The film is about the life of Tamara “Tammy” Faye LaValley who was just a girl fascinated by faith as she meets a young preacher in Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) whom she would marry as they would create the Praise the Lord Satellite Network only to fall into scandal over money they stole and Jim’s own extramarital affairs. It is a simple story that largely plays by convention in its narrative as well as taking some dramatic liberties into Tammy Faye’s life through Abe Sylvia’s screenplay. Yet, the film does manage to look into how Tammy Faye becomes fascinated by faith despite the fact that her mother Rachel (Cherry Jones) is only invited to the local congregation because she can play piano as she is seen as a pariah for being a divorced woman. Still, upon meeting Jim Bakker at the North Central Bible College in Minneapolis where she is charmed by his charisma that lead to both of them dropping out of school to become preachers. Tammy Faye’s own idea that includes creating a hand puppet and going on the road all across America to spread the word of God to children and families had made them popular.
While Bakker would often be the one running things and form the PTL network following some bitter disputes with Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) over who made The 700 Club successful. It is Tammy Faye whose idea of wanting to help many including the poor, disabled, and others without the need to make faith into a political issue that would put Bakker at odds with other televangelists including Jerry Falwell. Notably as she would later talk to pastor Steve Pieters (Randy Havens) who is gay and has AIDS on her show where she becomes a supporter of the LGBTQ community much to the dismay of both Falwell and Bakker. Still, Sylvia’s script also play into Tammy Faye’s own struggles as she strives to win her mother’s approval although Rachel is rightfully suspicious about Bakker’s own activities and raises concern about the money he and Tammy Faye are making. There is also this story about Tammy Faye’s own attraction towards her music producer Gary S. Paxton (Mark Wystrach) leading to a brief affair that would only bring more trouble and a dependency on prescription drugs.
Michael Showalter’s direction is largely straightforward in its overall presentation as it is told from the early 1950s to 1994. Shot largely on location in and around Charlotte, North Carolina, Showalter plays into this world of a woman who is raised in a small town as a lot of Showalter’s compositions are straightforward in the close-ups and medium shots to play into Tammy Faye’s interaction with faith and such. Even in scenes where she feels lost as she is often praying to God where there’s some wide shots to play into a room where Tammy Faye is all alone except in the idea that God is with her. There are some unique shots that Showalter creates as it play into the evolution of Jim and Tammy Faye’s television presentation as well as how they got into television when they saw that their car got stolen and then meet a man who saw their sermon and knows Pat Robertson with a light shining on him as if God answered their prayers. It’s among these moments of humor that occur in the film including some of the musical presentation on the Bakkers’ shows including some of the Christmas shows where Tammy Faye is wearing silly costumes and her look becomes almost cartoonish as the years progress.
The film’s tone definitely darkens by its second half and into the third act once Tammy Faye’s own addiction to prescription pills come into play as well as Jim’s own financial mishandling and extramarital affairs along with suggestions that he’s bisexual when he’s play-fighting with PTL associate Richard Fletcher (Louis Cancelmi) after Tammy Faye hears Jim making fun of her. The third act does play into the PTL scandal where it is clear that Jerry Falwell is someone that Tammy Faye doesn’t trust knowing he has a political and social agenda. Most notably in the scene where she interviews Pieters as the interview is recreated word-for-word but it is Falwell’s reaction that is chilling as his actions in what he does to the Bakkers following the scandal showcase a man who is truly evil. The film’s ending is a bit of a let-down since it doesn’t play more into Tammy Faye’s work with the LGBTQ community though it does play into Tammy Faye’s unique optimism and the persona of a woman who just wants to be inclusive to everyone. Overall, Showalter crafts a heartfelt and lively film about the wife of a preacher who defy the wishes of other religious figures to spread the word of God and love to everyone.
Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward but with some unique lighting for some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes in the day with some lush colors for a few bits along with unique lighting a few scenes at night including at the Bakkers’ home. Editors Mary Jo Markey and Andrew Weisblum do excellent work with the editing as it has elements of style in some montages as well as some straightforward cuts to play into the drama and humor. Production designer Laura Fox, with set decorator Barbee S. Livingston and art director Charles Varga, does amazing work with the look of the studio sets that the Bakkers use to host their shows as well as their home in all of its lavish glory. Costume designer Mitchell Travers does fantastic work with the costumes ranging from the casual period look of the 1950s to the early 1970s to the more lavish look that Tammy Faye would wear throughout the 80s as well as a more reserved style of clothing in the 1990s. Makeup designers Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, and Justin Raleigh do incredible work with the makeup look of Tammy Faye in the way she evolves from being clean-cut to being more lavish including the way her eyelashes look as well as the layers of makeup that she wears that add to her legendary persona.
Special effects supervisor Larry Dean Bivins and visual effects supervisor Tim LeDoux do terrific work with the look of some of the television imagery including the way TV shows looked at the time as well as bits of set dressing for some scenes. Sound editors Wayne Lemmer and Derek Vanderhorst do superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the locations including the film’s ending in its sparse moments as well as some of the way TV shows sounded from a TV back then. The film’s music by Theodore Shapiro is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that also has elements of country and gospel to play into the world of Christian music while music supervisor John Houlihan cultivates a soundtrack that features a lot of the songs Tammy Faye did sing that are performed by Jessica Chastain as well as a song performed by Jim and Tammy Faye’s real-life daughter Tammy Sue Bakker-Chapman.
The casting by Avy Kaufman is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Lila Jane Meadows as Jim and Tammy Faye’s daughter Tammy Sue, Grant Owens as Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Sanders, Jess Weixler in a voice cameo early in the film as a makeup artist, Coley Campany DeDe Robertson, Jay Huguley as Jimmy Swaggart, Fredric Lehne as Tammy Faye’s stepfather Fred Grover, Gabriel Olds as the televangelist Pat Robertson who would take credit for the success of The 700 Club from Jim Bakker, Louis Cancelmi as PTL producer Richard Fletcher who might be one of Jim’s lovers, Chandler Head as the young Tammy Faye, Sam Jaeger as the building contractor Roe Messner whom Tammy Faye would later marry in the 90s, Mark Wystrach as music producer Gary S. Paxton who would produce many of Tammy Faye’s recordings and later engage in a brief affair with her, and Randy Havens as the gay Christian pastor Steve Pieters whom Tammy Faye does an interview with where he talks about dealing with AIDS and being gay only to feel loved by Tammy Faye.
Vincent D’Onofrio is excellent as Jerry Falwell as this religious figure who wants to politicize faith and get the Bakkers involved as he would later rat them out to the authorities where D’Onofrio brings that air of sliminess to the role. Cherry Jones is brilliant as Tammy Faye’s mother Rachel Grover as a woman who is disliked by her community for being a divorcee as she is later baffled by her daughter’s success and other aspects relating to the business even though she is someone who does care for her daughter even though she doesn’t show it.
Andrew Garfield is phenomenal as Jim Bakker where he displays this sense of charisma as someone who really does care about the word of God yet ends up becoming consumed by greed and temptation as well as becoming distant and cruel towards Tammy Faye where Garfield brings a lot of nuances and complexity to a real-life person who is still an awful individual. Finally, there’s Jessica Chastain in a tremendous performance as Tammy Faye Bakker where Chastain brings that liveliness and optimism to the character whenever she’s on TV trying to spread the word of God but also this vulnerability of a woman who wonders if she’s doing the right thing but is also a radical for the fact that she wants to help everyone where she becomes a voice for the LGBTQ community as it is a career-defining performance for Chastain.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a marvelous film from Michael Showalter that features a spectacular leading performance from Jessica Chastain. Along with its supporting cast, dazzling visuals, and its study of a woman trying to devote herself to God but also wanting to help everyone. It is a film that does play the rules of a bio-pic but it also an interesting character study of this real-life figure who ended up doing some good in the world as well as bring some inclusivity to a world that isn’t inclusive. In the end, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a remarkable film from Michael Showalter.
Michael Showalter Films: (The Baxter) – Hello, My Name is Doris - The Big Sick - (The Lovebirds (2020 film)) – (Spoiler Alert)
© thevoid99 2022
Directed by Michael Showalter and written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick is the story of a Pakistani-American who falls for an American girl as their relationship is tested when the latter falls ill as he meets her parents. The film is based on the real-life relationship between Gordon and Nanjiani in which the latter stars as an aspiring comedian who is torn in his love for this young woman and being true to his own family. Also starring Zoe Kazan, Anupam Kher, Ray Romano, and Holly Hunter. The Big Sick is a charming and riveting film from Michael Showalter.
The film follows a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian trying to make it as he falls for a young American graduate student as they endure a relationship only for things to get complicated until a rare illness occurs where the comedian meets the young woman’s parents. It’s a film that explore a man who is dealing with expectations from his family in finding a Pakistani wife to marry as well as become an attorney yet he is more interested in becoming a comedian while being a driver for Uber to pay the bills. Upon meeting this young woman whom he embarks on a relationship with until they break up over things he hasn’t been able to tell her where he later gets a call from one of her friends that she’s in the hospital as her parents would arrive to watch over her as she’s in a coma. The film’s screenplay by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon that is based on their real life relationship on how they met and such does play into the many ups and downs expected in an interracial relationship between this Pakistani-American man and white woman as they live in Chicago.
Among the obstacles they face has to do with parents and how they would react as it’s something the character of Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) is dealing with as he’s unsure what his parents would think of Emily (Zoe Kazan) as he chooses not to tell them about her as he’s also reluctant in meeting her parents over what they would think of him. When Emily becomes ill, he would meet her parents in Beth (Holly Hunter) and Terry (Ray Romano) who know about Kumail and appreciate the fact that he called them. Though they initially don’t want anything to do with him, they eventually get to know him as well as more about how Kumail and Emily broke up. Kumail’s time with Beth and Terry during the film’s second act is key to not just about Kumail dealing with the fear of having to tell his parents about Emily but also the realization that, despite their best interests for him, times are changing and he has to follow his heart but do it truthfully.
Michael Showalter’s direction is largely straightforward as it doesn’t really go for any kind of stylistic shots nor does it play into the conventions that is often expected in a romantic comedy. Shot largely on location in Chicago with bits of the film shot in New York City, the film does play into the world of comedy clubs where comedians try to get laughs as well as figure out what they should say and what routine they should go for. Even if it doesn’t work as Kumail would see a few of his peers try out ideas that is still in development as he is also working on a one-man show that is about himself and being Pakistani-American. While there are a few wide shots, Showalter would emphasize more on close-ups and medium shots to play into the developing relationship as well as some low-key comical moments of Kumail’s moments with his family where he would eat lunch/dinner with them as the recurring gag would include a prospective bride being invited by his mother Sharmeen (Zenobia Shroff).
The comedy is light-hearted as the funnier moments are based through dialogue but there are also some dramatic moments as it relates to the seriousness of Emily’s illness and Kumail eventually telling his parents about her. Yet, Showalter knows that the film is a love story of the unconventional kind in how a man is willing to stand by his love one no matter how close to death she is. Even as it would prove for all of Kumail’s mistakes and hesitation in telling Emily about his devotion for his family only to see that he wants her to be part of it. Overall, Showalter crafts a touching yet witty film about an unlikely romance and devotion between a Pakistani-American comedian and a white graduate student.
Cinematographer Brian Burgoyne does excellent work with the cinematography as it’s largely straightforward in terms of the exterior/interior scenes in the day as well as how clubs are lit at night. Editor Robert Nassau does terrific work with the editing as it does have bits of style in a few jump-cuts in a montage as well as some rhythmic cuts for some of the film’s humor. Production designer Brandon Tonner-Connolly and art director Andy Eklund do fantastic work with the look of Kumail and Emily’s different apartments as well as the home of Kumail’s family.
Costume designer Sarah Mae Burton does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual with the exception of the traditional Pakistani clothing Kumail’s mother, sister-in-law, and some of the women he’s being forced to meet wear. Sound editor Tom Paul does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the comedy clubs as well as the sounds of the hospital in the waiting room. The film’s music by Michael Andrews is wonderful for its low-key score that mixes elements of ambient music with some traditional Pakistani music to play into the two worlds that Kumail and Emily live in while music supervisor Joe Rudge provides a fun soundtrack that mixes elements of pop, indie rock, and country music as it would help provide moments where Kumail finds himself connecting with Emily’s parents.
The casting by Gayle Keller is great as it feature some notable small roles from Linda Edmond as one of several doctors watching over Emily, Vella Lovell as a prospective bride for Kumail that he would meet during the film’s second act after accidentally snubbing her during a meeting he was supposed to have, Rebecca Naomi Jones as Emily’s friend Jessie, Kurt Braunohler as Kumail’s aspiring-comedian flatmate Chris, Shenaz Treasury as Naveed’s wife Fatima, Aidy Bryant as a fellow comedian in Mary who is trying to develop her own routines about herself, and David Alan Grier in a small role as the comedy club emcee/owner who organizes the line-up for all of the performances. Adeel Akhtar is terrific as Kumail’s brother Naveed as the only person in Kumail’s family that tells him about Emily as he knows that Kumail isn’t trying to hurt anyone but reveals that the relationship with Emily could still have severe consequences. Bo Burnham is superb as the comedian CJ who is also trying to get his break but often has criticisms about others over routines he feel that are tired.
Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff are excellent as Kumail’s parents with Kher as the father who is more lenient about Kumail’s choices while Shroff’s role as the mother is a more traditionalist woman who just wants her son to find a nice Pakistani woman to marry. Holly Hunter and Ray Romano are brilliant as Emily’s parents with Hunter as the mother in Beth as someone who is more practical as she is concerned with making sure Emily is getting the best treatment while Romano is more reserved with some funny lines as well as giving Kumail advice on love as well as what he has to face as it relates to his parents. Zoe Kazan is amazing as Emily as a psychology grad student who heckles Kumail at a comedy club as she befriends and later falls for him while eventually falling ill as she later copes with the illness and the things that forced her to break-up with Kumail. Finally, there’s Kumail Nanjiani in an incredible performance in a semi-fictionalized version of himself as a stand-up comedian trying to get a break as he deals with Emily’s illness and his own fears of telling his parents about her as it’s a performance of great wit as well as humility when he learns about the seriousness of Emily’s illness.
The Big Sick is a sensational film from Michael Showalter. Featuring a great cast and a touching yet witty story about an interracial relationship that would grow stronger through a life-threatening event. It’s a film that definitely bring some new ideas to a genre that is in need of going into other directions as well as be a film that explore the idea of family and cultural traditions as well as how one person wants to follow his heart and not stray from traditional values. In the end, The Big Sick is a spectacular film from Michael Showalter.
Michael Showalter Films: (The Baxter) - Hello, My Name is Doris - (The Lovebirds (2020 film)) - The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021 film) - (Spoiler Alert)
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Michael Showalter and written by Showalter and Laura Terruso that is based on two short films by Terruso, Hello, My Name is Doris is the story of a woman in her 60s who falls for a much-younger co-worker as she tries to woo him as well as become independent from her family and older friends. The film is an exploration of a woman trying to put some spark in her life as she goes after a man who is young enough to be her grandson. Starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Tyne Daly, Beth Behrs, Natasha Lyonne, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, and Wendi McLendon-Covey. Hello, My Name is Doris is a delightful and charming film from Michael Showalter.
The film follows a shy and eccentric woman whose mother had just died as she falls for a new and much-younger co-worker in his 20s as she tries to figure out how to get his attention. It’s a film that explores a woman who is given a new jolt in life through this young man as she tries to understand what he likes and what he does while she is coping with the loss of her mother as well as being known as a hoarder of things she finds and brings to her home. The film’s screenplay by Michael Showalter and Laura Terruso shows the world that Doris (Sally Field) is in as someone who has collected so many things at her home as she wears quirky yet colorful clothes, sports a weave, and sometimes wears two glasses to read things. Yet, Doris lives alone despite the offer from her younger brother Todd (Stephen Root) to live at his home with his wife Cynthia (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and their two kids as well as sell the house.
Doris refuses as she spends much of her time with longtime friend Roz (Tyne Daly) who has spent much of her time raising her 13-year old granddaughter Vivian (Isabelle Acres) since her daughter is in prison awaiting a parole hearing. When Doris meets this young man in John Fremont (Max Greenfield), she falls head over heels for him as she turns to Vivian for help on things about him as well as creating a fake Facebook account and getting advice from a self-help guru. Learning about what music he likes and other interests, she does whatever he can to get to know him and be with him as there are these moments of fantasy into what Doris would see life with John is like yet she would have to contend with reality. Not only for the fact that she’s in her 60s and John is in his 20s but also other realities that include reasons into why she’s a hoarder and how this pursuit of John has alienated friends and family.
Michael Showalter’s direction is very straightforward as it opens with the funeral of Doris and Todd’s mother as it play into how odd Doris is in the way she looks as well as how she’s coping with the loss. Shot largely in Los Angeles though many of the exteriors are shot in New York City where the film is set, Showalter mainly goes for intimate compositions with the usage of medium shots and close-ups while exploring the world of modern-day New York City youth culture such as indie music, EDM, and other places that hipsters are known to frequent at. There are moments in the film where Showalter would create these moments of fantasy as it relates to Doris’ reaction towards John as it is playful. There are also moments in the film that showcase the humor very naturally such as the scene where Doris is eating dinner at Todd’s home where she’s wearing odd clothes because she’s about to attend a EDM concert with John later in the night. It’s among these weird moments that has Doris be part of a world she has no clue of what it’s about yet they would include her as they think she’s really cool. The film’s tone does change in the third act as it relates to not just the reality that Doris is facing about herself but also John and his own life as it’s filled with things that she doesn’t really know about him or what he wants in his life. Overall, Showalter crafts a charming and heartfelt film about a woman in her 60s who falls for a man in his 20s.
Cinematographer Brian Burgoyne does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as much of it is straightforward with the exception of the neon lights for the scenes at the EDM concert. Editor Robert Nassau does nice work with the editing as it is straightforward for much of the film with the exception of a few scenes such as Doris’ fantasies and a montage sequence of her dressing for a party. Production designer Melanie Jones, with art directors Catherine Devaney and Eve McCarney plus set decorator Karuna Karmarkar, does fantastic work with the look of the office floor that Doris and John work at as well as her home that is filled with all of these antiques and stuff she’s found over the years.
Costume designer Rebecca Gregg does brilliant work with the costumes from the colorful and offbeat clothes that Doris wears throughout the film as it adds so much to her character with everyone else being straightforward. Sound editor Tom Paul does terrific work with the sound as it is straightforward with the exception of the concert scene. The film’s music by Brian H. Kim is wonderful for its low-key score of soft orchestral and jazz-like pieces while music supervisor Andrew Gowan creates a fun soundtrack that features a mixture of EDM music and pop music to play into the different world and musical tastes of John and Doris.
The casting by Sunday Boling and Meg Morman is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jack Antonoff of Fun as the singer of the EDM band that John and Doris sees, Rebecca Wisocky as Doris’ boss, Kyle Mooney as band photographer, Rich Sommer as a young co-worker of Doris in Robert, Kumail Nanjiani as another young co-worker of Doris in Nasir, Natasha Lyonne as a co-worker of Doris in Sally, Don Stark as John’s uncle Frank who tries to flirt with Doris at a party, Isabelle Acres as Roz’s granddaughter Vivian who helps Doris know more about John, Caroline Aaron as a friend of Doris and Roz in Val, and Peter Gallagher in a terrific small role as the self-help guru Willy Williams. Beth Behrs is superb as a young woman named Brooklyn who is often seen with Jack during the film’s second-half while Elizabeth Reaser is fantastic as Doris’ psychiatrist Dr. Edwards as a woman that is trying to understand Doris as well as see the things in Doris’ home. Wendi McLendon-Covey is wonderful as Todd’s wife Cynthia who is always critical of what Doris has in her home as she would unknowingly push Doris’ buttons while Stephen Root is excellent as Doris’ brother Todd who is just trying to help her as well as express his own issues with her as it relates to their mother.
Tyne Daly is amazing as Roz as Doris’ longtime friend who is still dealing with the loss of her husband many years ago as she becomes baffled by Doris’ strange behavior as well as having to accept the fact that she is getting old. Max Greenfield is brilliant as John Fremont as a young man in his 20s who becomes a new superior for Doris as he is curious yet welcoming towards Doris’ presence as he admits to the difficulties he’s having in his life at work and in his personal life. Finally, there’s Sally Field in a spectacular performance as Doris as this woman in her 60s who falls for this young man as she tries to get his attention as it’s this incredible mixture of comedy and drama where Field just exudes this air of awkwardness and physicality to her performance as it’s really a master at work making it one of Field’s defining performances.
Hello, My Name is Doris is a remarkable film from Michael Showalter that features a phenomenal performance from Sally Field. Along with its ensemble cast, themes on aging and exploring new worlds, and moments that are funny and endearing. It’s a film that manages to be not just entertaining but also give audiences something full of heart in this exploration of a woman trying to nab a man that is much younger than her. In the end, Hello, My Name is Doris is a sensational film from Michael Showalter.
Michael Showalter Films: (The Baxter) – (The Big Sick) – (The Lovebirds (2020 film)) - The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021 film) - (Spoiler Alert)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by David Wain and written by Wain and Michael Showalter, Wet Hot American Summer is the story about a group of people attending a Jewish summer camp as they’re all hoping to do something on the camp’s last day. Set in 1981, the film is an exploration into nostalgia as well as adulthood and finding love. Starring Janeane Garafalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, Marguerite Moreau, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper, Molly Shannon, Zak Orth, Amy Poehler, A.D. Miles, and Christopher Meloni. Wet Hot American Summer is a hilarious and heartfelt comedy from David Wain.
The film is essentially the story about a camp director and several staff members at a Jewish summer camp as they spend their last day looking for love or deal with their own issues in the course of an entire day. In this day, a lot happens surrounding many characters as they each hope to give this last day something for themselves and the kids to remember. There’s the camp director Beth (Janeane Garafalo) who falls for an associate astrophysics professor named Henry (David Hyde Pierce) as they both are unsure how to express their attraction towards one another. Meanwhile, a young camp counselor in Coop (Michael Showalter) has a crush on another camp counselor in Katie (Marguerite Moreau) who is dating the unfaithful Andy (Paul Rudd).
While the script that David Wain and Michael Showalter doesn’t have much of a traditional structure in order to leave room for the actors to improvise and do things that has nothing to do with any big storylines. Its lack of plot does allow the script to focus on the characters and their own desires to find love or something that can make their last day at camp a great one. A lot of which involved with people all finding something whether it’s the arts and crafts teacher Gail (Molly Shannon) dealing with her divorce, talent show director Gail (Amy Poehler) trying to create the best show, a shell-shocked Vietnam veteran in chef Gene (Christopher Meloni) dealing with demons, or a counselor in Victor (Ken Marino) trying to score with one of the counselors in Abby (Marisa Ryan).
Wain’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of compositions yet he does display a sense of looseness in the way he directs actors in a scene. Notably as he would create moments that do play into the idea of summer camp where it’s all about doing silly things as well trying to capture the sense of innocence that occurs in summer camp. While there’s a lot of storylines that occur between many characters, Wain does ensure that he finds the time to let many individual stories unfold while adding bits of humor to occur. Sometimes, there’s humor that is absurd in a few sequences which does lead to the climatic talent show where a lot happens. Overall, Wain creates a very funny comedy about the joys and exuberance of one entire day at a Jewish summer camp in 1981.
Cinematographer Ben Weinstein does excellent work with the film‘s colorful photography to display the beauty of the locations set in Maine to capture the beauty of the summer. Editor Meg Reticker does nice work with the editing by creating some unique rhythmic cutting to play out some of the comedy that occurs including a hilarious montage of what some of the camp people do outside of camp. Production designer Mark White, along with set decorator Lisa Scoppa and art director Bryan Hodge, does fantastic work with the look of the summer camp as well as some of the cars to make it look like it‘s 1981.
Costume designer Jill Kliber does great work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual as well as ragged to play out what people would wear in 1981. Sound editor Stephen Altobello does very good work with the sound to capture the energy and atmosphere of the activities that occur in camp. The film’s music by Theodore Shapiro and Craig Wedren is a real delight with its mixture of folk-based music and upbeat rock to play out the sense of nostalgia. Music supervisors Alison Chernick and Paul Parreira create a wonderful soundtrack that features music from Loverboy, KISS, Jefferson Starship, Kenny Loggins, and Rick Springfield.
The casting by Susie Farris is incredible for the rich ensemble that is created for this film. Notable small roles include Judah Friedlander as Gail’s ex-husband, Nina Hellman as the camp nurse Nancy, Kevin Sussman as the eccentric wannabe robot Steve, Joe Lo Truglio as the counselor Neil, Marisa Ryan as the slutty Abby, Samm Levine as the voice of the radio broadcaster Arty, and H. Jon Benjamin as the voice of a mixed vegetables can. Other noteworthy yet funny performances include Elizabeth Banks as the very sexy counselor Lindsay, Molly Shannon as the heartbroken arts and crafts teacher Gail, Amy Poehler as the obsessive drama teacher Susie, Bradley Cooper as Susie’s drama associate Ben, A.D. Miles as Gene’s apprentice Gary, Zak Orth as the fun-loving counselor J.J., and Ken Marino as the sex-obsessed Victor who hopes to get laid at the end of the day.
Michael Ian Black is funny as the very secretive McKinley whom J.J. and Gary wonder what he does and try to get him laid. Christopher Meloni is hilarious as the shell-shocked chef Gene who always says some very crazy things as he is complete denial about his issues. Marguerite Moreau is wonderful as Katie who finds herself connecting with Coop as she is having issues with Andy. Paul Rudd is awesome as the somewhat douchy Andy as he is a guy that just wants to be cool yet treats Katie very poorly. Michael Showalter is delightful as the socially-awkward Coop who tries to woo Katie while doing whatever to win her heart. David Hyde Pierce is fantastic as the astrophysics associate professor Henry who falls for Beth as he tries to find a way to win her while connecting with the kids at the camp. Janeane Garafalo is terrific as Beth as she tries to deal with the chaos of the camp while trying to win over Henry by studying astrophysics.
Wet Hot American Summer is a marvelous comedy from David Wain. Featuring a brilliant ensemble cast and lots of hilarious moments, it’s a film that truly captures the spirit of life during a summer camp. It’s also a film that isn’t afraid to be absurd or off-the-wall while finding time to be sweet and full of heart. In the end, Wet Hot American Summer is an extraordinary film from David Wain.
David Wain Films: (The Ten) - (Role Models) - (Wanderlust)
© thevoid99 2013
