Greetings again from the darkness. This is one of those movies that made me feel a bit guilty for not liking it more than I did. It seemed to set up as the type of story I would like, but something is missing. It is just too simple ... almost dumbed down for the audience.
Part of it could be contributed to the cast of solid, if unspectacular, character actors. Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman are both fine, but Chris Pine and Rachael Taylor certainly didn't come through in their important roles. And Freddy Rodriguez and Miguel Sandoval are given almost nothing to do except strut on a motorcycle and listen to Maria Callas, respectively. This little side story had the most potential but instead we get about 3 or 4 boxing matches between father Pullman and wayward son Pine. Enough ... we get it.
Based on a true and pretty amazing story, the film could have had much more depth and not gone for the easy laugh so often. Is there anything funny about the pretty girl flashing her breasts while hitch-hiking or putting the long-haired rebel in the middle of a stuffy country club? Yes ... quite a few things are funnier than these stale bits. And then on top of everything, Dennis Farina's caricature of an American mooching off the snob, gets old really quickly ... and then, for some unknown reason, is taken totally over the top.
Still, despite its numerous faults, there is enough of the real story here to hold our interest and I bet you will find yourself wanting a glass of wine!
Part of it could be contributed to the cast of solid, if unspectacular, character actors. Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman are both fine, but Chris Pine and Rachael Taylor certainly didn't come through in their important roles. And Freddy Rodriguez and Miguel Sandoval are given almost nothing to do except strut on a motorcycle and listen to Maria Callas, respectively. This little side story had the most potential but instead we get about 3 or 4 boxing matches between father Pullman and wayward son Pine. Enough ... we get it.
Based on a true and pretty amazing story, the film could have had much more depth and not gone for the easy laugh so often. Is there anything funny about the pretty girl flashing her breasts while hitch-hiking or putting the long-haired rebel in the middle of a stuffy country club? Yes ... quite a few things are funnier than these stale bits. And then on top of everything, Dennis Farina's caricature of an American mooching off the snob, gets old really quickly ... and then, for some unknown reason, is taken totally over the top.
Still, despite its numerous faults, there is enough of the real story here to hold our interest and I bet you will find yourself wanting a glass of wine!