SHE'S THE ONE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.5 Alternative Scale: ** out of ****
United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 8/23/96 (wide) Running Length: 1:36 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Edward Burns, Mike McGlone, Jennifer Aniston, Maxine Bahns, Cameron Diaz, John Mahoney, Leslie Mann, Amanda Peet Director: Edward Burns Producer: Ted Hope, James Schamus, and Edward Burns Screenplay: Edward Burns Cinematography: Frank Prinzi Music: Tom Petty U.S. Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The sophomore jinx, the bane of hot, young film makers, has struck again. After claiming the likes of Steven Soderbergh (SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE), Kevin Smith (CLERKS), Robert Rodriguez (EL MARIACHI), and Eric Schaeffer (MY LIFE'S IN TURNAROUND), it has now hunted down Edward Burns. Burns, whose charming, low-budget THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN was the toast of last year's Sundance Film Festival, has brought another tale of sex, love, brotherhood, and Irish-Catholic angst to the screen, but this one isn't nearly as enticing as its predecessor.
THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN's greatest appeal lies in its quiet, unforced portrayal of reality. It's a small, well-written motion picture with modest ambitions. We can believe that the three protagonists are brothers, and that their individual crises are actually happening. Nothing in THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN is so outlandish that it strains our credulity. Unfortunately, Burns hasn't translated this quality to his latest film, SHE'S THE ONE, which opens with an implausible plot contrivance and struggles thereafter to get its feet on the ground.
That contrivance is every romantic cabby's fantasy. Mickey (Burns), the eldest of the two Fitzpatrick brothers, is driving his New York City taxi when he picks up a pretty fare, Hope (Maxine Bahns). During the short trip to the airport, they get to know each other, and, less than twenty-four hours later, they're married. News of Mickey's sudden nuptials don't go over well with his father (John Mahoney), who thinks Hope is either an illegal alien or pregnant. Mickey's younger brother, Francis (Mike McGlone), isn't too pleased with the situation, but he's too busy balancing his relationships with his wife, Renee (Jennifer Aniston) and his girlfriend, Heather (Cameron Diaz), to take much notice. To further complicate matters, Heather, who was once engaged to Mickey, unexpectedly runs into her former beau and discovers that she's still attracted to him.
While the brothers McMullen did their fair share of whining, they were still likable guys (even if they were clueless about women). The brothers Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, are petulant, irritatingly arrogant, and combative. They don't seem to like each other, or, for that matter, anyone else. Their relationships with their lovers and spouses aren't warm, and there's something strained about the way they relate to their parents (despite being mentioned many times, their mother never makes an appearance). None of this leads us to sympathize with either Mickey or Francis.
Acting, like poor character identification, is another area where SHE'S THE ONE falls down. With the exceptions of John Mahoney and Cameron Diaz, the performers fail to display significant range. Burns is basically playing the same character he essayed in THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN. Mike McGlone and Maxine Bahns, who were also in BROTHERS, don't impress, although McGlone has a better grasp of his role than Bahns, who seems confused by any scene requiring an expression of emotion. Her real-life chemistry with Burns doesn't translate well to the screen. Jennifer Aniston, known best for her role in the TV series FRIENDS, could generously be described as adequate -- the camera certainly doesn't love her plastic posturing. When Diaz or Mahoney are in scenes with the others, the talent gap becomes apparent.
The best thing about SHE'S THE ONE is the dialogue. While there are juvenile stretches where Burns gets too cute, more than one scene features the same sparkling repartee that enlivened THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN. Francis, on Mickey's taxi-driving lifestyle: "That ain't a job -- it's an excuse to avoid reality." Mr. Fitzpatrick, on his youngest son's affair: "Let me get this straight -- you don't want to cheat on your girlfriend with your wife?" And the old man's take on the lives of all three Fitzpatrick men: "Here we are, crying in our beers, while our women are out living their lives."
I'm sure there's an interesting story of sibling rivalry somewhere in SHE'S THE ONE, but Burns has cluttered it up with so much artificiality that it never gels. Who really cares whether Francis and Mickey make peace with each other, or who ends up with what girl? If these things mattered to us, SHE'S THE ONE would have been a success, but since they don't, it isn't. Since New York only needs one Woody Allen, maybe for his next film, Burns will try stretching his thematic and geographical boundaries. Otherwise, his promising film making career may already be in trouble.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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