Michael Showalter – We Are Movie Geeks

THE IDEA OF YOU – Review

With the tsunami of action blockbusters flooding the multiplex, you might think that the movie studios have forgotten that Spring (despite some near ninety-degree days) is the season for romance. So, where are the love stories? Actually, this new one is only streaming, though it’s certainly worthy of a theatrical run, After all, it stars an Oscar-winning actress and its director has made two films that “took home the gold” (not for him, but for the lead actress and a pair of married screenwriters). Plus it’s based on a popular novel, though in many ways it’s a modern media gloss on a fairy tale. Mind you, the “princess” is unlike any we’ve met as this is more of a MAY/DECEMBER pairing (minus the tons of angst of that flick from last year). Like that classic Nat King Cole tune, each of these unlikely lovers is smitten with THE IDEA OF YOU.

We first meet one of the “yous” in the film’s opening scene. She is Solene (Anne Hathaway) a forty-year-old (we drop in on the big B-day festivities) divorced mom who runs a small retail art gallery in the LA suburb of Silver Lake. To treat herself after the milestone, she’s going on a solo camping trip while her almost sixteen-year-old daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin) will enjoy a VIP pass (along with her two best pals) at the Coachella music festival courtesy of her remarried lawyer Papa Daniel (Reid Scott). Naturally, after the “hand-over” drop-off to her ex, just as she begins to load the car, Daniel pulls up with the trio saying that a work emergency popped up and she needs to be their escort. Aaargghh! Solene’s no fan of the line-up, which is topped by Izzy’s former faves, the “boy band” August Moon, but she’s a good mom so she drops them off in the audience’s grounds, while she retreats to the VIP pass-holder tent. After getting some confusing directions to the restroom, she enters one of the main trailers and is soon shocked when there’s a tapping on the bathroom door. Turns out that she’s in the private deluxe digs of one of the heartthrobs of “AM”, 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). The duo engages in some flirty small talk before Solene joins Izzy and her crew for AM’s “set” (where Hayes makes strong eye contact with Solene during a song dedicated to “someone special he just met”). Ah but it’s soon time to get back to the “grind” for her at the gallery. Things are pretty normal until they get a very special “customer”: Hayes. With the pretext of needing to fill the walls of his new home, the two spend most of the afternoon together, going from an artist’s storage space to Solene’s home for Lunch. After a tender kiss, she pushes him away, saying a date would be absurd, so Hayes departs after leaving his pricey wristwatch behind. This gives him an excuse to text her and invite her to join him on AM’s world tour. Hmm, he bought out the gallery spurring a temporary closing, so why not? Solene doesn’t tell anyone, even Izzy, and the duo enjoy a whirlwind worldwide secret romance. Can they make it work despite the big age gap? More importantly, what will happen when the paparazzi finally catches them?

The role of Solene proves to be a terrific showcase for the talented Ms. Hathaway, who we’ve not seen enough of on the big screen (she took some ‘family time”). Coming off her work as the slinky, seductive Rebecca in last year’s EILEEN, Hathaway now puts a spin on a down-to-Earth working woman who gets a new chance at romance and the “glamorous life”. So, it’s a bit of a spin on Cinderella, though Solene needs no magical fairy godmother, nor does she need to be rescued. We can see her delight in really being appreciated by Hayes, which leads to a big conflict. Hathaway shows us that Solene’s not sure if she really deserves it (she so does). We see that battle between her mind and heart in her expressive eyes. Plus Hathaway uses her sharp comic skills, whether bantering with Hayes, dealing with a long line of dull, but age-appropriate suitors on her birthday, or giving her ex a verbal smack-down while rebuffing her new wife’s desire to start a friendship. At one point, Solene is intimidated by the twenty-something girlfriends of Hayes’ bandmates, though we can see that she should harbor no insecurities. Hathaway’s a dream for any suitor.

And Galitzine fulfills that part very well as the soulful dreamboat Hayes, who descends from his “castle” to reach new heights of passion with the ‘stunner from Silver Lake”. Sure, he projects confidence, yet he somehow has a vulnerable side, not sure if Solene will accept him. And in another twist on Cinderella, he’s the one leaving a glass slipper behind, though it’s a sparkly bit of male jewelry. On the other end of the male spectrum, Scott oozes smarm and arrogance, much like his “Veep” role, as the pompous ex-hubby Daniel. It’s no wonder his current spouse, played with great comic disgust by Perry Mattfield yearns to be pals with Solene. But her BFF is daughter Izzy, played with great energy and humor by Rubin. That’s until the news breaks on her mom’s new beau. She conveys the hurt in Izzy’s eyes, not at the pairing but at the pain of her mother not confiding in her. The story also benefits from the comic work of Annie Mumolo as Solene’s other pal Tracy, though her screentime is reduced to make room for the romance.

The lauded director I mentioned earlier is comic actor Michael Showalter, and those Oscar-winning films are THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE and THE BIG SICK. He also worked with actress Jennifer Westfeldt in adapting Robbine Lee’s book, which expertly mixes wit (though boy bonds are a fairly easy target for laughs) with a swoony, delirious romantic fantasy. Hey, who wouldn’t want the “high-life” though the story shows that it comes with a price. This occurs when the relationship is “out”, allowing Showalter a chance to skewer social media in a dizzying montage that uses clever pixelation of screens, phones, and pads, where Solene is digitally dragged through the mud by anonymous vultures pecking at her flesh (and moral character). She’s now a conniving callous cougar that has ensnared the naive tunesmith. Daughter Izzy is even caught in the firestorm at school. But Showalter doesn’t let the “influencers’ drag down the “high spirits” of the story’s bouncy “meet cute” or the verbal dance of the duo in the art world. The director and the writers provide us with fun, and frivolity while actually taking a sharp stick to online outrage. And they never lose focus on the engaging couple that is the beating heart of the tale, who also bring that simmering chemistry, that often makes us lightheaded at THE IDEA OF YOU.

3 out of 4

THE IDEA OF YOU streams exclusively on Amazon Prime Video beginning on Thursday, May 2, 2024

SPOILER ALERT – Review

4183_D018_00079_RC Bill Irwin stars as Bob, Sally Field as Marilyn, Ben Aldridge as Kit Cowan and Jim Parsons as Michael Ausiello in director Michael Showalter’s SPOILER ALERT, a Focus Features release. Credit: Linda Källérus / © 2022 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.

Sure, I know that Valentine’s Day is a couple of months away, but romance can be found, or at least blossom, during the holiday season at year’s end. Plus it’s awards time for the movie studios, so why not release a love story based on an acclaimed recent memoir? And they’re “hedging their bet” since its cast includes a lauded sitcom TV star and a two-time Oscar winner. Plus its director is a friend of the “golden guy” as he’s helped to guide some collaborators to big wins (note the “b” word). Now, I could tell you much more, but that would require a big SPOILER ALERT.

As many romance stories commence, we’re first introduced to one-half of the couple. Michael (Jim Parsons) is such a devotee of situation comedies that his childhood memories feel (and look) like part of the ABC “TGIF” lineup of the late 1990s, with bouncy music score, brightly lit sets, and an enthusiastic audience (more like a loud laugh track). Naturally, in his adult life, he’s a staff writer for TV Guide magazine (a decade or two ago, of course). After hours he prefers to go back to his apartment for “homework”, but a co-worker convinces him to join him at a “watering hole” for a “sports-theme” night. Wearing his yankees cap (he’s not a jock, okay), Michael spots the gorgeous Kit (Ben Aldridge). The attraction appears mutual as the two “test the waters” by getting dinner, and, finally, have a “sleep-over”. Despie Michael’s insecurities (he’s sure that Kit’s outta’ his league) and Kits’ qualms about “coming out” to his straight-lace parents (Sally Field and Bill Irwin), the two decide to share a home. But that’s not the “happily ever after” as the duo hit some “rocky patches” and after seeing a therapist, Tony (David Marshall Grant), take a “time out” (Michael goes back to his old “digs”). However, they remain close. When a nagging ailment doesn’t go away, Kit asks Michael to be his “back-up” for a doctor visit. But could this reunion, not to mention Kit, be coming to an abrupt end?

In his first actual feature film “lead” role, Parson doesn’t completely jettison his small screen Sheldon “persona”, but rather builds upon it. His Michael is smart, shy, and awkward, but with a surprisingly caustic wit. The major additions are his warmth and swooning passions, for Kit of course, but also for his favored medium (and especially a cartoon classic of the 1980s). And with that slight Texas twang, his narration compels us to root for the couple. The other half of that sad duo is Kit played by relative newcomer Aldridge who balances the quirks and skittishness of Michael with a “bro” confidence, which makes his clumsy sexual identity dance around his folks funny and a tad bittersweet. Yes, he’s a good “straight” (um…maybe) man for the nervous Michael, but he does dare to “challenge” him on his often odd notions. As his mom Marilyn, Field displays her considerable comic gift as a supportive but often exasperating parent who ends up as a nurturing friend to Micheal, often “double-teaming” Kit. Counterbalancing her “no filter” nature is the gifted Irwin as the stoic Bob, who attempts to “push down” his intense affection for his son.

Oh, that “Oscar-aiding” director I mentioned earlier is the gifted comic actor Michael Showalter, who helmed last year’s also “inspired by true events” dramedy THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. And though this effort doesn’t have the real gravitas of a “ripped from the headlines” scandal, he brings a confident style to what the old studio execs used to label a “weeper”. This is balanced by his satiric TV jabs in the candy-colored flashbacks of Michael’s youth, luckily ending them before they get too heavy-handed and repetitive. The screenplay by Grant and Dan Savage, adapting Michael Ausiello’s memoir “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” doesn’t opt to go for constant bliss when the dup finally commit and connect, as few romances would have their characters taking a “break” to heal their “rifts”. My main qualm about the film concerns another very recent film which also closely “mirrors” many of this one’s plot “points and beats”, namely the comic BROS. Of course, that one doesn’t have the medical drama, but the structure up to that point is so close, down to the clueless parents of the “hunky dream guy”. Another problem is Michael’s “meltdown” at a hospital that’s an intending “riff” on a Best Picture winner that still feels clunky even as it “name-checks” the earlier flick. This is part of the troublesome “third act” which derails much of the “off-beat” charm of the first two “acts” (though I’m sure that ‘ shrine-like digs would drive most beaus fleeing). Oh, I almost didn’t mention the terrific East Coast location work. And that’s certainly not worthy of a SPOILER ALERT.

2.5 Out of 4

SPOILER ALERT opens in select theatres on Friday, December 9. 2022

WAMG Giveaway – Win THE BIG SICK on Blu-ray

The Critically Acclaimed True-Life Romantic Comedy Arrived on Digital HD September 5 and Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD September 19 from Lionsgate.

Now you can own THE BIG SICK on Blu-ray. We Are Movie Geeks has four copies to give away. All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie featuring Holly Hunter? (mine is THE BURNING!). It’s so easy!

Good Luck!

OFFICIAL RULES:

Based on the real-life love story between star and cowriter Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley,” Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates) and his wife, The Big Sick arrives on Digital HD September 5 and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD and On DemandSeptember 19 from Lionsgate. Produced by Judd Apatow (Trainwreck, Bridesmaids) and Barry Mendel (Trainwreck, Bridesmaids), the winner of the 2017 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award is Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh with a 97% critic score. A New York Critics’ Pick, the hilarious film takes a comical look at the clash of two cultures in a moment of crisis. Filled with laugh-out-loud moments, the unconventional and authentic comedy also stars Oscar winner Holly Hunter (Best Actress, The Piano, 1993), Emmy winner Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) and Zoe Kazan (What If, Ruby Sparks). Co-written by Nanjiani’s wife Emily V. Gordon (“The Carmichael Show,” “Explored”), the film is directed by Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer).

Based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Kazan) after one of his stand-up sets. However, what they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, which complicates the life that is expected of Kumail by his traditional Muslim parents. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, it forces Kumail to navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Hunter and Romano) who he’s never met, while dealing with the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.

The home entertainment release of The Big Sick features all-new bonus content including two behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary with cowriters Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, producer Barry Mendel, and director Michael Showalter, the 2017 SXSW panel, deleted scenes, jokes that didn’t quite make the big screen, and bonus footage from The Big Sick Comedy Tour featuring hilarious stand-up performances, Q&As, and backstage moments. The Big Sick will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD for $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.

BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES

“A Personal Journey: The Making of The Big Sick” Featurette
“The Real Story” Featurette
2017 SXSW Film Festival Panel
Cast & Filmmaker Commentary with Actor-Writer Kumail Nanjiani, Writer Emily V. Gordon, Producer Barry Mendel and Director Michael Showalter
The Big Sick: The Other Stuff
Deleted Scenes
The Bigger Sick: Stick Around for More Laughs

THE BIG SICK – Review

“I’m battling a 1,400-year-old culture!” lead actor Kumail Nanijani yells amid an emotional dispute with his girlfriend in the Sundance-praised film THE BIG SICK. This culture he’s specifically referencing is the Pakistani-born, Muslim belief household that believes in arranged marriage with another woman from his own country. And yet, this culture can also allude to the romantic-comedy genre that American filmgoers are used to viewing on the big screen. It’s not every day where a Middle Eastern actor gets top billing in a motion picture released across the country, and it’s quite another thing to see that someone play opposite a blonde-haired, blue-eyed American woman. The genre tends to skew predominantly white across the board. So, it’s with great fortitude that Kumail is willing to put aside his personal fears and squash cinematic norms to share a story about his and screenwriter Emily V. Gordon’s real-life romantic courtship.

Kumail meets Emily (played by Zoe Kazan) one night after a stand-up set at the comedy club he performs at. A one-night stand reluctantly turns into more after Kumail sets it upon himself to see her more than just that night. It doesn’t take long for their relationship to blossom. All the while, the expectations of his parents begin to wear on Kumail, who continuously try to set him up with young, single Pakistani women. This pressure, unfortunately, creates a rift between the star-crossed lovers. When Emily suddenly falls sick and is hospitalized, Kumail is put into a position where he is forced to confront his fears and her parents, played by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter (in what might be two of the best performances of their careers).

Produced by Judd Apatow, THE BIG SICK carries with it story beats that are familiar to Apatow’s brand. Though this time around, the dick and fart jokes are toned down compared to previous outings. However, it is a formula that has proven successful in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL and the Netflix show LOVE that balances drama and comedy, while letting the characters explore life in a way that feels surprisingly natural. Writers Kumail and Gordon have a knack for pivoting on a dime between sentimental and schtick – sometimes working both into the same scene, as is the case where a hospital lunchroom scene becomes howlingly funny.

A simple story is able to make room for complex issues in a tender and sincere way. Even though it’s a film about two people falling in and out of love with each other, it’s able to build layers of loss and regret through Emily’s parent’s relationship paired with Kumail’s identity. The pressures of being raised in a Pakistani family are brought to the forefront in such a way that each scene between Emily and Kumail feels like a step toward danger. The mounting pressure from his family is constantly casting a black cloud over their growing love for each other, making their love both a tragedy and a symbol for the bitter irony of the American dream for many foreigners. While his family has acclimated to life in America, the cultural clash becomes a central conflict that is refreshingly never entirely resolved. In the end, providing a realistic parallel to a growing problem our country is facing with no resolution in sight.

It goes without saying that Kumail is a shoo-in for a role where he plays himself, but Zoe Kazan, despite her natural charm, struggles slightly more during some of the more emotional highs. It’s a minor complaint though in a film where you can feel the heart and honesty in every scene. THE BIG SICK is an earnest remedy to the summer slog of big-budget, studio retreads. The battle within Kumail between his traditional Muslim parents and his love for Emily is a rivalry that puts more at risk than any Transformers film or spandex-clad superhero battle. In the end, hearts will be broken and the damage and pain are more traumatic than any CGI spectacle can elicit.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

THE BIG SICK is now playing in limited theaters and opens in St. Louis on July 7th

Win Run-Of-Engagement Passes To THE BIG SICK In St. Louis

Based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, THE BIG SICK tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Kazan) after one of his standup sets. However, what they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, which complicates the life that is expected of Kumail by his traditional Muslim parents. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, it forces Kumail to navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) who he’s never met, while dealing with the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.

THE BIG SICK is directed by Michael Showalter (HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS) and produced by Judd Apatow (TRAINWRECK, THIS IS 40) and Barry Mendel (TRAINWRECK, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS).

Rated R for language including some sexual references.

THE BIG SICK opens Friday, July 7th at the Plaza Frontenac.

You can win Run of Engagement passes to see THE BIG SICK in the St. Louis area.

Just leave a comment below and we’ll send our lucky readers passes good for two people. Good Luck!

No purchase necessary.

Amazon Studios & Lionsgate will released THE BIG SICK on July 14 nationwide.

Get tickets HERE

http://www.thebigsickmovie.com/

Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios.

Watch The Trailer For HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS Starring Sally Field And Tyne Daly

After a lifetime of being overlooked and ignored, a woman of a certain age finds her world turned upside down by a handsome new co-worker and a self-help seminar that inspires her to take a chance on love in HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS, a witty and compassionate late-life coming-of-age-story.

In his SXSW review from March, Scott Weinberg (Nerdist.com) writes, “… it’s Sally Field’s show from stem to stern. Not only does Ms. Field seem to bring out the best in her wide array of co-stars, but clearly she’s still got the skills required to steal an entire movie through sheer force of good humor, good timing, and plain old natural sweetness.”

Here’s a first look at the delightful new trailer.

When Doris Miller (Sally Field) meets John Fremont (Max Greenfield), her company’s hip new art director, sparks fly – at least for Doris. Her first encounter with true romance (outside of the pages of a novel) convinces Doris that she and the mostly unaware John are meant for each other. In the cluttered house she shared with her late mother, Doris mines the Internet for information on her one-and-only, guided by the 13-year-old granddaughter of her best pal Roz (Tyne Daly).

When Doris begins showing up at John’s regular haunts, she wins over his Williamsburg friends with her eclectic vintage wardrobe, quirky naiveté and unironic enthusiasm for their rooftop knitting circle. Her new life brings Doris a thrilling perspective, but also creates a rift between her and her longtime friends and family, who believe she’s making a fool of herself over a guy half her age. Eager for all the experiences she has missed out on, Doris throws caution to the wind and follows her heart for the very first time.

The movie also stars Natasha Lyonne, Kumail Nanjiani, Peter Gallagher, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Beth Behrs.

Based on a short film by Laura Terruso, HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS was written by Terruso and Michael Showalter and directed by Showalter.

Field remembers feeling like she was reading something entirely new and different. “The script was so unusual,” she says. “I’d never come across anything like it. It certainly isn’t a standard mother role. Doris is unique and Michael generously allowed me to help find her. He put this movie together on a dime, but you’d never know that from watching it.”

Roadside Attractions will release HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS in theaters March 11, 2016.

Follow the film on Facebook: www.facebook.com/hellomynameisdoris

WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER Midnights This Weekend at The Moolah

“Well guys, we’ve made it to the end of the summer in one piece, except for a few campers who are lepers. “

WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER screens midnights this weekend (August 28^th and 29^th) at The Moolah Theater (3821 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO). Admission is only $5

WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER from 2001, is a comedy about summer camp, a spoof of movies about summer camp, a grab bag of random absurdity and a collection filmmakers and now-familiar actors hamming it up as hard as they can. It didn’t make much of a splash when it premiered 14 years ago (I don’t think it even played theatrically here in St. Louis, but I could be wrong about that), but it’s developed such a cult following over the past 14 years that Netflix has made a sequel series, WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER – FIRST DAY OF CAMP.

It’s the last day at Camp Firewood in the summer of 1981 and pretty much every stock summer camp storyline is trotted out for derision and mockery in WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER. There’s the love triangle between the geek camp counselor, the hot girl who treats him like her pet and the teen rebel she’s really hot for. There’s the desperate virgin counselor trying to make it with the camp slut. There’s the lonely, divorced arts-and-crafts teacher, the weird camp cook, the kids stuck on a raft approaching the raging rapids, the big talent show, the big game against the kids from the “evil camp” and the outcast kids who come together to save the day. There’s also a talking can of vegetables that boasts of his sexual prowess, a gay subplot that seems to have wandered in from another movie, the old space station Skylab, the worst motorcycle chase in film history, some generic 80s allusions and the charm of a bunch of people who clearly had a great time making this thing.

Filmmakers David Wain and Michael Showalter took a scattershot approach in WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, throwing joke after joke against the wall to see what sticks. On one hand, they’ll do a running gag about the kid at camp who never takes a shower all summer, which could come from any number of traditional comedies about this subject. On the other hand, they’ll do a lot of parodies of summer camp movies, like having a kid actually drown while two 30-something teenage counselors French kiss with abandon (my personal favorite scene). They’ll just throw out some odd gag about something like Kenyan marathoners. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, but the movie moves along quickly enough that when a joke bombs, the smell doesn’t linger.

As far as the acting goes, well, Marguerite Moreau as the camp hotty is the only one in the whole cast doing any real acting (and, ironically, the one whose post-WET HOT career went mostly nowhere) . Everyone else, including David Hyde Pierce as a college professor and Janeane Garofolo as the camp director, mug shamelessly for the camera. Again, that results in some moments that are funny as hell, like Paul Rudd’s portrayal of slothful adolescent defiance. But there are also moments that fail to make any sense, like Garafolo riffing on Jewish surnames, but it’s all so weird and off-the-wall, there’s never a dull moment. Also look for Christopher Meloni, Molly Shannon, Elizabeth Banks, Amy Poehler, and Bradley Cooper.

Relive Summer Camp 1981 when WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER screens midnights this weekend (August 28^th and 29^th) at The Moolah Theater (3821 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO). Admission is only $5

A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/994576237229576/

The Moolah will also be screening all 8 episodes of the new Netflix prequel series, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, for FREE in the Mini-Moolah starting at 7pm both days. Come out early for the critically-acclaimed Netflix series and stay late for the original cult classic movie!

Local comedians will perform a brief stand-up set and host Wet Hot American Summer trivia before each night’s screening. Comedians Ryan Dalton & Milly Naeger will be performing on Friday night and Emily Hickner & Andrew Mihalevich will be performing on Saturday night.

Here’s The Moolah’s upcoming midnight schedule:

September 4th and 5th: GREASE (sing-along version)

September 24th and 26th: AFTER HOURS

October 9th and 10th: THE EVIL DEAD

October 20th, 23rd, and 24th: BACK TO THE FUTURE Part 2

https://www.facebook.com/events/994576237229576/

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