Directed by Dave McCary and screenplay by Kyle Mooney and Kevin Costello from a story by Mooney, Brigsby Bear is the story of a man who lived in an underground bunker learns that his favorite TV show was created by the man who captured him prompting him to see the outside world and finish the show’s narrative. It’s a film that plays into a man who embarks into the real world after being held captive for so many years as his ideas of reality and fantasy become confusing. Starring Kyle Mooney, Claire Danes, Greg Kinnear, Matt Walsh, Jane Adams, Michaela Watkins, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Ryan Simpkins, and Mark Hamill. Brigsby Bear is a whimsical and heartfelt film from Dave McCary.
A young man who obsessively watches a TV show while living in an underground bunker learns he had been abducted by a couple where he returns to his real family and eventually decides to finish the show that his fake father created into a film. It’s a film that has a man dealing with reality and what happened to him while realizing that a new tape of his show isn’t coming forcing him to make a project relating to that show. The film’s screenplay by Kyle Mooney and Kevin Costello focuses mainly on the character of James Pope (Kyle Mooney) who lives in an underground bunker as he obsesses over this educational TV show about a bear who saves the universe as well as teach children ideas and math problems of the world. For James, it’s the only contact to the outside world that he has while he also created an online fan forum about the show unaware that no one knows about the show’s existence.
Upon his return to the real world and reunited with his real parents as well as learning he has a younger sister in Aubrey (Ryan Simpkins), James struggles with his new reality until Aubrey reluctantly takes him to a party where he manages to win a few people over through his discussion of his favorite show that it interests a few people. Even one of the detectives of his case in Detective Vogel (Greg Kinnear) takes interest in what James is doing as he wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of acting as he used to act in plays before becoming a detective. With Aubrey eventually joining in, James finds a fulfillment in creating this film version of his favorite TV show with the props of the show that Detective Vogel retrieved from the station. Yet, James’ project makes his parents uneasy thinking he wouldn’t adapt to society following a stunt he pulled during filming where he took the blame for everyone. It would play into James’ need to focus on this project rather than adapt to a world he doesn’t know much about.
Dave McCary’s direction is full of imagination and whimsy which play into this clash of reality and James’ need to create a reality that is based on the fantasy of the TV show that he loved. Shot on location in Utah, the film does play into a world where it starts off as this strange and offbeat sci-fi film where this family is living underground as if the world had been destroyed by a nuclear holocaust until the police arrive to arrest James’ captors. There are some wide shots of the locations in McCary’s direction yet he’s more focused on the interaction between characters and James’ enthusiasm for this TV show that he loved. Notably in the creation of James’ film where there is that element of amateurish, homemade filmmaking that is full of creativity thanks in part to a friend of Aubrey in Spencer (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) who would create visual effects and be James’ closest collaborator in all aspects of the film.
There are dramatic elements in the film as it relates to James’ parents desire to connect and bond with him as they bring in their family therapist Emily (Claire Danes) who suggest some things that she believes would help James. Still, McCary maintains a low-key approach to the drama in favor of something more light-hearted in its approach to humor as well as James’ journey about the world around him including those who participated in the TV show that his fake parents created. Even in what would become James’ vision for this film as he would do what he can to create something faithful to the TV show but also as a closing chapter in his life. Overall, McCary creates a touching and witty film about an abducted young man who seeks out to finish his captors’ TV special into a film.
Cinematographer Christian Sprenger does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward with some grainy video footage for the TV show presentation as it was shot largely on video. Editor Jacob Craycroft does nice work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts that play into the humor and drama. Production designer Brandon Tonner-Connolly, with set decorator Cynthia A. Neibaur and art director Andy Eklund, does amazing work with the look of some of the amateurish sets that James and Spencer created along with the props from the show. Costume designer Sarah Mae Burton does fantastic work with the clothes and costumes of the show including the homemade costumes that were created along with the casual look of the people in James’ life.
The visual effects work of Andrew Sherman is brilliant for its approach to amateurish visual effects and usage of practical effects to create something as if it was homemade. Sound editor Leslie Shatz does superb work with the sound as it create some sound effects for the film along with some usage of naturalistic sound in various parts of the film. The film’s music by David Wingo is wonderful for its usage of ambient and electronic pieces to play up the feel of the 1980s as if the TV show was created in the 1980s while music supervisor Kier Lehman provides a mixture of music for its soundtrack that includes acts like YACHT, Kyle, DecadeZ, Vessel, Join the Riot, and Nate Heller.
The casting by Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Andy Samberg as mental hospital patient James befriends late in the film, Tim Heidecker as an actor in a movie James sees with his dad, Kate Lyn Sheil as an actress who appeared on the TV show as an object of affection for James, Alexa Demie and Chance Crimin in their respective roles as a couple of Aubrey’s friends in Merideth and Logan, Beck Bennett as a detective in Deputy Banner who becomes suspicious about James’ activities, and Claire Dane in a terrific small role as the Pope’s family psychiatrist Emily who is trying to understand James only to make suggestions that proved to be not helpful to his well-being.
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. is superb as Aubrey’s friend Spencer who becomes fascinated by the TV show that James tells him about where he would upload episodes to YouTube and become James’ key collaborator in the film. Matt Walsh and Michaela Watkins are fantastic as James’ real parents in their respective roles as Greg and Louise Pope who are trying to re-establish their relationship with their son while being confused by his obsession for the show while Ryan Simpkins is wonderful as James’ younger teenage sister who initially doesn’t want to do much with him only to become a collaborator for his film where they start to bond.
Mark Hamill and Jane Adams are excellent as James’ captors in their respective roles as Ted and April Mitchum with Hamill as the creator of this TV show who has also been James’ protector with April as the maternal figure where the two try to protect James from the ugliness of the world. Greg Kinnear is brilliant as Detective Vogel as the man who brings James back home while becomes interested in what James is doing prompting him to return to his love for acting by taking part in the film. Finally, there’s Kyle Mooney in an amazing performance as James Pope as an abducted young man who is a big fan of a TV show he believed everyone knows only to learn he was abducted yet is more concerned about the next episode forcing him to create his own film where it’s a charming and heartfelt performance of a man whose innocence is his key to living.
Brigsby Bear is a sensational film from Dave McCary. Along with its ensemble cast, touching script, dazzling visual effects, and old-school approach to amateurish filmmaking. It’s a comedy-drama that touches all of the right places while not being afraid in expressing sentimentality in a young man wanting to finish the creation that his abductors had created. In the end, Brigsby Bear is a phenomenal film from Dave McCary.
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Richard Linklater and screenplay by Bill Lancaster, Glenn Ficarra, and John Requea from a story by Lancaster, Bad News Bears is the story of a washed-up minor league baseball player who coaches a misfit little league team as he tries to help them become a great team. A remake of the 1976 that was written by Lancaster and directed by Michael Ritchie, the film is an update of sorts on the story as it explores a man who would help this team of kids who aren’t the best players in the world with the help of a couple of talented kids. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear, and Marcia Gay Harden. Bad News Bears is a fun and engaging film from Richard Linklater.
The film is an updated yet faithful version of the 1976 film where it revolves around this former minor league baseball player who is often drunk as he works as an exterminator where he is hired by an attorney to coach a little league baseball team full of misfits. While the film’s script does play true to the original story where this man in Morris Buttermaker (Billy Bob Thornton) coaches a team that is full of kids that are the last group of kids that anyone wants in a team. Though they don’t start out well as they lose their first game badly, they do improve with each game as Buttermaker gets the help of an ex-girlfriend’s daughter in Amanda Wurlitzer (Sammi Kane Kraft) and a young troublemaker in Kelly Leak (Jeffrey Leakes). While the story if quite formulaic, it does have a sense of raunchy humor and dirty language that does pay true to the original film while not being afraid to be politically incorrect at times.
Richard Linklater’s direction is quite simple in the way he captures the world of little league baseball as well as the idea of misfits trying to make it in little league. Much of the compositions are quite simple with some unique crane shots to capture the scope of the baseball field. There’s a liveliness to the direction where Linklater even puts in little moments that pays tribute to the original film. There’s also moments where Linklater isn’t afraid to cross the line in what is acceptable for kids to behave and such as they’re with this washed-up drunk who only went to the major league for a tiny bit as he often curses and gets pissed drunk. Among the things that Linklater does do to update the story is feature the world of Austin, Texas such as its skate parks and other places to give it a new look while providing some moments that is all about the love for baseball. Overall, Linklater creates a very worthwhile yet engaging film about a former baseball player coaching a team of misfits.
Cinematographer Rogier Stoffers does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s very simple for many of its daytime exteriors while it features some low-key lights for some of the nighttime interior scenes. Editor Sandra Adair does terrific work with the editing as it‘s very straightforward while includes a few montages to play into the evolution of the team. Production designer Bruce Curtis, with set decorator Brana Rosenfeld and art director David Lazan, does nice work with the look of the baseball field as well as the skate park where Amanda meets Kelly.
Costume designer Karen Patch does wonderful work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual plus an updated look of the Bears uniform with a very unlikely sponsor on the back. Visual effects supervisor David Lombardi does superb work with some of the minimal visual effects that plays to the building confidence of the Bears. Sound editors Russell Farmarco and Beth Sterner do some brilliant work on the sound from the atmosphere at the ballpark to the way the bat hit’s the ball. The film’s music by Ed Shearmur is very good for its low-key approach to the score where it‘s a mixture of rock and electronic music with updated interpretations of George Bizet‘s opera Carmen while music supervisor Randall Poster brings in a fantastic soundtrack that features an array of music from rock and punk rock to play into the energy of the film as well as the spirit of Austin, Texas.
The casting by Joseph Middleton is great as it features some notable small roles from Nectar Rose as a stripper-girlfriend of Buttermaker in Paradise, Carter Jenkins as the Yankees pitcher Joey Bullock, Chase Winton as the little league supervisor Ms. Cleveland, and Arabella Holzbog as Joey’s mother and Roy’s wife Shari. In the roles of the Bad News Bears, there’s Carlos and Emmanuel Estrada in their respective roles as the non-English speaking Manuel and Jose Aguilar, Aman Johal as the Indian Prem Lahiri, Troy Gentile as the wheelchair cripple Matthew Hooper, Tyler Patrick Jones as the shy Timmy Lupus, Timmy Deters as the small but fierce Tanner Boyle, Ridge Canipe as the limited but helpful Toby Whitewood, Kenneth “K.C.” Harris as the African-American Ahmad Abdul Rahim and Jeffrey Tedmori as the Armenian Garo as all of them bring a lot of spark to their roles.
Jeffrey Davies is excellent as the motorcycle-riding teen Kelly Leak who despises Roy Bullock as he helps the Bears while Sammi Kane Kraft is fantastic as Amanda Wurlitzer who is a great pitcher as she hopes to renew the broken friendship with Buttermaker. Marcia Gay Harden is wonderful as Toby’s mother Liz who asks Buttermaker to coach the Bears in the hope that she can get her son and other kids the chance to play. Greg Kinnear is super as the Yankees coach Roy Bullock who is a guy that loves to win as his competitiveness rubs Buttermaker the wrong way. Finally, there’s Billy Bob Thornton in an incredible performance as Morris Buttermaker as a washed-up minor league pitcher who is an alcoholic as he tries to coach a team of misfits as it’s a character filled with some self-loathing but also one that is trying to find some redemption for his mistakes.
Bad News Bears is a stellar film from Richard Linklater thanks in part to the superb performance of Billy Bob Thornton and a young yet marvelous cast. While it doesn’t do anything new while being a faithful remake to the 1976 film, it is still a pretty enjoyable baseball movie as it retains some of the original film’s political incorrectness. In the end, Bad News Bears is a pretty good film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - School of Rock - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie (2011 film) - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Want Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2014
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/4/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris and written by Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine is the story of a family who go on a road trip to take their young daughter to a beauty pageant as it includes a drug-addicted grandfather, a suicidal gay uncle, and a son who hasn't spoken in months. The film is a unique road film of sorts that explores a family and their dysfunctions as they all deal with setbacks while getting a young girl to a beauty pageant in California. Starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, and Alan Arkin. Little Miss Sunshine is a phenomenal film from Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris.
The film is a simple story about a family from Albuquerque, New Mexico who go on a road trip to California that a young girl named Olive (Abigail Breslin) can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Yet, not everyone is on board as Olive's father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is trying to score for a book deal for an idea he has as a motivational speaker. Adding to the chaos is Richard's stepson Dwayne (Paul Dano) who hasn't spoken in nine months in a vow of silence as he's obsessed with the work of Nietzsche while Richard's brother-in-law Frank (Steve Carell) is recovering from a suicide attempt due to a break-up with his boyfriend who left him for his rival. It would take Richard's wife Sheryl (Toni Collette) and Richard's father Edwin (Alan Arkin) to rally the family to go on this trip where a lot of major setbacks involving the family ensue. Much of it would play into the idea of failure that is prevalent around them where upon their arrival to California for Olive's pageant, some of the family fear that Olive will endure the same kind of humiliation and devastation they had been through.
Michael Ardnt's script takes it time to explore many of the dysfunction of the family as Edwin is a heroin addict who got kicked out of his retirement home as he would be the one teaching Olive how to dance for the upcoming pageant. Ardnt's approach to the script does have a lot of tropes and conventions that is expected in a road film but adds a lot of layers into the idea that a family might face failure and the whole trip would've been for nothing. Even as characters like Frank and Dwayne are individuals who are on the brink of depression as the latter is hoping to become a pilot by going into this act of silence. Adding to the tension is Richard as he has this theory about being a winner yet his thoughts would rub the family the wrong way as it would play into Olive's insecurities until her grandfather has this great monologue about what being a loser really means and says that Olive is none of those things because at least she's trying. Much of Richard's ideas would be ironic as he would put his own family finances and such into great danger as the third act is about Olive at the pageant. It's a moment in the film where it tests the sense of hopelessness of the family and what they might face as Olive is clearly the underdog against a bunch of young, sexualized girls in the pageant.
Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris help create that spontaneity of the road film by adding a lot of situations like a family pushing the van while running after it to get in or the repeated honks of it. They also give each character something to do while dealing with their own situations as when they together, it works. When it comes to the comedy, it's very natural and often deadpan from the likes of Carrell and Dano who play the more miserable personalities dealing with their own situations. Then when the third act comes for the world of young little beauty pageants. It shows a world that can be very discomforting, even with the recent event concerning the Jon Benet murder 10 years ago. Still, Dayton & Faris don't exactly make fun of it nor take it totally serious as they show what it is and how people react to it. Overall, they created a wonderfully funny, heartfelt film that brings in a lot of caring moments and huge laughs.
Helping out Dayton/Faris in their visual presentation is cinematographer Tim Suhrstedt whose color schemes of yellow highlight the American Southwest of its vast deserts while the interiors have some nice, grainy shades of blue as the film is wonderfully shot to convey the vastness of the road. Production designer Kalina Ivanov along with art director Alan E. Muraoka and set decorator Melissa M. Lavender do great job in capturing the realism of the dysfunctional family home while doing a great job on the design of the pageant in all of its cheesy glory. Costume designer Nancy Steiner does great work in presenting the bland clothing of the adults with the exception of Alan Arkin's character while giving Paul Dano some cool t-shirts to wear while the real standout in the clothing goes to Abigail Breslin from the headbands, the boots, and everything including her costume.
Editor Pamela Martin does some great work in the editing playing to the rhythm of a road film with some jump cuts and perspective cutting to convey what the characters feeling while giving time for a specific scene. Sound editor Stephen P. Robinson and mixer Steven Morrow also do great work in conveying the humor of the film, particularly the honking of the van-bus which makes everything funny. Composer Mychael Danna along with the group Devotchka create a whimsical, offbeat score that also includes music by Sulfjan Steven and some beauty pageant music that is cheesy with the exception of an 80s funk classic.
Finally, there's the film's great cast that includes some funny small performances from Geoff Meed as a biker, Dean Norris as a state trooper, Robert J. Connor as the pageant host, Mary Lynn Rajskub as a pageant official, Julio Oscar Mechoso as a mechanic, and the incomparable Beth Grant in a very funny performance as a pageant official. Other notable minor roles from Bryan Cranston as Richard's agent, Stan Grossman and Justin Shilton as Frank's ex-boyfriend Josh are excellent in their brief appearances to convey the problems for the respective characters of Richard and Frank.
Of the main cast, no one conveys the showiness of comedy better than Alan Arkin as the grandfather. Arkin brings all of the troubling and discomforting innuendos of a drug-addict grandfather who says all the wrong things that disturbs the family while being very supportive of Olive as he teaches her to dance as Arkin brings all the right humor. Paul Dano gives probably his best performance to date as the moody Dwayne where in the film's first half, Dano brings a lot of humor with the things he writes in a notepad while not saying anything. When Dano breaks down, he channels a lot of angst while he has great chemistry with Steve Carell.
Steve Carell proves his comedic genius by going into minimalism as he plays a moody, quiet suicidal professor who brings a lot of funny moments by doing so little and not saying much. Carell, like Bill Murray who was considered for the role, proves that showiness doesn't have to be the only way to be funny as Carell brings a lot of depth to a character who is going through a lot of troubles and frustration as its one of his best performances. Greg Kinnear also proves his brilliance as an actor in comedy and drama as a man filled with irony as someone who talks about winning but is really a total loser. Kinnear brings a lot of struggle and depth to a man who tries his best for his family but ends up saying the wrong things and tries to find ways to do right as Kinnear proves himself to be a very versatile actor.
If Dano and Carell brings misery, Arkin brings misogyny, and Kinnear brings a straightforwardness, Toni Collette is the glue that brings everyone together. The Australian actress who knows how to pull off an American accent is great as the maternal figure of the family who tries to get everyone back on their feet while dealing with frustration of their dysfunctions. Collette also shines in being the normal one of the family as she stands out with her comedic talents and drama as she brings out another great performance. If Collette is the glue that keeps the cast together, it's the young Abigail Breslin who is the heart of the movie. Breslin steals the show as the optimistic Olive whose chance to compete for a beauty pageant comes true. Breslin brings a lot of depth to a young girl wanting to have her family on her side despite their dysfunctions while dealing with her own physical features as it's the family that supports her. Breslin is the real breakthrough as she proves her worth in every scene, especially her dance in the competition as she knocks everyone dead.
Little Miss Sunshine is a phenomenal film from Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris as it features a great cast, an amazing script, and strong themes about family. It's a film that is very accessible to families while not being afraid to say crass language and such that is controversial. Yet, it plays true to what families go through and not matter the obstacles they face. They always come together to beat the odds. In the end, Little Miss Sunshine is a tremendous film from Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris.
Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris Films: Ruby Sparks - Battle of the Sexes (2017 film)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Will Ferrell, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is the sequel to 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy that explores Burgundy and his cohorts in the world of 24-hour news. Set in the 1980s, the film has Burgundy not only deal with changing times but also the conflict he faces as not just an anchorman but also a father to a young boy with his wife Veronica Corningstone. Will Ferrell reprises his role as Ron Burgundy as he’s joined by Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Fred Willard who all reprise their roles from the first film. Also starring James Marsden, Meagan Good, Greg Kinnear, and Kristen Wiig. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is a very funny and exciting film from Adam McKay.
The film is about Ron Burgundy taking on the world of 24-hours news as he is asked to be part of the new medium after he had lost his job that his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) had gotten. With the help of his old news team in field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner), and the dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), Burgundy does something outrageous to get ratings for the channel where he would eventually lose sight of what he was meant to do as he neglects his son Walter (Judah Nelson) and alienate his friends only to find redemption later on. It’s a film that sort of satirizes the idea of 24-hour news but also about what news channels had become where they give news on what people should see rather than tell more important stories.
The film’s screenplay by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay does have some elements of satire as well as jokes that play into Burgundy’s clueless nature as he has no idea about how much times have changed since the 1970s. Even as it relates to what Veronica wants as well as his relationship with his new boss in Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) who is African-American. Though some of the jokes about Jackson’s race as well as a few others go on for too long where there’s parts of the stories that makes the film uneven at times. Still, there’s some nice subplots that involve Burgundy trying to be a parent to his son Walter as well as a story where Brick falls for an equally dim-witted typist named Chani (Kristen Wiig) that manages to bring in some laughs.
McKay’s direction is a bit more extravagant this time around in not just the way the 80s sort of look but also how out of step Burgundy and his gang are in this new world. Even as McKay would create scenes early in the film about where the rest of the news team had been since the first film as much of the humor is still loose and vibrant. Many of the compositions are straightforward with some exception that includes a scene of the news team crashing inside a RV with all sorts of objects. There’s also another news team battle where it’s much bigger than the first film with more outrageous cameos. Though there’s some flaws in the film due to overlong jokes and some moments that aren’t well-executed. McKay does manage to craft a pretty solid and entertaining film about an anchorman dealing with his ego and role as a news reporter.
Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the cinematography where much of it is straightforward in the film‘s locations is shot in Atlanta,New York City, and San Diego . Editors Brent White and Melissa Bretherton do terrific work with the editing where it does play into many of the film‘s humor as well as its structure. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art director Elliott Glick, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the GNN news office as well as the apartment loft that Burgundy and his team live in.
Costume designer Susan Matheson does amazing work with the costumes from the suits to the clothes the women wear. Hair stylist Monty Schuth does fabulous work with the hairstyles of the men including the perms that Burgundy and his team briefly wear. Visual effects supervisor Eric J. Robertson does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such the RV crash scene and the moments in the all-out news team battle at Central Park. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound in some of the film‘s sound effects as well as the chaos in the news battle.
The film’s music by Andrew Feltenstein is pretty good for some of the themes as it‘s low-key in its orchestral setting while music supervisor Erica Weis creates a fun soundtrack that is filled with a mix of 70s/80s soft-rock music of Captain & Tenille, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, England Dan & John Ford Coley, and John Waite as well as music from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Van Halen, and Hot Chocolate.
The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small appearances from Josh Lawson as GNN creator Kench Allenby, Greg Kinnear as Veronica’s new boyfriend Gary, Fred Willard and Chris Parnell reprising their roles as Ed Harken and Garth Holliday, and Dylan Baker as the very fun GNN producer Freddie Sharp. James Marsden is terrific as the very good-looking news anchor Jack Lime who becomes Burgundy’s new rival while Meagan Good is wonderful as Burgundy’s boss/new lover Linda Jackson. Judah Nelson is excellent as Ron and Veronica’s son Walter who just wants his dad around while Kristen Wiig is very funny as the dim-witted typist Chani whom Brick falls for.
Christina Applegate is amazing as Veronica Corningstone as Burgundy’s wife who has the same ambitions as her husband but is dismayed by his decision as well as the state of news. David Koechner is superb as Champ Kind who is still this closeted homosexual with feelings for Ron as he brings in some good laughs. Paul Rudd is fantastic as Brian Fantana as the ladies man who is also sort of the group’s conscience as he is alienated by Ron’s growing ego. Steve Carell is great as Brick in the way he falls for Chani as well as respond to certain situations in the most hilarious ways. Finally, there’s Will Ferrell delivering another marvelous performance as Ron Burgundy as this man still out of step with the times while losing himself in his own ego where Ferrell brings a lot of humor and charm that makes Burgundy one of the great characters in comedy.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is an excellent film from Adam McKay with Will Ferrell delivering another superb performance as Ron Burgundy. Along with a great supporting cast, some funny cameos, and lots of moments that will keep people laughing. It’s a film that proves to be a worthy sequel to the 2004 film despite its unevenness and a few lackluster jokes. In the end, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is stellar film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - The Other Guys - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
© thevoid99 2013
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/26/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on the book by Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation is a multi-layered film that explores the world of the fast food industry through the perspectives of different people from fast-food workers, a corporate executive, and a group of Mexican immigrants. Directed by Richard Linklater and written by Linklater and Schlosser, the film takes Schlosser's non-fiction book into a dramatic context to showcase a dark world of the industry that is about profit no matter at the cost. Starring longtime Linklater regular Ethan Hawke along with Greg Kinnear, Patricia Arquette, Ashley Johnson, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Wilmer Valderrama, Ana Claudia Talancon, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Dano, Mitch Baker, Luis Guzman, Bobby Cannavale, Esai Morales, Kris Kristofferson, Avril Lavigne, and Bruce Willis. Fast Food Nation is a harrowing, insightful film that uncovers the dark side of the fast food industry.
The film revolves around three different storylines that plays into the world of the fast food industry as marketing executive named Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear) goes to Cody, Colorado to investigate rumors about manure in the meat as he gets a tour of the UMP slaughterhouse and later meets a local rancher in Rudy Martin (Kris Kristofferson) where he and his maid (Raquel Giva) reveal the dark secrets about the UMP slaughterhouse. The other storyline revolves around a group of Mexican immigrants in Raul (Wilmer Valderrama), his girlfriend Sylvia (Catalina Sandino Moreno), and their friend Coco (Ana Claudia Talancon) who arrive to Cody with the help of Benny (Luis Guzman) as Raul and Coco work at the UMP slaughterhouse where Coco has an affair with its plant manager Mike (Bobby Cannavale). The third story line plays into a fast food employee named Amber (Ashley Johnson) who becomes uncomfortable about working at Mickey's as advice from her uncle Pete (Ethan Hawke) has her trying to rebel against corporations with help of an activist named Paco (Lou Taylor Pucci). Eventually, the three storylines would have some resolutions though they don't really crisscross with one another but would unveil a lot of troubling cynicism that plays into the fast food industry.
What Richard Linklater and Eric Schlosser reveal is very complex where it goes to the treatment of immigrants to what goes on behind the food that consumers are eating. While the film isn't perfect, it reveals a lot, even to some graphic detail of how the meat is made from cattle where the objective is to make the audience think while being uncomfortable at the same time. While Linklater takes a documentary-like approach to the film in his observant direction, the approach he and Schlosser takes is in the form of a docu-drama where three different stories are told. While the stories do intertwine with everything, the script is a bit uneven at times though wonderfully structured with the first act being the arrival of the immigrants and Anderson's investigation with the second going further to what Anderson discovers and Sylvia's moral judgement. Then comes the third act that does make things a bit uneasy with Amber joining a revolutionary group and the grim reality Sylvia has to face.
Despite the flaws with the script, Linklater's direction remains strong in how he observes the behaviors while finding a bit of humor in the workplace. While Linklater isn't exactly trying to make audiences think twice about eating fast food but he does raise question of where the food is coming from. More importantly, he reveals more of the corporate cover-ups in which Anderson is forced to think about his job and livelihood to the point that he goes into some moral judgement. The story of the immigrants is handled with realism as well as cynicism about the how untrue the American dream is where Sylvia is the observant character of the film where she tries to do honest work while realizing a lot of the bad things that goes on at the UMP plant. It's by far the most compelling story of the film while the Amber story is a bit weak though Linklater reveals the cynicism that comes afterwards where the film's ending is very bleak.
Helping Linklater in his visual presentation is longtime cinematographer Lee Daniel whose grainy, cinema verite style gives the film a documentary like feel to convey the atmosphere from the polished look of the Californian offices of Mickey to the vast, open spaces and claustrophobic worlds of Cody, Colorado. Longtime editor Sandra Adair does some wonderful cutting on shifting through the segments while making them intertwine with story while giving the pacing a leisurely feel in its 116-minute running time. Production designer Bruce Curtis and art director Joaquin A. Morin did excellent work on the design and look of the Mickey's franchise while costume designer Kari Perkins also does a great job in the look of the Mickey's uniform. Sound editors Michael J. Benavente and Tricia Linklater also do excellent work on creating the atmosphere of the surroundings the characters are in. Friends of Daniel Martinez create a varied mix of music filled with acoustic, Mexican-style music and droning, atmospheric rock to convey the sense of bleakness in the film.
The film's cast is diverse with a lot of actors that include such noted small performances from Mitch Baker, Frank Ertl, Raquel Giva, Armando Hernandez, Hugo Perez, Aaron Himelstein, and Cherami Leigh. Minor roles from the likes of Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Dano, Esai Morales, and Luis Guzman are excellent. One minor performance that comes across as very annoying is Avril Lavigne as a college protester which is very grating and over-the-top. Another performance that doesn't work is Wilmer Valderrama who whenever he tries to talk, he ends up putting the same kind of Fez that people often sees in his role as Fez in That's 70s Show. Valderrama is not an actor and the casting people should've gotten someone else. Ana Claudia Talancon is excellent as the naive, flirtatious Coco who descends to the world of drugs while Bobby Cannavale is great as the evil, manipulative supervisor. Kris Kristofferson is wonderful as the gruff, cautious rancher who reveals a lot of the dark secrets behind the UMP slaughterhouse while Bruce Willis is great in the one scene he's in as the cynical, corporate supervisor who tells Don Anderson the way the world works.
Patricia Arquette is excellent in her small role as Amber's fun, caring mother who is unaware of what her town is becoming. Ethan Hawke is great in his small role as Amber's radical, political uncle who reveals what happens to local business when they're taken over by corporations. Ashley Johnson is great as Amber who realizes the dark side of the fast food industry and tries to become a revolutionary only to see the grim realities that comes with them. Greg Kinnear gives another fine performance following this year's Little Miss Sunshine as a corporate executive who faces some truths and is forced to go into a moral dilemma that would cost his livelihood while thinking about the customers he's marketing towards. Catalina Sandino Moreno, who is known for her debut performance in Maria Full of Grace, proves that her Oscar nomination was no fluke as she gives the most chilling and moralistic performance of the film. Moreno's proves to be the most heartbreaking in how she tries to do an honest day's work, dealing with the way things are to the people she knows, and how she is forced to face the grim reality that is America. It's really an amazingly powerful performance from the young actress.
While not as entertaining or accessible as Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me or as fulfilling as the other films Richard Linklater did, Fast Food Nation is still a strong, engaging portrait of the American fast food industry. While fans of Linklater will enjoy the dialogue-driven conversations and cinema verite approach, some audiences might be disgusted in some of the graphic imagery as well as some of the things the film is talking about. While it will raise more question about the industry and how it takes care of its customers, it's likely whether or not it will keep people away from fast food or be aware of the changes in the corporate world. Still, Fast Food Nation succeeds in what it aims to do as it's one of the year's most politically-engaging films.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie (2011 film) - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Want Some! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
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