FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 2000. All Rights Reserved

Film by Richard Zywotkiewicz Drowning Mona starring Bette Midler, Danny DeVito and Neve Campbell directed by Nick Gomez Now playing, check listings No one can accuse Drowning Mona’s producers of trying to make the great American comedy masterpiece. It’s a shame in a way, because the premise and the overall feel of the story is reminiscent of Stephen Leacock’s Sunshine Sketches, American style. Bette Midler plays Mona, a loud-mouthed cow hated by everyone in town. One day, while borrowing her son's car, the brakes fail and Mona is flung to her death into deep water. Danny DeVito is the town sheriff and he makes a serious attemtp to solve the case – it’s obvious the brakes on the car were rigged, but the problem is, everyone had a motive to knock off the wench. The situation is complicated by DeVito’s daughter’s (Neve Campbell) impending wedding to the prime suspect (Casey Affleck). Throw into the mix Mona’s two-timing husband and a son whose only loyalties lie with the brewski in his hand, and you have a woman who’s got no allies. This is a film that starts off very slowly, which is the first mistake. Most of the gags are no more than chuckle bait and the real laughs don’t come until near the end. It is a darn good cast and they’re all having fun with the material, with the exception of Campbell, who plays her role too seriously. Director Nick Gomez, who’s done a few no-namers before this, just doesn’t have the magic touch. He’s certainly a competent director, but the script by first-timer Peter L. Steinfeld isn’t good enough to carry the film. So what could have been a quirky sleeper hit like There’s Something About Mary, basically treads water for 90 minutes, then sinks.

| Back To This Issue Table of Contents | Back To Main Index |