MY NEW GUN
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:39 Rated: NR (Mature themes)
Starring: Diane Lane, Stephen Collins, James LeGros, Tess Harper,
Bruce Altman, Maddie Corman
Director: Stacy Cochran
Producer: Michael Flynn
Screenplay: Stacy Cochran
Music: Pat Irwin
Released by I.R.S Media
Irwin (Bruce Altman) and Myra (Maddie Corman) are going to get married. When they break the news to their friends Debbie and Gerald Bender (Diane Lane and Stephen Collins), Myra also shows off something Irwin bought for her: a .38 with "Myra" engraved on it. Gerald, deciding that this is a good idea, buys Debbie a similar weapon, even though she states emphatically that she doesn't want a gun in the house. The gun turns into a real issue, however, when it is appropriated by the Benders' odd neighbor Skippy (James LeGros). While Debbie thinks Skippy is harmless, her husband is convinced that he's either a Satan-worshipping junkie or a hit-man who has botched a job.
The first half of MY NEW GUN is a bitingly funny satire on life in suburbia and the yuppies who live in it. There are scenes that are incisive precisely because they're so close to reality. Gerald Bender is the kind of self-absorbed, pompous, property-obsessed person who inhabits an expensive condominium and considers spending nearly $400 on a windbreaker. This film successfully lampoons him and his lifestyle.
Unfortunately, about midway through, the movie starts getting away from what makes it work. The second half has none of the freshness and originality of what went before--it tells a simple, uncomplicated story with less humor and little energy. As the end drew near, I waited for something wildly unexpected to occur. I was still waiting after the end credits had rolled.
Taken on its own without the unspectacular ending, the first part of MY NEW GUN is brilliant. It shows how the introduction of a gun into one household can lead to a complete change in lifestyle--and not in the expected way. The gun, as Gerald puts it, is a "catalyst." In today's world, where people buy guns and bring them into their homes with about as much thought as they buy a toaster, it's refreshing to see a movie take a closer look, no matter how absurd, at the issue.
I don't know why writer/director Stacy Cochran changed the direction of the film the way she did. Perhaps, as a first time movie-maker, she didn't know how to conclude the movie. Or maybe she simply ran out of ideas for the satirical parts of the script. Whatever the case, MY NEW GUN loses a lot in its last forty-five minutes.
Stephen Collins is almost too good as the arrogant, stuck-up Gerald. Collins, normally relegated to playing clean, nice-guy roles, gets an opportunity to play a rather unlikable but regrettably realistic person. Diane Lane, whose list of credits continues to grow more fascinating and diverse with every new film, is especially noteworthy. Her performance is one of the few worthwhile things in the second half. James LeGros is merely okay--his role demands more than he seems willing to give. LeGros' Skippy is supposed to be a charismatic figure, but it's difficult determining what Debbie sees in him.
As a first film for Stacy Cochran, MY NEW GUN is a worthy effort. Miss Cochran had an idea and a script that developed it, which is more than can be said for many movies. While the second half is certainly watchable, and occasionally entertaining, it's neither as engaging nor as acute as what preceded it.
Rating: 7.9 (B, **1/2)
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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