I'LL DO ANYTHING
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Written and directed by James L. Brooks Starring Nick Notle, Whittni Wright, Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner, Joely Richardson, and Tracey Ullman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 115 minutes
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"You didn't do the quack."
- Albert Brooks to Nick Notle, whose character
thinks he's screen-testing for a drama.
Nick Nolte sings! At least that was the intention of writer/director (and producer) James L. Brooks, who originally filmed I'LL DO ANYTHING as a musical complete with songs written by Prince and Sinead O'Conner! But lousy test scores--in addition to audiences that literally walked out during the songs--prompted Brooks to reshoot and restructure his film. The non-musical result is a charming, but dreadfully slow, romantic comedy.
The plot revolves around veteran character actor Matt Hobbs (Nolte). He's so desperate for work that he's taken a job as chauffeur to movie producer Burke Adler (Brooks). Hobbs has been handed his six-year-old daughter, whom he hasn't seen in two years and now has to raise on his own. He's also attracted to one of Adler's staff members--Cathy (Richardson), a charming development executive with designs on restarting his career.
Needless to say, the actor quickly realizes that bachelorhood and fatherhood don't always go together.
The story's second tier accompanies Adler. His relationship with Nan Mulhanney (Kavner), an audience-tester and dating skeptic, is under stress because the self-obsessed producer of "Popcorn Pictures" can't calm down. He's bugged because his latest actioner is getting lousy "scores." To add insult to injury, the only time his calls are returned is at lunch. When he's not there. (!)
All this, set against the seemingly exciting and no-longer-musical world of motion picture and television production!
Handsomely shot and very well-written, I'LL DO ANYTHING is, simply, s-l-o-w. Here and there, a couple scenes move like the better Brooks comedies BROADCAST NEWS and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT. But the bulk of it is a lazy insider-look at movie-making with a sitcom-cute kid angle.
Which doesn't work 'cause this kid ain't cute. In fact, she's downright obnoxious! Up until one whopper of a cloying ending, newcomer Whittni Wright gives a very remarkable performance. But she acts just like a six-year-old brat. And that's *no* fun to watch.
Dad's quite a draw, though. Even when sporting a long-haired wig that makes him look like Ron Perlman's "Beast," Nick Nolte gets off one of his best (and most subtle) roles in a while. His chemistry with Richardson is good, too!
If Nolte gets the best scenes, Albert Brooks gets all the good lines. As the self-absorbed Adler, he even gets a classic monologue in which he describes a field of "exploding windmills." Forget those fictional Joel Silvers; this is a megalomaniac to remember!
Oddly, both Tracey Ullman and Julie Kavner seem miscast. Ullman is barely watchable in her scenes, sporting a Bad Southern Accent as Notle's jail-bound wife. Kavner is more watchable, albeit unappealing, but she doesn't have the fire to match Brooks' raging gloom. Only Richardson stands strong on the female front.
Watch for a few cameos, including Woody Harrelson and Kavner's "Simpsons" co-star Harry Shearer.
One question lingers: who is the intended audience? If mainstream America didn't want to hear Nick Nolte sing, can they also appreciate the jokes about "target audiences" and "test scores?"
Bottom line: Intended as a musical--but recut and reshot after
bad test screenings--I'LL DO ANYTHING is a charming,
but s-l-o-w romantic comedy about a character actor,
his kid, and his career.
Grade: B
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