By: debbie lynn elias
It has long been said that laughter is the best medicine for what ails you. Well, given the state of affairs in our world and country today, looks like we can all use a healthy dose. Best known for creating side-splitting laughter in films like “Airplane” and the “The Naked Gun” and “Scary Movie” franchises, we can always count on writer-director David Zucker to pop up at the most opportune time to deliver his own patented brand of self-deprecating, raucous, ribald, riotous slapstick-infused parodies of the good, the bad and the disastrous and AN AMERICAN CAROL is no different. Wielding wit and sarcasm with rapier precision, Zucker goes straight for the funny bone as he goes to far, far – okay, far – extremes showcasing t he right and left political ideologies, issues, ignorance and head-in-the-sand stupidity in America today (from both sides) with unbridled non-partisan enthusiasm and uproarious aplomb and equanimity. Come on folks! How can one not laugh at a Michael Moore look-a-like filmmaker being lectured to and inspired by the very real looking ghosts of JFK and General Patton while in a port-a-potty!
Michael Malone is an overweight, face stuffing junk food junkie, slovenly, baseball-cap-wearing documentary filmmaker (bearing more than a striking resemblence to Michael Moore) who is so far reaching left of center in his beliefs it’s a wonder his rotator cuff hasn’t rotated off his shoulder or his arm hasn’t turned into an over-stretched claymation rubber band. His films are the stuff that nightmares are made of – both in America and abroad. And while his latest work, “Die, You American Pig” may garner him consolation prizes at non-televised portions of awards ceremonies, it will definitely never hit the American mainstream or make big box office. But, Malone loves America. Loves it so much, in fact, that he wants to eliminate the Fourth of July because of its war mongering mercenary values.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Middle East, a few Taliban terrorists are a bit disgruntled at how their own work is going. A new plan of attack on the infidels (aka America) is need ed but all the best suicide bombers are gone and terrorist recruitment is at an all times low; perhaps due to some rather infantile 1950’s U.S. Army-style recruitment commercials airing on local low-budget Taliban cable channels. Their solution – bring in a big American director to do some new commercials. Of course, who can they possibly get? Spielberg and Scorsese are tied up. But then there’s always Michael Malone. And they have a $10 million budget. But, as an added perk, the Fourth of July is looming in America with Malone leading an anti-Fourth rally on one end of New York City and a concert to support the troops headlined by Trace Adkins at Madison Square Gardens on the other. Hmmm. Can the terrorists kill two birds with one Malone – er, stone?
But a strange thing happens on the way to the Fourth of July. In a Dickensonian twist, Malone is visited by the ghost of JFK, his hero, who warns him that he must change his wanton extremist ways lest pay the ultimate price. And of course to help him in his little soul searching expedition are General George Patton, General George Washington and one sexy Angel of Death. Led by his spiritual guides, Malone travels through time and is given the chance to see just what the American people have endured, what they have suffered, how things might have changed had different paths been chosen (such as Malone being a plantation owner with slaves picking cotton20in the front yard had there been no Civil War) and what America stands for today. But beware, this is not your typical history lesson and you never know just who might pop in as a guest lecturer – in the past or present! Even Bill O’Reilly gets in on the act!
Kevin Farley is sterling as filmmaker Malone. A dead ringer for not only his brother, Chris, but his parodied target, Michael Moore, Farley goes for broke, garnering laughs at every turn. Not a one note performance, much like some of the best “Scrooges”, Farley injects visible emotion into his comedic persona that is actually heartwarming.
Kelsey Grammer is the comical embodiment of old blood and guts General Patton himself. With rigorous military precision, Grammer’s performance is fearless and unwavering in its convictions and beliefs on military strength and necessity but fearful and frustrated over the inability to knock some perspective into Farley’s Malone. (Not conversion – perspective.) I could watch Grammer’s patented wry, sardonic wit for hours – and particularly when Patton meets up with Jon Voight’s George Washington or Dennis Hopper’s presiding judge at a trial involving constitutional issues and some zombie ACLU attorneys. Voight is beyond impressive as Washington with kudos to the make-up department. In make-up and costume, one would be hard pressed to di stinguish Voight from the real Washington were they standing next to each other.
For sure fire hilarity look no further than Geoffrey Arend and Robert Davi as Mohammed and his fearless Taliban terrorist boss, Aziz. Arend is always a delight and here no different. But pair him up with Davi as a serio-comic foil and the results are magical. Country superstar Trace Adkins has a dual role as himself and the Angel of Death and all I can say is, when the Angel comes calling for me, I hope it looks like Adkins.
Parodied cameos abound with David Alan Grier as Malone’s slave Rastus, Vicki Browne as one “Rosie O’Connell”, Gary Coleman as “whatchu talkin’ about” Bacon Stains Malone, James Woods as Malone’s agent, Christopher MacDonald at his Gil Grissom best as a lab supervisor, John O’Hurley, Paris Hilton, Mary Hart and Gail O’Grady as the organizer for the Cancel the Fourth of July rally, just to name a few.
But the real casting gem here is Chriss Anglin as JFK. From JFK’s inaugural address to appearance, accent and demeanor, Anglin is mesmerizing. Given his superb performance, I find it difficult to believe that this is his first feature role. Often told “I looked like ‘a Kennedy’” and that “the opportunity of playing an icon like JF K would be a great experience” he jumped at the chance to work with Zucker . “ The prospect of playing JFK was a little scary at first, so I immediately starting doing research on him. In my first meeting with David, he told me JFK was not to be a parody. He wanted me to be as close to the real thing as possible. So, I started reading biographies, and all of his major speeches to try to get a feel for who he really was. I also watched everything I could find on Youtube to hear his speech patterns and get his mannerisms down as best as possible. David also had me work with Robert Easton who is probably the greatest voice coach ever to refine the accent.” Anglin is proof that character research and hard work do pay off in the ultimate performance. I would actually place him up there close to the caliber of Martin Sheen’s JFK. With a commanding and confident presence, Anglin just nails it. Definitely a leading man on the horizon, I look forward to seeing much more from him in films to come.
Of course what would a Zucker parody be without Leslie Nielson and thankfully, he doesn’t disappoint us as Nielson sets the tone and pacing as he regales the tale of the “Fourth of July that Almost Wasn’t” to his grandkids at a Fourth of July celebration in the future. As always, Nielson brings a waggish eccentricity to the character that is amusing and entertaining.
Directed by Zucker and co-written with Myrna Sokoloff and Lewis Friedman, no stone is left unturned and everyone and everything is fair game which explains the extremist satirization of Michael Moore. From education and hippie teachers indoctrinating our kids, suicide bombers, the ACLU (which is funny, funny, funny), Hitler and Mussolini, the Taliban, and even a nuked Detroit, Zucker goes where no man has dared go before in Hollywood – skewering the liberal left. However, he does so by also skewering the conservative right, giving us the ying and the yang, an aspect I think many may miss. I agree with Anglin’s take on the film. “ This is really funny, but it’s also got a really serious message”. I was surprised how well the humor was balanced by the message. . . that there are a lot of very good things about America and sometimes it’s necessary to fight for what’s right even when fighting isn’t the popular thing to do. I also think the movie is a real homage to our troops. Not just the ones fighting now, but all those who have fought down through the ages for the way of life we enjoy today.” But at the end of the day, the film still permeates funny.
Recognizable as standard Zucker fare with nonsensical slapstick, sight gags and zany hilarity, AN AMERICAN CAROL is still surprisingly tasteful in its humor, going full speed ahead with breakneck pacing, o nly stopping long enough to catch its breathe anytime JFK appears or when dialogue addresses the sacrifices of our soldiers throughout history. In those moments, as with a respectful sobering sequence addressing 9-11, the tone is full of pride, a feeling echoed by Chriss Anglin of what he came away with from the film.
It often takes mockery and even silliness to make one see the best and worst of a situation or themselves or just have to have some fun and it always seems to be funnier when done on film and by David Zucker. So join the chorus of AN AMERICAN CAROL. You’ll laugh like your life depends on it!
Kein Farley – Michael Malone
Kelsey Grammer – George S. Patton
Jon Voight – George Washington
Chriss Anglin – John F. Kennedy
Directed by David Zucker. Written by Zucker, Myrna Sokoloff and Lewis Friedman. Rated PG-13.
