HUGH WILSON
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB.
USA, 1999. Forge, Midnight Sun Pictures, New Line Cinema. Story by Bill Kelly, Screenplay by Bill Kelly, Hugh Wilson. Cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine. Produced by Renny Harlin, Hugh Wilson. Music by Steve Dorff. Production Design by Bob Ziembicki. Costume Design by Mark Bridges. Film Editing by Don Brochu.
Brendan Fraser stars as a man raised for thirty-five years in a bomb shelter with his Communist-paranoid parents (Sissy Spacek, Christopher Walken) who mistakenly took an airplane falling on their house to be a nuclear bomb and headed for their underground hideout. Now an adult, Fraser is sent out into the world to find out what he can about the aftermath of the assumed disaster and ends up making new friends (Alicia Silverstone, Dave Foley) and naively succeeding at everything he attempts to do to reintegrate his family back into the world. This is a terrific comedy with asset upon asset to offer: lots of great comedy, gorgeous cinematography, perfect production design that captures the B-movie matinee look of sixties furniture, and to cap it all off, Silverstone in what is probably her wisest and sassiest performance yet. Spacek and Walken are unforgettably funny as the parents, and add much to a film that just bounces along feeling so special and witty the whole way. Great entertainment.
