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Reviews
Galaxy Quest (1999)
A wickedly funny look at the SciFi inner sanctum
Comedies are usually pretty tricky for me. Either I'm laughing my head off and nobody else gets it, or everybody else is laughing and I'm looking for the nearest exit. But Galaxy Quest had everyone in the theater laughing, including my companion--who hates science fiction. It cut across ages and backgrounds with a very simple premise--you are what you believe yourself to be.
As a fifteen year veteran of science fiction conventions, I've seen the phenomenon from both sides of the stage. I've met the get-a-lifers, the just-for-fun guys, and the not-so-rare I'm-only-in-it-for-the profit gang. I've met actors who loved the whole shebang, actors who loathed it, and actors who didn't have a clue what was going on. Fandom is a very big place, with room for all sorts.
And Galaxy Quest got it right--the conventions, the costumes, the geeks, the groupies, even the mocking "mundanes" who attend cons looking for kicks. It took notice of all the science fiction cliches, acknowledged them, and then twisted them to its own comedic purposes.
Galaxy Quest captured not only the silliness of fandom, but the inspiration of it. In the end, the demoralized and cynical actors found strength and meaning in the same characters which stereotyped them. The geeks saved the day. The good guys won. The bad guys provided entertainment to masses of fans. Things blew up. And isn't that what science fiction is all about?
The entire cast was excellent, especially Tim Allen and Alan Rickman doing their best Shatner and Nimoy impersonations. Special credit must go to the four actors who played the naive aliens. Their wide-eyed innocence reminded me of the quality that drew me, and draws children of all ages into the world of science fiction.
This movie didn't rely on vulgarities or overt violence. It didn't need to resort to meanness or cruel jokes, either. While it poked fun at science fiction and its fans, it never resorted to the kind of mockery you see in other films.
Galaxy Quest is a solid, funny movie. Go see it. Take the kids. Go see it twice.
Mumford (1999)
Unexpectedly charming comedy
Mumford may well be a victim of its own marketing campaign. Television ads for this charming, thoughtful picture make it out as a wacky, laugh-a-minute comedy. It's not. Like Kasdan's other works, The Big Chill and Grand Canyon, Mumford is more drama than comedy.
The film focuses on the mundane dramas and tragedies suffered by residents in the small town of Mumford. We learn early on that there are two established psychiatric professionals in town, both being upstaged by a newcomer named (ironically) Dr. Mumford. He's unconventional, charming, and doesn't take life all that seriously.
The stage set, we begin to meet Mumford's patients: a heavy-set man who doesn't even appear in his own frequent sexual fantasies, a shop-a-holic woman trapped in a psychologically abusive marriage, and a young professional woman (Hope Davis) who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome.
As the film progresses, we learn more about these characters, their interrelations, and their quirks. We also learn about Mumford's unconventional entry into the psychiatric profession.
The ending is somewhat predictable, but that isn't the point of the film. Kasdan's strong point is creating brilliant ensemble pieces, developing realistic characters, and identifying common ground amongst different personality extremes. In this, Mumford doesn't fail to deliver.