One Unwelcome Comedy
There is only one sin that a comedy can commit to have it consigned to the deepest pits of cinematic hell—be unfunny. Welcome to Mooseport commits that sin among others in its 90 some odd minutes of stultifying tedium.
The movie starts out well enough. Mooseport, a burg situated just this side of Mayberry, is awaiting the arrival of ex-US president Monroe "Eagle" Cole (Gene Hackman). The only president ever to be divorced while in the White House, Cole is seeking a refuge to plan his lucrative retirement from political life. His retirement is short lived.
The local town fathers ask President Cole to run for mayor. Sensing a public relations coup, he agrees. The only problem is that local plumber Harry "Handy" Harrison (Ray Romano) has also been convinced to run as well. What follows is a dead-on-arrival "comedic" clash between the seasoned politico and the unassuming novice.
The colorful supporting characters that work in Handy's store are annoying and barely sketched. Better are Cole's staff including would-be girlfriend Grace (Marcia Gay Harden) and political strategists played by Rip Torn and Fred Savage.
In both cases, there seems to be plot elements missing. For instance, Handy's decision to run for mayor—which is out of character for the easy-going and risk averse plumber—occurs off-screen, as does the reasoning why Cole's ex-wife Charlotte (Christine Baranski) later agrees to campaign for Handy.
Added to the mix is an annoying romantic triangle involving Handy, Cole and Handy's long-time girlfriend Sally (Maura Tierney), which is resolved with the two rivals playing a game of golf in order to win her.
To be fair, the actors do what they can with the material and Hackman and Harden have a nice chemistry. Romano, however, is terrible, primarily because he has nothing to work with. His Handy is so flat that he appears comatose in some scenes, and, worst of all, he's neither likeable nor sympathetic. The guy is a wet noodle with nothing going for him. Why Sally would even go out with this guy for one date, much less six years, is beyond comprehension.
The fundamental problem, however, is the script by Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society). The plot arc is non-existent, and what should have been a hilarious duel between small town and big time politics is only hinted at in the first debate of the mayoral campaign—Cole, in response to a question about a Stop sign, promises to appoint a blue ribbon panel of experts to look into the matter while Handy solves the problem in a matter of seconds. It would have been fun to see more of this, and really look at not only what it takes to be an effective candidate and leader, but how out of touch our national leaders really are with the issues that are important to people. Instead, we get the spectacle of two men acting like teenagers while the news media hounds them. The election is handled poorly with no sense of excitement or urgency and when the results are revealed, what follows is just painful.
Welcome to Mooseport should be vetoed by all moviegoers except those who truly love Romano or Hackman.
The movie starts out well enough. Mooseport, a burg situated just this side of Mayberry, is awaiting the arrival of ex-US president Monroe "Eagle" Cole (Gene Hackman). The only president ever to be divorced while in the White House, Cole is seeking a refuge to plan his lucrative retirement from political life. His retirement is short lived.
The local town fathers ask President Cole to run for mayor. Sensing a public relations coup, he agrees. The only problem is that local plumber Harry "Handy" Harrison (Ray Romano) has also been convinced to run as well. What follows is a dead-on-arrival "comedic" clash between the seasoned politico and the unassuming novice.
The colorful supporting characters that work in Handy's store are annoying and barely sketched. Better are Cole's staff including would-be girlfriend Grace (Marcia Gay Harden) and political strategists played by Rip Torn and Fred Savage.
In both cases, there seems to be plot elements missing. For instance, Handy's decision to run for mayor—which is out of character for the easy-going and risk averse plumber—occurs off-screen, as does the reasoning why Cole's ex-wife Charlotte (Christine Baranski) later agrees to campaign for Handy.
Added to the mix is an annoying romantic triangle involving Handy, Cole and Handy's long-time girlfriend Sally (Maura Tierney), which is resolved with the two rivals playing a game of golf in order to win her.
To be fair, the actors do what they can with the material and Hackman and Harden have a nice chemistry. Romano, however, is terrible, primarily because he has nothing to work with. His Handy is so flat that he appears comatose in some scenes, and, worst of all, he's neither likeable nor sympathetic. The guy is a wet noodle with nothing going for him. Why Sally would even go out with this guy for one date, much less six years, is beyond comprehension.
The fundamental problem, however, is the script by Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society). The plot arc is non-existent, and what should have been a hilarious duel between small town and big time politics is only hinted at in the first debate of the mayoral campaign—Cole, in response to a question about a Stop sign, promises to appoint a blue ribbon panel of experts to look into the matter while Handy solves the problem in a matter of seconds. It would have been fun to see more of this, and really look at not only what it takes to be an effective candidate and leader, but how out of touch our national leaders really are with the issues that are important to people. Instead, we get the spectacle of two men acting like teenagers while the news media hounds them. The election is handled poorly with no sense of excitement or urgency and when the results are revealed, what follows is just painful.
Welcome to Mooseport should be vetoed by all moviegoers except those who truly love Romano or Hackman.
