and devoted to her family. More then the other family members she was the one who came closest to convincing Tara to leave her life in Sunnydale. Aside from being cruel she was also a malicious manipulator, similar to how a cheerleader might pretend to “help” a less popular girl.
NATHAN FILLION
Known For: Playing flawed yet at heart heroic characters, such as the Sherriff in Slither, the protagonist’s doctor in Waitress and Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television show Firefly and subsequent movie Serenity
First Seen In: “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, playing the evil and misogynic preacher Caleb in the final season of the show.
Despite seeing this actor play quirky heroic characters, I still have a hard time shaking away the image of the first role I saw him in. In the final season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fillion played a evil priest who acted as the right hand of the Big Bad of the season. In spite of only being in five episodes he had a lasting effect, killing several minor characters and permanently disfiguring one of the main characters. What made him terrifying was the fact that he acted like a cross between a serial killer and a religious fanatic, talking about how humanity was dirty and unworthy of themselves before taking someone’s life. It’s almost like seeing pastor Fred Phelps go on a killing spree.
KURT RUSSELL
Known For: Playing gruff tough guys, such as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York, helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter’s The Thing, and Stuntman Mike in Death Proof.
First Seen In: Executive Decision, where he played a nerdy terrorist specialist.
In the film Executive Decision, a movie where a group of commandos attempt to stop a group of terrorist who have taken a 747 hostage, Kurt Russell plays a terrorist specialist who joined the commandos because of his knowledge on the main hijacker. His character was very nervous and timid throughout the movie. He was nervous about acting rashly and the commandos would often only listen to him because of the direness of the situation. Even when he eventually took a gun and joined in on the fighting it played out more like an average guy thrust in a dangerous situation then an action hero.
ALAN RICKMAN
Known For: Playing nasty and or villainess characters such as terrorist/thief Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series.
First Seen In: Dogma, playing the Metatron and the voice of God.
In the 1999 film Dogma Alan Rickman played the role of the Metatron, the highest level of angels and the voice of God. Naturally the role wasn’t a villainess one at all. His character was portrayed as cranky and very British but also kind hearted. He acted as a guiding force to the characters on earth, giving well meaning advice whenever he could.
After seeing him in this role I found it interesting to see him play much more menacing characters.
KRISTIN KREUK
Known For: Playing angsty and emotionally vulnerable Lana Lang in the show Smallville
First Seen In: Eurotrip, playing the cruel and slutty ex girlfriend of the movie’s main protagonist.
Since I didn’t start watching Smallville until this summer, the first time I saw this actress was in the movie Eurotrip. The character she played was the exact opposite from the role she is most well known for. In the movie her character Fiona dumps her boyfriend Scott in front of his family, callously telling him that he is spineless and that she cheated on him a lot. Later on at a graduation party the band’s lead singer sings a song about all the time’s he slept with Fiona while she dated Scott. Not only does she grind against the singer during the song but she also joins in on the singing, knowing full well her former boyfriend is in the audience watching everything.
An interesting experience is when the first thing someone sees a typecast actor or actress in is a role that is against their type. It changes one’s perspective of them since they never saw them in the roles they are known for. Recently I’ve realized that there are a number of actors and actresses I first saw in roles they were against their type. This article tells of a few of those instances.
AMY ADAMS
Known For: Playing upbeat and likable characters, such as a pregnant wife in Junebug and fairytale princess Giselle in Enchanted
First Seen In: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, playing the nasty cousin to resident witch Tara.
While many know this actress for playing extremely lovable characters, fans of her early work will see her playing a character that was anything but lovable. Amy Adams appeared in the season five episode “Family” of the brilliant show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the episode Tara, a skilled witch and Willow’s girlfriend, was visited by her family on the eve of her 20th birthday. They informed her that she had to return home with them because she was part demon and would eventually turn evil. By the episode’s end it was revealed that the demon tale was a lie and Tara severed ties with her family.
The episode had Adams play Tara’s Cousin Beth, a nasty and manipulating woman who had successfully been brainwashed to be subservient and devoted to her family. More then the other family members she was the one who came closest to convincing Tara to leave her life in Sunnydale. Aside from being cruel she was also a malicious manipulator, similar to how a cheerleader might pretend to “help” a less popular girl.
NATHAN FILLION
Known For: Playing flawed yet at heart heroic characters, such as the Sherriff in Slither, the protagonist’s doctor in Waitress and Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television show Firefly and subsequent movie Serenity
First Seen In: “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, playing the evil and misogynic preacher Caleb in the final season of the show.
Despite seeing this actor play quirky heroic characters, I still have a hard time shaking away the image of the first role I saw him in. In the final season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fillion played a evil priest who acted as the right hand of the Big Bad of the season. In spite of only being in five episodes he had a lasting effect, killing several minor characters and permanently disfiguring one of the main characters. What made him terrifying was the fact that he acted like a cross between a serial killer and a religious fanatic, talking about how humanity was dirty and unworthy of themselves before taking someone’s life. It’s almost like seeing pastor Fred Phelps go on a killing spree.
KURT RUSSELL
Known For: Playing gruff tough guys, such as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York, helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter’s The Thing, and Stuntman Mike in Death Proof.
First Seen In: Executive Decision, where he played a nerdy terrorist specialist.
In the film Executive Decision, a movie where a group of commandos attempt to stop a group of terrorist who have taken a 747 hostage, Kurt Russell plays a terrorist specialist who joined the commandos because of his knowledge on the main hijacker. His character was very nervous and timid throughout the movie. He was nervous about acting rashly and the commandos would often only listen to him because of the direness of the situation. Even when he eventually took a gun and joined in on the fighting it played out more like an average guy thrust in a dangerous situation then an action hero.
ALAN RICKMAN
Known For: Playing nasty and or villainess characters such as terrorist/thief Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series.
First Seen In: Dogma, playing the Metatron and the voice of God.
In the 1999 film Dogma Alan Rickman played the role of the Metatron, the highest level of angels and the voice of God. Naturally the role wasn’t a villainess one at all. His character was portrayed as cranky and very British but also kind hearted. He acted as a guiding force to the characters on earth, giving well meaning advice whenever he could.
After seeing him in this role I found it interesting to see him play much more menacing characters.
KRISTIN KREUK
Known For: Playing angsty and emotionally vulnerable Lana Lang in the show Smallville
First Seen In: Eurotrip, playing the cruel and slutty ex girlfriend of the movie’s main protagonist.
Since I didn’t start watching Smallville until this summer, the first time I saw this actress was in the movie Eurotrip. The character she played was the exact opposite from the role she is most well known for. In the movie her character Fiona dumps her boyfriend Scott in front of his family, callously telling him that he is spineless and that she cheated on him a lot. Later on at a graduation party the band’s lead singer sings a song about all the time’s he slept with Fiona while she dated Scott. Not only does she grind against the singer during the song but she also joins in on the singing, knowing full well her former boyfriend is in the audience watching everything.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
One Time the Laughter is Silenced
Sadly I have just learned that comedian Bernie Mac has died. He passed away this morning from complications brought on by pneumonia after having been admitted to a Chicago hospital due to the illness. He was 50 years old.
Bernie Mac was a successful comedian with a tell-it-like-it-is approach. Performing since he was a child, his comedy routine was featured in the 2000 documentary film The Original Kings of Comedy. Shortly after that Fox Television gave him his own sitcom, entitled The Bernie Mac Show. In the show Bernie played a guy who is suddenly giving custody of his sister’s three children while she is in rehab. The show stayed true to Bernie’s stand up act by having the character routinely break the fourth wall to personally tell the audience how he felt about the absurdity of a situation. The show was a huge success, earning a Peabody award in 2001 and nominations for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for Mac.
In addition to television Bernie Mac appeared in a number of films. Audiences will most recognize him from his role in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven, where he played a black jack dealer who helped with the elaborate heist. He would also appear in both of the film’s sequels. Some of his other roles were the no nonsense father in Guess Who, the new Bosley in Charlie’s Angel’s: Full Throttle, a flashy baseball player in Mr. 3000 and a sleazy car salesman in last summer’s Transformers.
Bernie Mac will be greatly missed. His passing has left a void in the comedic world that will take quite a while to be filled. Thankfully his success will still allow others to experience and enjoy his unique brand of comedy.
Bernie Mac was a successful comedian with a tell-it-like-it-is approach. Performing since he was a child, his comedy routine was featured in the 2000 documentary film The Original Kings of Comedy. Shortly after that Fox Television gave him his own sitcom, entitled The Bernie Mac Show. In the show Bernie played a guy who is suddenly giving custody of his sister’s three children while she is in rehab. The show stayed true to Bernie’s stand up act by having the character routinely break the fourth wall to personally tell the audience how he felt about the absurdity of a situation. The show was a huge success, earning a Peabody award in 2001 and nominations for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for Mac.
In addition to television Bernie Mac appeared in a number of films. Audiences will most recognize him from his role in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven, where he played a black jack dealer who helped with the elaborate heist. He would also appear in both of the film’s sequels. Some of his other roles were the no nonsense father in Guess Who, the new Bosley in Charlie’s Angel’s: Full Throttle, a flashy baseball player in Mr. 3000 and a sleazy car salesman in last summer’s Transformers.
Bernie Mac will be greatly missed. His passing has left a void in the comedic world that will take quite a while to be filled. Thankfully his success will still allow others to experience and enjoy his unique brand of comedy.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
For a Good Time, Make It a Cox Night
Inspired by this weekend’s opening of the movie “Stepbrothers”, a comedy about two grown men who become step brothers after their parents marry, I felt inspired to write a review about another movie staring John C. Reilly. The movie is “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”, a film that parodies just about every musical biography and general biography film ever made.
“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” tells the tale of Dewey Cox, the most famous and infamous rock star there ever was. The movie starts out in 1940’s rural Alabama, with six year old Dewey living a carefree life with his much more talented older brother. Things take a tragic turn when the boys decide to have a machete fight and Dewey accidently cuts his brother in half. This tragedy changes Dewey’s life forever, as it gives him the drive to become successful in order to honor his deceased brother. The event also drives a life long wedge between him and his Pa (Raymond J. Barry), who blames Dewey for what happened to the point that he continually proclaims “the wrong kid died” whenever he sees Dewey. Soon after the tragedy he is introduced to the blues and his love of music is born.
The movie then moves forward to the mid 1950’s, with 14 year old Dewey (played from this point on by 40 year old John C. Reilly) successfully performing at his school’s talent show. The performance convinces him to pursue his dreams and become a singer. After several months of working as a bus boy at a night club his big break comes when the band’s lead singer falls ill and Dewey fills in. This leads to a recording contract and the creation of his iconic song “Walk Hard”, which becomes a hit 35 minutes after it is recorded. Fame and success are now Dewey’s for the taking. But with it all comes the dangers and pitfalls of a rock and roll lifestyle. He is introduced to marijuana (and later cocaine, ecstasy and just about every other drug out there) by his drummer Sam (Tim Meadows) and begins to neglect his family and spiral out of control. It is during this time that he hires backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer). The two fall in love and marry, despite Dewey already being married. After both of his wives leave him and a stint in rehab Darlene returns and the two start their lives together.
The movie continues on in this vain, with Dewey continually changing his musical style, driving his loved ones away and then winning them back, and improving his life for the better. What makes it all the more humorous is that it’s treated as if it were a serious drama. While the lines being said are ridiculous, they are said with true seriousness and conviction. This brings the absurdity of what is being seen into even greater focus.
John C. Reilly is hilarious as the title character. After years of memorable supporting roles (ranging from a kind hearted fisherman in “The Perfect Storm” to Amos in the film version of the musical “Chicago”) he is finally given a staring venture. He makes the role his own and shows he can more then carry a movie. Just as good was Jenna Fischer as Darlene. Having been accustomed to previously seeing her play reserved characters in “Blades of Glory” and the television show “The Office”, I was delighted to see her take a role such against type. Her character was immensely ridiculous, with her saying extremely dirty lines as if she were a catholic schoolgirl.
Another fun feature of the movie is the cameos by rock legends. During his lifetime Dewey ends up meeting several famous musicians. What’s funny is that the parts were deliberately miscast to add to the overall humor. To emphasize this the parodied artists will continually refer to themselves as the character they are playing to remind the audience of who they are. We end up seeing Buddy Holly being played by Frankie Muniz, Elvis being portrayed by Jack White, and The Beatles represented by Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Justin Long and Jason Schwartzman. If you know these actors you’ll realize that none of them (with the possible exception of Jack White) fits the artist they’re parodying.
“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” is a hilarious satire on the bio flick genre. It makes fun of every cliché in the book, from a tragic past to an out of control sex life and drug habit. It’s a treat no movie or music lover should miss.
“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” tells the tale of Dewey Cox, the most famous and infamous rock star there ever was. The movie starts out in 1940’s rural Alabama, with six year old Dewey living a carefree life with his much more talented older brother. Things take a tragic turn when the boys decide to have a machete fight and Dewey accidently cuts his brother in half. This tragedy changes Dewey’s life forever, as it gives him the drive to become successful in order to honor his deceased brother. The event also drives a life long wedge between him and his Pa (Raymond J. Barry), who blames Dewey for what happened to the point that he continually proclaims “the wrong kid died” whenever he sees Dewey. Soon after the tragedy he is introduced to the blues and his love of music is born.
The movie then moves forward to the mid 1950’s, with 14 year old Dewey (played from this point on by 40 year old John C. Reilly) successfully performing at his school’s talent show. The performance convinces him to pursue his dreams and become a singer. After several months of working as a bus boy at a night club his big break comes when the band’s lead singer falls ill and Dewey fills in. This leads to a recording contract and the creation of his iconic song “Walk Hard”, which becomes a hit 35 minutes after it is recorded. Fame and success are now Dewey’s for the taking. But with it all comes the dangers and pitfalls of a rock and roll lifestyle. He is introduced to marijuana (and later cocaine, ecstasy and just about every other drug out there) by his drummer Sam (Tim Meadows) and begins to neglect his family and spiral out of control. It is during this time that he hires backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer). The two fall in love and marry, despite Dewey already being married. After both of his wives leave him and a stint in rehab Darlene returns and the two start their lives together.
The movie continues on in this vain, with Dewey continually changing his musical style, driving his loved ones away and then winning them back, and improving his life for the better. What makes it all the more humorous is that it’s treated as if it were a serious drama. While the lines being said are ridiculous, they are said with true seriousness and conviction. This brings the absurdity of what is being seen into even greater focus.
John C. Reilly is hilarious as the title character. After years of memorable supporting roles (ranging from a kind hearted fisherman in “The Perfect Storm” to Amos in the film version of the musical “Chicago”) he is finally given a staring venture. He makes the role his own and shows he can more then carry a movie. Just as good was Jenna Fischer as Darlene. Having been accustomed to previously seeing her play reserved characters in “Blades of Glory” and the television show “The Office”, I was delighted to see her take a role such against type. Her character was immensely ridiculous, with her saying extremely dirty lines as if she were a catholic schoolgirl.
Another fun feature of the movie is the cameos by rock legends. During his lifetime Dewey ends up meeting several famous musicians. What’s funny is that the parts were deliberately miscast to add to the overall humor. To emphasize this the parodied artists will continually refer to themselves as the character they are playing to remind the audience of who they are. We end up seeing Buddy Holly being played by Frankie Muniz, Elvis being portrayed by Jack White, and The Beatles represented by Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Justin Long and Jason Schwartzman. If you know these actors you’ll realize that none of them (with the possible exception of Jack White) fits the artist they’re parodying.
“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” is a hilarious satire on the bio flick genre. It makes fun of every cliché in the book, from a tragic past to an out of control sex life and drug habit. It’s a treat no movie or music lover should miss.
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Loss of a Comedic Legend
Sadly, my latest entry is also about the passing of a legend. This entry is on the passing of comedian George Carlin. George Carlin, who has entertained fans with his often controversial stand up routines, passed away on Sunday June 22 at the age of 71.
George Carlin’s humor often focused on his views on what he felt was idiotic about humanity. This ranged from people’s obsessions with celebrates and child raising to more controversial topics such as his views on religion and politics. His humor also greatly challenged censorship and what we deem as inappropriate. One of his most famous examples of challenging censorship was with his routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television”, which lead to him being arrested in 1972 for violating obscenity laws after he performed the routine at Milwaukee’s Summerfest.
In addition to being a comedian, Carlin was also an actor. Most of his roles were comedic ones that played to his strengths, such as Rufus in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Cardinal Glick in Dogma. One exception however was his part in the film Jersey Girl, in where he played the father of the film’s protagonist. The role required him to be a serious three dimensional character rather then simply a caricature. He rose to the challenge and his role was one of the highlights of the movie.
George Carlin’s comedy paved the way for future comedians to perform controversial material in their routines. It also had a hand in laxing what content can and can’t be broadcast, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on one’s viewpoint. His passing is a great loss to the world of comedy and he will surely be missed.
George Carlin’s humor often focused on his views on what he felt was idiotic about humanity. This ranged from people’s obsessions with celebrates and child raising to more controversial topics such as his views on religion and politics. His humor also greatly challenged censorship and what we deem as inappropriate. One of his most famous examples of challenging censorship was with his routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television”, which lead to him being arrested in 1972 for violating obscenity laws after he performed the routine at Milwaukee’s Summerfest.
In addition to being a comedian, Carlin was also an actor. Most of his roles were comedic ones that played to his strengths, such as Rufus in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Cardinal Glick in Dogma. One exception however was his part in the film Jersey Girl, in where he played the father of the film’s protagonist. The role required him to be a serious three dimensional character rather then simply a caricature. He rose to the challenge and his role was one of the highlights of the movie.
George Carlin’s comedy paved the way for future comedians to perform controversial material in their routines. It also had a hand in laxing what content can and can’t be broadcast, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on one’s viewpoint. His passing is a great loss to the world of comedy and he will surely be missed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)