OK, first off allow me to explain that I am a monumental Steve Martin fan. I used to dance around my basement to his comedy albums as a kid, and I've seen all of his movies several times. Whenever you see a Steve Martin movie, it's best if its one that he wrote. When he appears in other people's screenplays, it's a mixed bag. For every Planes, Trains & Automobiles there's a Sgt. Bilko or (even worse) Mixed Nuts.
Wait until you see the cast of this movie. You'll swear it would have to be a work of comedy genius. First we have reliable Steve, who is always entertaining, regardless of how awful the movie may be. His co-star is Madeline Kahn, who may go down as one of Hollywood's funniest actresses ever. (Don't believe me? Watch Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles back to back.) But this movie also features the smarmy Garry Shandling, the sarcastic Jon Stewart, the hysterically dry Stephen Wright, the wacky Adam Sandler, and the always amazing Parker Posey. Throw in Robert Klein, Rita Wilson and Rob Reiner and you'd probably have a darn funny movie, right?
Wrong.
The story revolves (very loosely) around the call center for a Suicide Prevention Hotline. To say that the movie is a barely connected series of astonishingly lame comedy bits is almost too kind of a compliment. The suffering therapists are about to be evicted on Christmas Eve, and a whole bunch of wacky suicidal people stop by.
It's as simple as mixing vinegar and water: Unless done absolutely perfectly, dark comedy and slapstick do not mix! It pains me to say this about a movie that has so many funny people in it, but this movie is more desperate than entertaining.
The screenplay was written by Nora and Delia Ephron. Nora apparently depleted her 'talent pool' after her fantastic script for When Harry Met Sally, because since then she's offered nothing but junk like this movie, You've Got Mail and the truly awful Hanging Up.
To be fair, Adam Sandler has a few funny bits, but they are few and far between. I can recommend this movie only to hardcore fans of Steve Martin, or for people who absolutely insist on watching depressingly underachieving comedies.
It's Christmas Eve at Lifelines a Venice Beach suicide hotline. Philip Steve Martin the manager has just been informed by the landlord that the they a...More at Family Video
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