2009 | U.S. | 95 minutes
Director: John Hindman
Writer: John Hindman
Cast: Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Taylor Pucci, Nora Dunn
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Cdn video distributor: Mongrel Media
The Answer Man is your standard romantic comedy — boy meets girl, gets girl, loses girl, gets girl back — that throws in two subplots. One is intriguing, but is side-stepped, while the pointless one is given way too much focus.
The intriguing part has to do with the main character, Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels). Twenty years ago he wrote a book called “Me and God.” It became a bestseller. In fact it’s still one of the best-selling books in the world, and has provided spiritual fulfillment to millions. Faber is worshipped almost more enthusiastically than the Pope — and he just wants everyone to leave him alone.
So for the last 20 years he has hidden in his elegant townhouse in fashionable Philadelphia, and never tells anyone his real name. And, boy, is he a sourpuss.
He’s hostile, stubborn and bitterly alone (though he’s not likely to admit that). Not the man one would figure to be a spiritual guru. It’s a stretch but, as set-ups go, it’s a pretty interesting one.
Then his back gives out in a big way. It’s been plaguing him for years, but now its crippling. He has to crawl for blocks to the nearest chiropractor, who turns out to be a dark-haired lovely named Elizabeth (Lauren Graham); a struggling single mom with a struggling new practice.
To his grumpy surprise, she performs miracles. He couldn’t be more thrilled. Love ensues.
The relationship they inevitably form is fairly dull by romantic comedy standards, but the performances of Daniels and Graham still manage to gleam interest. We know these are sad and lonely people who, together, can be happy again. He’s certainly much more charming when she’s around. The scenes of him with her young son (Max Antisell) are some of the best, and provide the few instances of warmth and humour.
Their scenes are contrasted with others Faber has with a local bookstore owner named Kris (Lou Taylor Pucci). The impetus for their interaction is one of the most baffling I’ve ever seen in a movie. It makes no sense whatsoever. Still, the movie goes with it, and even forces us to follow various moments in Kris’ life — hanging out with his father, hanging out at work, going to Alcoholics Anonymous, and so forth.
Later we realized Kris is just a plot device. Initially it’s to trigger the inevitable moment when Faber loses Elizabeth, and once more at the end to get her back. Surely first time writer/director John Hindman could have figured out a better way.
And what does God have to do with all this? Not much apparently. The film continually references the book he once wrote, but we never fully understand the nature of its content until the very end — and then it’s written off as made-up dribble. It completely blows a perfect opportunity to reference Luke 17:21, which would still retain a logic, and not make our hero look such a irredeemable fraud. But, I suppose, the film didn’t want to tempt religious division by citing Christian scripture.
The story finishes, of course, with “boy gets girl” — as if that’s a surprise. It’s a lackluster finish to one messed-up story. Looking back, the whole thing is pretty shy on laughs, too. But Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham are still a pleasure to watch, as is Nora Dunn as his long-suffering editor. They are given enough moments of sweetness and light to keep the clunky script alive.
- Theatrical release date: July 24, 2009
- Video release date: November 3, 2009
- Production Budget: n/a
- Worldwide Box Office: $26,676 (domestic)
FUN ALTERNATIVE: Dogma is a remarkably curious creation. I can’t think of any other movie that deals so intelligently, so thoughtfully, so thoroughly about a particular religious faith (Catholicism in this case) while constantly jabbing the funny bone with clever wordplay, graphic violence, sexuality and a poop monster. Yet the crude content does not aim to insult its subject matter, but to worship it. Who would have thought?
It doesn’t pander either. If you grew up Catholic (as I did) you’ll be faced with doctrine analysis that may require several viewings to fully grasp. Writer/Director Kevin Smith (another Catholic boy) clearly had better teachers than I did. He really goes out on a limb to make a movie that risks satisfying no-one and nothing but his own struggles with the paradoxes that threaten his faith.
The result is an unusual celebration and respect for his chosen beliefs, and is a much more worthy film than others that have tried (The Passion of the Christ, The Last Temptation of Christ) to open up a dialogue for analysis and, perhaps, acceptance. Check out Roger Ebert’s review of the film, who offers a more thorough observation of the treasures that can be found within.