MR. WRONG
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 2.0 Alternative Scale: * out of ****
United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 2/16/96 (wide) Running Length: 1:32 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman, Ellen Cleghorne, John Livingstone, Joan Cusack, Dean Stockwell, Joan Plowright, Robert Goulet Director: Nick Castle Producer: Marty Katz Screenplay: Chris Matheson, Kerry Ehrin, and Craig Munson Cinematography: John Schwartzman Music: Craig Safan U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
There's a fundamental flaw in MR. WRONG's premise. This is a romantic comedy parody, but how can you satirize something that's a comedy to begin with? If this motion picture is an example, not only can't it be done, but the result is downright ugly. Every year, there are handful of movies that aren't remotely funny, and MR. WRONG has the dubious distinction of falling into that category. Try as it might with its sophomoric humor and dumb one-liners, this film never got so much as a chuckle out of me.
Someone must find Ellen DeGeneres appealing -- after all, she's got her own TV show and now has a starring role in a motion picture. Based on her performance in MR. WRONG, however, it's impossible to uncover the source of her attraction. She has no discernible acting ability, no screen presence, and she's certainly not funny (at least not in this context). In fact, the best adjective to describe DeGeneres is irritating. And since she's in almost every scene of MR. WRONG, that makes for a very long ninety-two minutes.
The film opens by introducing us to Martha (DeGeneres), a thirty- one year old who's getting pressure from every side to find a nice guy, settle down, and get married. Alas, most of the men she dates are walking testimonials to the single life -- until Whitman (Bill Pullman), that is. She meets him in a bar late one Valentine's Day. They hit it off immediately, spending the night whispering sweet nothings to one another in front of a roaring fire. Martha is in love, and, what's more, her parents and sister are thrilled by her new beau. Slowly, however, Whitman begins to show signs of abnormal behavior: breaking his finger as a sign of his undying love, shoplifting to have fun, and peeping into Martha's bedroom window while dressed as a clown. Worse still, Whitman's ex-girlfriend (Joan Cusack) wants Martha to suffer a very nasty accident, like being eaten alive by ants. It doesn't take long for Martha to realize that, despite his millions of dollars and neverending protestations of affection, Whitman isn't the kind of guy a woman wants to spend the rest of her life with.
Not even a series of unusual cameos can save MR. WRONG. Despite being way over the top, the normally-delightful Joan Cusack is simply dreary as the only character in the film more obsessed than Whitman. Dean Stockwell is on hand as a no-nonsense private eye who turns against Martha when offered a fat payoff. And Joan Plowright gets a paycheck slumming as Whit's overattentive mother.
The idea behind MR. WRONG is to set up a typical romantic comedy scenario, then, twisting events in the most bizarre fashion imaginable, lampoon the genre for all it's worth. Even with Mr. Nice Guy, Bill Pullman (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING), playing off his own reputation, the movie misfires in a big way. The choppy script substitutes stale, unimaginative material for clever, biting wit. In its failed attempt to launch an acid attack on overly sweet romances, MR. WRONG ends up causing heartburn.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net, jberardinell@delphi.com web: http://www2.cybernex.net/~berardin
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