JOSH AND S.A.M.
A film review by Scott Renshaw
Copyright 1993 Scott Renshaw
Starring: Jacob Tierney, Noah Fleiss, Martha Plimpton, Stephen Tobolowsky. Screenplay: Frank Deese. Director: Billy Weber.
Every once in a while, I come upon a movie where I simply can't get beyond the basic premise; as well as certain individual elements might be executed, I'm so turned off by that premise that I can't possibly enjoy the film. Such was the case with last year's RADIO FLYER, where children in a dysfunctional household were used as the launching pad for an adventure. Now comes JOSH AND S.A.M., similarly focused on the exploits of two troubled kids, and again my rejection mechanism kicked in. There is some charm to be found in the performances, but overall it simply depressed me, and wrapped up a disturbing package far too neatly.
JOSH AND S.A.M. is the story of two children struggling to cope with their parents' divorce. 12-year-old Josh (Jacob Tierney) is a shy computer whiz who prefers living with mom; 8-year-old Sam (Noah Fleiss) is a fight-prone daydreamer who enjoys time with dad (Stephen Tobolowsky). On one visit with their father's new family in Florida tensions boil over between the brothers, and Josh convinces Sam that he's a Strategically Altered Mutant, or S.A.M. Josh uses the deception in an attempt to run away, but instead the boys end up on the road together, depending on each other and a friendly hitchhiker (Martha Plimpton).
JOSH AND S.A.M. hinges on the fact that Sam almost immediately believes the improbable story that he is a genetically engineered fighter, the evidence consisting of "documents" that Josh has mocked up on his father's computer. It's a stretch to accept that Sam would buy such a ridiculous concept, especially when he knows his brother is so adept with computers. Screenwriter Frank Deese attempts to bypass this plausibility problem by having Sam say that the "fact" that he is an S.A.M. explains why he thinks about being dead all the time. Suddenly JOSH AND S.A.M. becomes the tale of a cruel prank perpetrated on a deeply disturbed little boy, and it becomes extremely unpleasant to watch. These problems are further compounded when JOSH AND S.A.M. aims for an inappropriately upbeat conclusion. The two children are repeatedly treated with cruelty and inconsideration by their parents and extended families, and these issues are almost completely glossed over. Dad makes a relatively sincere apology, but for a film which uses serious family problems to set up its hijinks, it's disappointingly timid in dealing with the repercussions.
Its dark undertones are not the only problem with JOSH AND S.A.M., however. A certain amount of contrivance is practically required in capers such as this, but JOSH AND S.A.M. really pushes the envelope. The event which forces Josh to run is a strained sequence involving Chris Penn as a drunken Texan, and he really doesn't work. Most baffling is the role played by Martha Plimpton, an ill-defined runaway who appears and disappears without leaving any recognizable imprint on the story. Somewhere in that character was a relevant back-story, but it never made it to the screen. There is even a tossed-off attempt to make her a romantic interest for Josh, which is raised and resolved in under five minutes of screen time. JOSH AND S.A.M asks for far too much leeway, and offers far too little reward in return.
As disturbed and disappointed as I was in the story, I have to acknowledge the appeal of the two lead performances. Jacob Tierney is very good as the bright and resourceful Josh, best of all in the obligatory "fool the stupid cop" sequence, and Noah Fleiss brings real heartbreak to the truly confused Sam. The two are convincing brothers throughout, and I liked the rapport between them. Still, I found myself dwelling on its handling of a serious subject matter in a manner I found inappropriate. There is no such thing as an objective review, but in this case I can't even pretend otherwise. I found nothing fun about watching two kids in desperate need of therapy taking a joy ride.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 S.A.M.'s: 4.
-- Scott Renshaw Stanford University Office of the General Counsel
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