Friday, March 28, 2008 11:51 AM CDT
DVD Review: "The Amateurs" (2005)
By Nathaniel West, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
Rated: R for sexual content and language.
Plot & Players: For those of you who, like me, don’t mind Jeff Bridges resurrecting his iconic character “The Dude,” and if you could stomach the similarly raunchy content in the Coen brothers’ classic “The Big Labowski,” give “The Amateurs” a try. Perpetually down on their luck, Bridges and his small-town cohorts try to break out of the monotony of it all – and maybe earn a few bucks – by making their own amateur pornography. But the deeper they get into the project, the more they learn how the best laid plans can go awry. “The Amateurs” was first released in 2005, but because of distribution problems, it is only now available on DVD.
Some Highlights: While Bridges’ protagonist is only a slightly more ambitious version of The Dude, it’s fun to see him again as the bewildered underachiever caught up in an enterprise well beyond his meager abilities. Here, Bridges is surrounded by a cohesive ensemble cast of stars – including veteran TV actors Ted Danson (“Cheers”), and William Fichtner (“Prison Break”), along with classy leading ladies Glenne Headly (“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”) and Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls”) – all of whom seem to have had loads of fun making this film. Alas, the major drawbacks to “The Amateurs” are its oh-so-common misconceptions about small towns. I have spent the lion’s share of my life in rural environs, and it’s usually bothersome to me how Hollywood perceives us residents of the “fly-over” states. Like any group of human beings, every tiny burg certainly has its share of losers with nothing better to do than get drunk, fornicate and generally try to disprove Darwin. But come on, who really still thinks this is an accurate image of rural America, especially in light of our increasing connectivity (and homogony) thanks to the Internet and cell phones?
Quality: Three out of five stars.
Like It? If Norman Rockwell were alive and into directing remakes, “The Amateurs” could easily be his re-imagining of “The Full Monty.” It’s also noteworthy that, for a film about pornography, there essentially is no nudity in “The Amateurs.” This is by design, and it proves a wise directorial choice, narrowing the focus of the film to the eccentric characters and the rolls-off-the-tongue dialogue. Just like “The Full Monty,” in fact.
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