Opens
Friday, Sept. 5
A clear attempt to broaden David Spade's boxoffice appeal beyond the male teen demo, "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" generally succeeds -- in hit-and-miss fashion -- at bridging the gap between unlikable jerk and misunderstood good guy, though it's still something of a leap to leading-man territory. It may not be ringing praise, but the Sam Weisman-helmed comedy stands heads and shoulders above 2001's dismal "Joe Dirt".
The tale of a one-time A-list moppet consumed with making a comeback is in many ways an ideal vehicle for Spade's particular -- some might say unfathomable -- brand of snide deadpan humor. Scripted by Spade and longtime "SNL" writer Fred Wolf, his creative partner on "Joe Dirt", the film has an irreverent affection for the cult of TV celebrity, and the presence of dozens of real-life former child stars is a definite hook, however slim. "Roberts" should eke out middling returns before segueing to video.
Dickie Roberts' life fell apart after his '70s hit series was canceled and he was abandoned by his single mom (Doris Roberts in a brief but vivid turn as a monster of a stage mother). An overgrown, obnoxious kid who had a career instead of a childhood, he believes screen success is the only way to regain self-respect and contentment.
His desperate attempts to get back in the spotlight only add to his humiliation, and his girlfriend (Alyssa Milano, an FCS in her own right) dumps him. During their regular poker games, he and his pals -- former child stars Leif Garrett, Barry Williams, Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman and Dustin Diamond -- dis movie stars, and, in a nice touch, Williams continually antes up "Brady Bunch" memorabilia.
The film wades through tired in-joke territory (Dickie searches for famous actors at AA meetings) and some thuddingly laughless stretches before finding its tentative footing. The final segments are some of the strongest
a more consistent satiric slant on the star-making machinery would have benefited the film as a whole.
Tipped to a juicy role in a Rob Reiner film, Dickie and his agent (Jon Lovitz) -- who compensates for ineptitude with an unsurpassed willingness to put it all on the line for his client -- get busy trying to arrange a meeting with the director. But it's Brendan Fraser (uncredited) who gets him in the door, even though Dickie mispronounces his name.
Determined to prove to the doubting Reiner that he can handle a role requiring firsthand experience of human emotions, Dickie sets out to fill in the missing part of his stunted life: childhood. After raising some cash from the sale of his sordid memoirs, he embarks on a crash course in being a kid, finding a family willing to show him the ropes for $20,000. The joke is that he lands in a suburban idyll straight out of a sitcom, with a dazzlingly good-looking mom and dad (Mary McCormack and Craig Bierko) and two kids (Scott Terra and Jenna Boyd) who are wholesome and down-to-earth.
As the story wends its way toward vague homilies -- it's not the fame and money Dickie misses but the love and adoration -- there's a realistic dynamic between Spade and the kids. McCormack is fine as the sensible and sexy, too-good-to-be-true mom, but the supposed chemistry between Dickie and Grace is pushing things a bit. To its credit, the technically polished film doesn't try too hard to have it both ways -- comic and earnest -- and usually undercuts the sappy moments with insolence.
DICKIE ROBERTS: FORMER CHILD STAR
Paramount Pictures
Happy Madison Prods.
Credits: Director: Sam Weisman
Screenwriters: Fred Wolf, David Spade
Producers: Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo
Executive producer: Fred Wolf
Director of photography: Thomas Ackerman
Production designer: Dina Lipton
Music: Chrisophe Beck, Waddy Wachtel
Co-producer: Blair Breard
Costume designer: Lisa Jensen
Editor: Roger Bondelli. Cast: Dickie Roberts: David Spade
Grace Finney: Mary McCormack
Sidney Wernick: Jon Lovitz
George Finney: Craig Bierko
Cyndi: Alyssa Milano
Peggy Roberts: Doris Roberts
Sam Finney: Scott Terra
Sally Finney: Jenna Boyd
Mrs. Gertrude: Edie McClurg
Themselves: Rob Reiner, Leif Garrett, Tom Arnold, Brendan Fraser, Dick Van Patten, Barry Williams, Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman, Dustin Diamond
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, Sept. 5
A clear attempt to broaden David Spade's boxoffice appeal beyond the male teen demo, "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" generally succeeds -- in hit-and-miss fashion -- at bridging the gap between unlikable jerk and misunderstood good guy, though it's still something of a leap to leading-man territory. It may not be ringing praise, but the Sam Weisman-helmed comedy stands heads and shoulders above 2001's dismal "Joe Dirt".
The tale of a one-time A-list moppet consumed with making a comeback is in many ways an ideal vehicle for Spade's particular -- some might say unfathomable -- brand of snide deadpan humor. Scripted by Spade and longtime "SNL" writer Fred Wolf, his creative partner on "Joe Dirt", the film has an irreverent affection for the cult of TV celebrity, and the presence of dozens of real-life former child stars is a definite hook, however slim. "Roberts" should eke out middling returns before segueing to video.
Dickie Roberts' life fell apart after his '70s hit series was canceled and he was abandoned by his single mom (Doris Roberts in a brief but vivid turn as a monster of a stage mother). An overgrown, obnoxious kid who had a career instead of a childhood, he believes screen success is the only way to regain self-respect and contentment.
His desperate attempts to get back in the spotlight only add to his humiliation, and his girlfriend (Alyssa Milano, an FCS in her own right) dumps him. During their regular poker games, he and his pals -- former child stars Leif Garrett, Barry Williams, Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman and Dustin Diamond -- dis movie stars, and, in a nice touch, Williams continually antes up "Brady Bunch" memorabilia.
The film wades through tired in-joke territory (Dickie searches for famous actors at AA meetings) and some thuddingly laughless stretches before finding its tentative footing. The final segments are some of the strongest
a more consistent satiric slant on the star-making machinery would have benefited the film as a whole.
Tipped to a juicy role in a Rob Reiner film, Dickie and his agent (Jon Lovitz) -- who compensates for ineptitude with an unsurpassed willingness to put it all on the line for his client -- get busy trying to arrange a meeting with the director. But it's Brendan Fraser (uncredited) who gets him in the door, even though Dickie mispronounces his name.
Determined to prove to the doubting Reiner that he can handle a role requiring firsthand experience of human emotions, Dickie sets out to fill in the missing part of his stunted life: childhood. After raising some cash from the sale of his sordid memoirs, he embarks on a crash course in being a kid, finding a family willing to show him the ropes for $20,000. The joke is that he lands in a suburban idyll straight out of a sitcom, with a dazzlingly good-looking mom and dad (Mary McCormack and Craig Bierko) and two kids (Scott Terra and Jenna Boyd) who are wholesome and down-to-earth.
As the story wends its way toward vague homilies -- it's not the fame and money Dickie misses but the love and adoration -- there's a realistic dynamic between Spade and the kids. McCormack is fine as the sensible and sexy, too-good-to-be-true mom, but the supposed chemistry between Dickie and Grace is pushing things a bit. To its credit, the technically polished film doesn't try too hard to have it both ways -- comic and earnest -- and usually undercuts the sappy moments with insolence.
DICKIE ROBERTS: FORMER CHILD STAR
Paramount Pictures
Happy Madison Prods.
Credits: Director: Sam Weisman
Screenwriters: Fred Wolf, David Spade
Producers: Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo
Executive producer: Fred Wolf
Director of photography: Thomas Ackerman
Production designer: Dina Lipton
Music: Chrisophe Beck, Waddy Wachtel
Co-producer: Blair Breard
Costume designer: Lisa Jensen
Editor: Roger Bondelli. Cast: Dickie Roberts: David Spade
Grace Finney: Mary McCormack
Sidney Wernick: Jon Lovitz
George Finney: Craig Bierko
Cyndi: Alyssa Milano
Peggy Roberts: Doris Roberts
Sam Finney: Scott Terra
Sally Finney: Jenna Boyd
Mrs. Gertrude: Edie McClurg
Themselves: Rob Reiner, Leif Garrett, Tom Arnold, Brendan Fraser, Dick Van Patten, Barry Williams, Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman, Dustin Diamond
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 9/22/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The pairing of "Friends" regular Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek ("Desperado") in a Southwestern-style romantic comedy has plenty of date-night appeal, but "Fools Rush In" is a disappointingly unendearing cinematic valentine from director Andy Tennant ("It Takes Two").
The Columbia Pictures wide release faces strong competition and won't be experiencing too heavy a rush at the boxoffice, although it may generate respectable crossover business with Latino audiences and perform well on video.
Written by Katherine Reback and based on the real-life courtship of producer Doug Draizin and co-producer Anna Maria Davis, "Fools" sets up a hustling New Yorker (Perry) with an aspiring Latina photographer (Hayek) for a broad but often blandly executed round of multicultural gags and tame drama.
Although both leads give engaging performances, as manic romantics they never really achieve orbital velocity.
After a one-night stand, she leaves him flat. A new guy in her hometown of Vegas, he oversees construction of a new nightclub and confides with an equally well-groomed city slicker (Jon Tenney).
Months later, Hayek's pregnant believer-in-fate shows up and Perry's honorable unbeliever falls in love with her.
The lovers get hitched with the help of an Elvis impersonator, but she doesn't know that he plans to return to New York. He also insults her in front of his nosy country-club parents John Bennett Perry, Jill Clayburgh) and almost runs into serious trouble with her former fiance (Carlos Gomez) and father.
Despite the glitzy Vegas locations and several scenes filmed at Hoover Dam, the film lacks visual pizazz. The soundtrack includes some 20 pop songs -- from vintage Presley to the Iguanas.
FOOLS RUSH IN
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures
A Doug Draizin production
An Andy Tennant film
Director Andy Tennant
Writer Katherine Reback
Producer Doug Draizin
Executive producer Michael McDonnell
Director of photography Robbie Greenberg
Production designer Edward Pisoni
Editor Roger Bondelli
Costume designer Kimberly A. Tillman
Co-producer Anna Maria Davis
Music Alan Silvestri
Casting Juel Bestrop
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex Matthew Perry
Isabel Salma Hayek
Jeff Jon Tenney
Nan Jill Clayburgh
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
The Columbia Pictures wide release faces strong competition and won't be experiencing too heavy a rush at the boxoffice, although it may generate respectable crossover business with Latino audiences and perform well on video.
Written by Katherine Reback and based on the real-life courtship of producer Doug Draizin and co-producer Anna Maria Davis, "Fools" sets up a hustling New Yorker (Perry) with an aspiring Latina photographer (Hayek) for a broad but often blandly executed round of multicultural gags and tame drama.
Although both leads give engaging performances, as manic romantics they never really achieve orbital velocity.
After a one-night stand, she leaves him flat. A new guy in her hometown of Vegas, he oversees construction of a new nightclub and confides with an equally well-groomed city slicker (Jon Tenney).
Months later, Hayek's pregnant believer-in-fate shows up and Perry's honorable unbeliever falls in love with her.
The lovers get hitched with the help of an Elvis impersonator, but she doesn't know that he plans to return to New York. He also insults her in front of his nosy country-club parents John Bennett Perry, Jill Clayburgh) and almost runs into serious trouble with her former fiance (Carlos Gomez) and father.
Despite the glitzy Vegas locations and several scenes filmed at Hoover Dam, the film lacks visual pizazz. The soundtrack includes some 20 pop songs -- from vintage Presley to the Iguanas.
FOOLS RUSH IN
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures
A Doug Draizin production
An Andy Tennant film
Director Andy Tennant
Writer Katherine Reback
Producer Doug Draizin
Executive producer Michael McDonnell
Director of photography Robbie Greenberg
Production designer Edward Pisoni
Editor Roger Bondelli
Costume designer Kimberly A. Tillman
Co-producer Anna Maria Davis
Music Alan Silvestri
Casting Juel Bestrop
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex Matthew Perry
Isabel Salma Hayek
Jeff Jon Tenney
Nan Jill Clayburgh
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 2/10/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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