This movie would otherwise be fabulous if it weren't for long -- and I mean looooooong -- stretches of pointlessness, where the action, the drama, comes to a halt. One gets the impression that Duvall either didn't make enough edits, or those working with him were too afraid to make the proper edits during scenes that appear utterly self-indulgent. The best example is at the very worst time: the last scene, in which E.F. is arrested. We get it already: E.F. is quite a preacher. The scene should have ended, truly, at least ten minutes sooner than it did. All the drama associated with the end of E.F's preacher days is zapped by a long, tedious, ultimately pointless scene about him doing his preacher-thing to the congregation while the police officer waits at the back. I challenge anyone to find a meaning in that scene, or in others like it. At over two hours, this film could have benefited from a superior editing job. Instead, Duvall does to the film's drama what E.F. does to his wife's lover: He smacks it into a coma, then kills it. A real shame.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Family Matters
(1989–1998)
Like it or not, Urkel is king
21 May 2004
The character Urkel gets a lot of trash thrown his way, but look at what the actor himself did: He stole a sitcom. It doesn't happen often. Now I'm not certain when he was first introduced on the show, but I believe it was during the first season. He was the "wacky neighbor" with a crush on Laura -- nothing more. Within two seasons, the show was his. He owned it. Huge plot lines revolved around him; he got as much if not more screen time and dialogue as anyone else, and in many cases, more than the entire cast. Some may not like him, but he stole the show out from under the original cast through pure energy and originality. He developed a dead-pan 'look' that rivaled Johnny Carson's and one-upped Mr. Roper's. His physical comedy was outrageous, sometimes slightly ridiculous, but ideally suited to a basic family sitcom. Anyone of-age who has watched some TV in their time knows who Urkel was -- because he was dominant. Like him or not, Urkel is a unique, unforgettable character in TV history, and for that massive achievement, he deserves credit.
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