ANGIE
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Directed by Martha Coolidge Written by Todd Graff, based on the novel "Angie, I Says" by Avra Wing Starring Geena Davis MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for adult-themed humor) Running Time Approx. 110 minutes
===
"What have the Irish done to make you hate us so much?"
- Stephen Rea to Geena Davis,
when she tries to honk an
Irish accent.
ANGIE doesn't make a bit of sense. Which is shame, considering how likeable this Geena Davis vehicle really *is*.
ANGIE is Angie Scacciapensieri (Davis), a Catholic/Italian/Brooklyn gal with an okay boyfriend and a better job. By day, she works for a magazine. By night, she dates a plumber. (Named, what else?, Vinnie.) The twist comes when the supposedly free-spirited Scacciapensieri gets pregnant and doesn't want to get married. Because, as she states, "having a baby changes everything." No duh.
Which pits Angie against her family, her friends, and, ultimately, herself.
There's a *lot* to like about ANGIE. There's good acting across the board, from Mrs. Renny Harlin on down. The less-than-ethnic-looking Davis effortlessly carries the film. She's a striking actress *and*, as proven here, a dependable talent. Some of the better supporting players include James Gandolfini, Aida Tuturro, and THE CRYING GAME's Stephen Rea as a love-interest.
More importantly, the characters *feel* real. As do (most of) the situations. The production values are good. The timing is good. All in all, a very good effort.
So what's wrong?
ANGIE never explains Angie. Or, if you prefer, the film never clearly explains who Angie *is.* We know more of what *happens* to her anything else. In fact, Angie goes through enough dramatic situations to fill *three* films. Her monologue to an incubator, alone, should send collective estrogen levels soaring.
(Insecure men beware: ANGIE contains extensive humor on vibrators,
gynecological exams, and breast feeding! :-)
The story skimps in a couple other places. Angie's reason for leaving Vinnie is never made clear. And her truck-stop transformation late in the film, where she cuts all her hair herself, is barely believable.
Over-playing and unintentional omissions aside, there's enough honest humor in ANGIE to amuse anyone. Better bits include Angie registering into the hospital as "Angie Scotchandsoda" and a delivery-room scene complete with A CHORUS LINE.
All this and a healthy dose of Catholic guilt to boot! :-)
Ultimately, ANGIE feels like a "greatest hits" compilation from a longer, stronger movie. The early scenes work well, but the film goes downhill, a bit, as the drama is played increasingly hard. Like any compilation, it's a pleasant experience even if none of the scenes, good or not-so-good, ever tell us who Angie really is. Which may leave some viewers feeling hollow.
NOTE: I don't know what is a funnier example of "intended audience." The "stay in school" PSA shown before SUGAR HILL? Or the weepy Miramax trailers shown before ANGIE? :)
Bottom line: ANGIE is a likable comic drama that benefits from
a good cast, good characters, and handsome production
values. But some overwrought drama and a vague lead
character are definite demerits.
Grade: B-
.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews