 |
 |
| Directed by Ulu Grosbard; Starring Michelle Pfieffer, Treat Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Jackson, Ryan Merriman, and John Kapelos |
Ending off this weekend of really bad films is The Deep End of the Ocean. I think the funniest thing about this film is that it is from Mandelay Entertainment whose previous films include Wild Things, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Fan. Mandelay has never tried to make a drama and it shows. From the beginning the film is riddled with predictability. The only part that is not predictable is this hilarious twist that left your humble narrator rolling in the aisles with laughter. You know something is wrong when the most enjoyable part of the entire film is a musical sequence in which you decide to stand up and dance for the rest of the bored audience (that little bit of fun almost got me thrown out of the theatre by the projectionist, but he could not find who the loud people were).
The Deep End of the Ocean is yet another made-for-TV caliber script brought to the big screen only because it grabs the support of a big name. In this case the culprit is Michelle Pfieffer, who admittedly gives a good performance but far from her best. The rest of the cast include Treat Williams, who lost all respect from critics with The Phantom and The Substitute II: School’s Out, Whoopi “is this really the best person to host the Oscars” Goldberg, and Jonathan Jackson whose previous material includes…General Hospital!
It is the story of a family that must cope with the abduction of their son. Nine years later, by chance, they move just down the street from where he now lives (egad, what drama). Around here is that twist that you just can’t help but laugh at. This held so tight to Hollywood formula that I was expecting statistics (“8 out of every 11 children kidnapped live a mile from their old family”) to finish off the film. Before heading to the theatre, I happened to be watching E! News Weekend in which Pfieffer was giving away the ending to all those that wanted to know (don’t worry, in respect to the film I muted it and saw it freshly).
Even director Ulu Grosbard falters. His two DeNiro films in the eighties (True Confessions and Falling in Love) remind me that Grosbard can direct, this just was not his type of work. I mean Grosbard worked under director Sidney Lumet in The Pawnbroker in 1965, you would think some of Lumet’s artistry would have rubbed off on Grosbard.
The film has more plot holes than Armageddon and more inconsistencies than a literal Pulp Fiction. If that merits a recommendation, which I’m sure some rabid viewers will do, then Baby Geniuses might as well get a recommendation.
