LIE DOWN WITH DOGS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 3.4
United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: Summer 1995 (limited) Running Length: 1:25 MPAA Classification: R (Sexual themes, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Wally White, Bash Halow, James Sexton, Darren Dryden, Randy Becker Director: Wally White Producers: Anthony Bennett and Wally White Screenplay: Wally White Cinematography: George Mitas U.S. Distributor: Miramax Pictures
Not counting TO WONG FOO, which has an entirely different agenda, the Summer of 1995 has given birth to a pair of gay comedies: JEFFREY and LIE DOWN WITH DOGS. The two are as different in quality as they are in humor level. JEFFREY, with its sly, sardonic wit and wonderfully droll performance by Patrick Stewart, is a joy to watch. LIE DOWN WITH DOGS, with its sophomoric, silly jokes and pointless, meandering plot, is as likely to put viewers to sleep as keep them interested.
The premise is to follow one man's summer vacation in Provincetown, Massachusetts--the gay mecca for beach-goers. LIE DOWN WITH DOGS opens in New York and introduces us to Tommie (played by writer/director/co-producer Wally White), a guy with no roots, little money, and a desire to get out of the city for a while. So he hitches a ride with some friends and heads off to Cape Cod. And, once the film gets there, it grinds to a halt. There's no story to speak of and no significant character development---anything, in fact. Watching LIE DOWN WITH DOGS is akin to sitting through someone else's home movies. They may enjoy them, but they're the only ones.
Certainly, White never intended anything deep with LIE DOWN WITH DOGS. This film is at the far end of the spectrum from the serious, too-noble PHILADELPHIA. Here, the film maker is going for something so frothy it's almost insubstantial. The sole message is '70ish in nature: life is short, so enjoy yourself. The dangers of the gay lifestyle are touched on, but only briefly.
The film tries to be original, and there are clues to indicate that White could develop into a real talent in the film making industry, but, ultimately, his first effort is a bust. This is sit-com fare without a plot. The jokes are occasionally funny, and there are moments of quirky, offbeat humor (like a pointed parody of the porn industry), but those isolated incidents don't justify an eighty-five minute motion picture. As a short, LIE DOWN WITH DOGS might have been palatable, but as a feature, it's an endurance test. At best, this is an advertisement for Provincetown. At worst, it's a waste of time.
The phrase from which the title comes goes like this: "If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas." In all honesty, I was itching to leave before the movie was half over.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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