Welcome to Mooseport Review
by Bob Bloom (bob AT bloomink DOT com)February 23rd, 2004
WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT (2004) 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Gene Hackman, Ray Romano, Marcia Gay Harden, Maura Tierney, Christine Baranski, Fred Savage, Rip
Torn and June Squibb. Story by Doug Richardson. Screenplay by Tom Schulman. Directed by Donald Petrie. Rated PG-13. Running time: Approx. 105 mins.
Like a politician courting voters, Welcome to Mooseport steers away from anything controversial, content to steer a safe, inoffensive middle-of-the-road
comedic course.
However, such a path affords this tedious comedy the satiric jab of a felt-tip
pen.
In a presidential election year, a film of this ilk should offer many opportunities for a humorous look at our political system. Unfortunately, Mooseport avoids most of them, sticking with the beach-ball size targets that anyone can hit.
The story is simple: retired President Monroe "Eagle" Cole is taking up residence in his summer home in Mooseport, Maine. Why Mooseport? Because that is all he has left after his divorce from the former first lady, Charlotte (the
brassy Christine Baranski).
As it happens, Mooseport's mayor recently died and, with only 24 hours left until the end of the filing deadline, the town fathers ask the former president
to run for mayor, assuming he will be unopposed.
Cole accepts, not out of civic duty, but to impress local veterinarian Sally Mannis (ER's Maura Tierney) who, unbeknownst to Cole, is the longtime girlfriend of town plumber and hardware store owner, Handy Harrison (Ray Romano).
Handy decides to enter the race as well and before you can say George Stephanopolis, the national media descends on Mooseport like a plague of locusts.
Not wanting to look foolish and lose the election to his plumber, Cole calls in his top political consultant and escalates the once-friendly little campaign.
Like I said, the script lobs more softballs than a Larry King interview. Fun is poked at the cost of presidential libraries, the amount of payment for speaking engagements, presidential cheating at golf.
OK, it's a movie and doesn't have to tackle real issues like terrorism, world
hunger or weapons of mass destruction.
But Mooseport plays like an extended sitcom episode than a feature film; sort
of an "Everyone Loves Handy."
Romano lacks any screen charisma, merely repeating the shtick that made him popular on television.
Hackman breezes through his part without breaking a sweat, as does Baranski, who is beginning to monopolize the brittle, cynical, wise-cracking woman characterization.
Tierney, usually a very good actress, seems unsure of how her character is supposed to react to everything around her, so she goes through the entire proceedings with a bemused, almost embarrassed look.
Director Donald Petrie cannot create a steady rhythm. The film seems to lurch
from scene to scene, as if the director isn't sure if he wants to make an all- out farce or a biting satire.
He succeeds at neither.
Whatever potential Welcome to Mooseport had was squandered. This is one film that won't get my vote.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He
can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bob@bloomink.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the
Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site:
www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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