PRIVATE PARTS
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1997 Michael Redman
*** (out of ****)
First off I should confess that I am not a Howard Stern fan. I primarily attribute this to the fact that I have not lived in a market where I could hear him on the radio. I'll also have to admit that I never thought that my life was incomplete due to this lack of experience.
Until this film, "Howard Stern" was more of a concept than a person. Now we see the man behind the shock jock =97 at least we see the image that=
the man behind the shock jock wants us to see. Although it's impossible to determine the truth of the person, there is one fact that is indisputable: Stern is certainly the virtuoso of self-promotion.
>From a very early age, the outrageous radio personality wanted to be famous and discovered that scandal was a sure way to achieve that goal. After overcoming his initial on-air shyness, "Howierd" hit the country by storm although like most overnight sensations, it took him years to get there.
The rally where he accepts the honor of being New York's most popular DJ in front of thousands of screaming (and semi-nude) fans occupies a major point in the film and was obviously a major highlight in his life.
Stern's public persona is the man who pushes the envelope of decency as far as, if not further than, it can go. He sneaks the words you can't say on radio into a quiz show skit ("Complete the phrase: 'Blank Willow'."). He has radio sex with one of his listeners on air by having her sit on her speaker with the bass turned up as he hums into the microphone. He conducts the world's first radio interview with a naked woman while she massages him on the studio floor.
His epic battles with the powers that be at NBC, especially his nemesis "Pig Vomit", are at the heart of the Howard Stern The Hero portion of the film. You can't help but root for the everyman jerk as he takes on the corporate jerks.
Now we have his new public image. He's also the man who fell in love and has stayed faithful to the same woman for over 20 years. He's the devoted father of a brood of lovely children. He's probably even kind to dogs. Methinks reality lies somewhere inbetween.
Stern plays himself as does his on-air team. They are all naturals at being themselves: a task undoubtedly more difficult than it seems. He and his partners-in-crime Robin Quivers and Fred Norris are often hilarious even as they go for the lowest level of humor possible.
With this film, Stern has made his splash in yet another medium. It remains to be seen if he can portray anyone other than himself, but he is magnificent in this role. Its the one he was born to play.
There are many similarities between "Private Parts" and "The People Versus Larry Flynt". Both feature men who are public sleazeballs shoving the limits of free speech, but privately have a heart of gold. Both are about figures that publicly treat women in a less than PC fashion, but behind closed doors conduct long term loving relationships.
Perhaps we are seeing the beginning of a new trend in films. I can't help but wonder if the next thing to look forward to is "Rush Limbaugh: The Movie".
[This appeared in the 3/20/97 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ]
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