Mr. Deeds Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)June 26th, 2002
MR. DEEDS
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When media mogul Preston Blake (Harve Presnell, "The Family Man") dies, his top corporate office Chuck Cedar (Peter Gallagher, "American Beauty") schemes with less conniving crony Anderson (Erick Avari, "Planet of the Apes") to quickly divest Blake's heir of his controlling $40 billion stock shares. Mandrake Falls, NH's pizzeria owner, Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler), who never knew about his billionaire uncle, is about to receive an eye-opening look at the reality of the world outside of his sweet small town in "Mr. Deeds."
The Sandler team which last delivered the execrable "Little Nicky" attempt to recapture the sweet Sandler of "The Wedding Singer" by remaking Frank Capra's 1936 Gary Cooper comedy, "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town" and succeed to varying degrees. The film does have three major drawbacks, but I'll get to those later.
Writer Tim Herlihy updates the classic by making the poetry writing Deeds an aspiring greeting card author, but maintains the basic outline of the original film. Once in NYC, Deeds is appreciative of the chutzpah shown by a tabloid photographer, who gets his shot then leaps off a rooftop with hang gliding equipment. But the media will harass and abuse him, particularly in the form of Babe Bennett (Winona Ryder, "Autumn in New York"), an "Inside Access" producer who poses as a school nurse from 'Winchestertonfieldville' Iowa to capture Deeds' heart while broadcasting her questionably obtained footage of his mishaps and misrepresented heroics around the city.
Sandler is engaging as Deeds, exuding the warmth, if less vulnerability, of his wedding singer. The man's comfortable in his skin, enjoys performing (doing a fun cover of Bowie's "Major Tom") and has comic timing. He generously
lets supporting star John Turturro, as Deeds' Spanish butler Emilio, steal every scene he's in. Turturro is fabulously funny and over the top as a 'very sneaky' butler who excels in the art of impossible disappearing/reappearing acts. Gallagher does a full on corporate sleaze offset by Avari's comic appreciation of the small town boy. Sandler regular Allen Covert gets knocked around as a hapless media producer and Jared Harris is Gallagher's media equivalent as Babe's boss. Rob Schneider makes his token
appearance to catch a cat flung from a burning building, but does not utter his hitherto signature line ('You can do it'). Tennis star John McEnroe is awkward but good natured in an extended cameo while the Reverend Al Sharpton is a rhyming natural as himself.
The small town folk are also well represented. Conchata Ferrell is the maternal presence of Deeds Pizza and Peter Dante is the dumber than dirt low-brow comic relief. Customers include Steve Buscemi doing a Marty Feldman impersonation as Crazy Eyes, who is delighted by custom pizzas topped with oreos and jelly beans.
The production is professionally acquitted with NYC spaces lush and grand while Milford Connecticut's ready made small town look stands in for Sandler's home state.
The romantic comedy is only firing on half its cylinders, though, as Winona Ryder is badly miscast and flounders miserably. As enjoyable as Sandler
is in this film, he can't generate any chemistry with the actress. Ryder plays Bennett like Pepe le Pew's feline love interest. Secondly, although Cooper threw a few punches at NYC snobs, the excessive cartoon violence in the remake is wildly out of balance with its otherwise sweet tone. Thirdly, two overdubs referring to the 'honor' of being in NY and working with their firemen are obvious and leave the odor of pandering.
On the whole, though, "Mr. Deeds" delivers more laughs than groans. Sandler fans (and I count myself among them) should be delighted.
B-
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