By: debbie lynn elias
I used to be a Martin Short fan. He was always entertaining, cutting edge, funny to the point of tears-streaming-down-your-face-rolling-in-the aisles (as the inimitable Franck in the “Father of the Bride” films) and sincerely likeable, especially in two of my favorite performances – as Frick in “Merlin” and Rodney in “Prince Charming.” Notice I used the word “was.” Unfortunately, with his latest incarnation as Jiminy Glick, Short has gone too far with too little and ended up with too little too late.
With only a 60 page outline and no script, Short and his film cohorts Jan Hooks and John Michael Higgins embarked on what turned out to be an improvisational nightmare now called “Jiminy Glick in La La Wood.” You may know Jiminy Glick – Short’s overweight, babbling, celebrity interviewer who made his debut as a character on “The Martin Short Show” and then landed his own show on Comedy Central and now, for some inexplicable reason, hits the big screen. The small screen is where the big Glick should have stayed. Our story follows Glick and his less than Miss Manners-perfect family (okay, let’s call them like they are – disgusting) as they travel to the Toronto Film Festival where Glick covers the event for his hometown of Butte, Montana. In his own inimitable way, Glick falls asleep during a screening and not wanting to make a bad impression, gives a rave review of the sleep inducing work, prompting the film’s superstar lead to grant Glick an exclusive one-on-one interview. And for a guy like Glick, you know there’s got to be a reason he’s getting the scoop when no one else is. Give you three guesses and the first two don’t count. Yeah, the film stinks. Nevertheless, the interview makes Glick a superstar at the festival with everyone from Steve Martin to Kurt Russell wanting to be interviewed by Glick. (And for those of you film buffs and Kurt Russell fans, the chemistry between Short and Russell that was so prevalent in “Captain Ron” is still there and one of the most ! enjoyable parts of “Glick.”) Although its use has become an overused tool, here, the cameo interviewee appearances are the highlight of the film. Adding a little mix to the mess is Short’s portrayal of David Lynch who serves as manager of the hotel in which the Glick family is staying, giving rise to some not-so-funny material and a what-in-the-world-is-that-doing-there murder mystery in which Glick is involved.
Martin Short starts out doing an admirable job of playing Glick but then quickly fades, seemingly in over his head, and then becomes more than annoying with his David Lynch impersonation. One of Short’s gifts is not only his ability to impersonate and/or create characters but to take well known personalities and while doing dead on mimicry, still give it his own personal spin, and make the character larger than life and with interesting or clever things to do in the story. Here, although he nails Lynch’s quirkiness, that’s where the character ends, falling flat and leaving the viewer with nothing but a “huh” and “what the heck was that” sensibility. Jan Hooks, on the other hand, is a hoot as Dixie Glick but its supporting cast members, Elizabeth Perkins, Linda Cardellini and especially, Janeane Garofalo, that provide substance and skill with their roles – especially Garofalo with her own patented brand of pathos. And of course, the cameo appearances reads like a Who! ’s Who of Hollywood – Whoopi Goldberg, Keifer Sutherland, Steve Martin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Kline, Rob Lowe, Sharon Stone, Susan Sarandon, Kurt Russell, Forest Whitaker – and the list goes on. Sadly, hasn’t Short heard of something as being “too much.” I’m all for cameos, but enough is enough!
“Written” by Short together with long time writing partner Paul Flaherty, the improvisational format falls far short of the caliber of their other collaborations. With unnecessary sub-plots, inconsistency and obvious lack of focus, the storyline and improvisational screenplay cry for some serious script doctoring. (Where’s Carrie Fisher when you need her?) Unfortunately, director Vadim Jean then fails to add any interest or cohesiveness from his end, leaving the audience in their own “la la land” wondering why they wasted $10.00 on the price of admission.
Jiminy Glick will be floundering in his own flab after this one.
Jiminy Glick: Martin Short Dixie Glick: Jan Hooks Dee Dee: Janeane Garofalo
Written by Martin Short and Paul Flaherty. Directed by Vadim Jean. Rated R. (90 min)
