Posted on 10/05/2008 6:08:07 PM PDT by andrew roman
David Zucker’s An American Carol finished at number nine at the box-office in its first weekend of release – somewhat disappointing, I must admit (considering I saw it twice) – but fortunately ahead of Bill Maher’s anti-religion film “Religulous.” The movie took in $3.81 million in sales, just ahead of Maher’s masterwork, which snagged $3.5 million. The film “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” finished in the top spot, pulling in $29 million.
As many weekend filmgoers have already expressed – far more eloquently than I could hope to - “An American Carol” wasn’t the funniest film ever made. To be fair, it would probably be iniquitous and intellectually dishonest to suggest that it was supposed to be. It was, however, remarkably entertaining, very well-done, almost always politically incorrect (thankfully!) and on more than a few occasions, a laugh-out-loud, belly-busting riot.
It had many of the comedic trademarks of other Zucker films, like the Airplane and Naked Gun series’ – sophomoric absurdity, classic slapstick, clever wordplay, downright rudeness. My wife and I laughed hysterically numerous times. However, “An American Carol,” for all its hilarity and schoolyard silliness, possesses a very different and deliberate undertone that infuses every second of the entire film - namely an unmistakable foundation of unabashed patriotism that wraps itself around the viewer and slaps his or her face (a running theme in the movie) in some of its more poignant and reflective moments.
It actually works quite well.
In short, it is the story of anti-American filmmaker Michael Malone (played wonderfully by Kevin Farley, uncannily resembling Michael Moore), spun by an old grandpa (Leslie Nielsen) at a Fourth of July barbecue to a table full of eager kids, to the beat of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” As told by Nielsen, Malone decides that the Fourth of July holiday is a bad thing and should be abolished. At the same time as this, a group of Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan decide they need a top-shelf, professional, anti-American filmmaker to help them create a brand-new, pro-Jihadist recruiting video. Their old training film has clearly lost its effectiveness (one of my favorite segments in the film, by the way) and needs to be replaced. Malone, of course, is the perfect choice.
Malone’s nephew, meanwhile, has enlisted in the United States Navy and is being shipped out to the Persian Gulf the same day that Malone is to lead a huge anti-war rally outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, where a “Support the Troops” music concert is to take place inside.
Madcap hijinx, indeed.
Malone is subsequently visited by ghosts of America’s past - John F. Kennedy (Chriss Anglin), George S. Patton (played stupendously by Kelsey Grammer) and George Washington (a brilliant and all-too short performance by Jon Voigt) – in an attempt to deliver him from his misguided and destructive ways.
Robert Davi, it should be noted, does a tremendous job as the lead terrorist.
In one of the movie’s best sequences, General Patton leads a counter-attack against ACLU lawyers who are invading a courthouse. Patton is assisted by a feisty judge (played by Dennis Hopper), shotguns at the ready. Too funny.
In another, Rosie O Connell (coincidentally enough, a dead ringer for the enchanting Rosie O Donnell) appears with Malone as a guest on Bill O Reilly’s television program. O Connell airs a segment of a documentary that illustrates the dangers of radical Christianity. It is so hysterically funny, it easily could have gone on for another minute or two.
The film, too, has some very powerful moments.
In one particularly moving and affecting segment, George Washington invokes the attacks of September 11, 2001. In another, Malone looks upon a small congregate of America’s fighting men, chronologically depicted, one after another, dating back to the Revolutionary War. It was very touching.
The film’s ending is, admittedly, a bit schmaltzy – but it is effective.
With all of that said, let me point out that the movie is not perfect by any means. There were, indeed, moments when a gag didn’t come off as it could have. Some jokes simply fell flat. As I alluded to earlier, it was not a laugh-a-second, knee-slapping, non-stop, side-splitting yuk-fest.
It didn’t have to be. And I don’t think it was meant to be.
I really did love the film, and it was better than I anticipated ... primarily because it was a bit different than I expected it to be - and I mean that in only the most positive sense.
“An American Carol” is a pro-American comedy (which by definition makes it a unique excursion into the world of modern cinema), filled a host of familiar faces (James Woods, Paris Hilton, Gary Coleman, etc.), that will absolutely bring on the laughs. It is, indeed, a very funny movie.
Don't be surprised, however, if it also makes you cheer boldly and clap resoundingly – as it did for the audiences I attended it with during the “ACLU/Subway” sequence, where after General Patton was asked by Malone if he had a problem with privacy rights, Patton responded, “Yes. When they interfere with my security rights.”
Damn right.
I watched it this evening. 7pm show here in my little town in Missouri. They had it in the largest of the rooms in this cinema, but the turn-out was terrible...there were only 6 people in this 250 seat auditorium.
It was corny humor, as expected, but I enjoyed it. And the message was excellent.
It kind of reminded me of ‘Team America’.
So the weekend receipts don’t include Sunday?
I’ve got you beat..I live in HOLLYWOOD, CA and there’s only one theater within a 30 minute drive. How’s that for conspiracy?
Weekend receipts include Friday, Saturday and estimates of Sunday. It’s the standard method used for all movies when calculating weekend totals.
Andrew Roman
Brooklyn, NY
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would go see it again if my family is interested. I loved the digs against the terrorists, especially the training video.
One of the earliest bits in the film, terrorists in Afghanistan using up the last of their suicide bombers in botched attack was so funny, it competed with some of the best bits from Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” for laugh-out-loud absurdity.
One of my favorite lines:
“Ahmed! What are YOU doing in line performing this infidel ‘voting’ act???”
“Well, I really AM interested in seeing Proposition 12 passed: Marriage should be between a man AND a woman!”
What was said didn’t make it funny. HOW it was said was what made it so funny.
It’s very hard to compete with a Chihuahua. No contest.
Hopefully, next weekend it will do better.
10 miles?!? Not easy?!? I would have to drive almost three hours to see it, I live in a rural area. Consider yourself lucky you can go without having to leave at 10 am and get home after dark....(smile).
We can never complain about Hollywood not making conservative movies ever again. If we refuse to support them they are not going to make them. Disappointing!
Conservatives don’t have BUS loads of RENT A MOB to fill the theaters, like the Left fills their “Protests”
Excuse me but that is exactly what we did for the Passion.
RE: “I live near Stamford CT and the nearest theater that is playing An American Carol is at least 10 miles away. They are not making it easy for us to see it!”
In the San Fernando Valley just north of L.A., the only theaters running An American Carol are those far from my neighborhood, too.
I will go over to Burbank; they claim to be playing it there. I’ll drive over there later this week!!
We spent yesterday afternoon strolling around yard sales in Lake Park with my parents.
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That is generally not possible where I live. Most yard sales start no later than seven AM and are closed by ten at the latest.
Saw it this weekend and I must say I was a little disappointed.
The ones this Saturday ran until about 2:00 p.m. Sale practices are extremely variable. In Tulsa, sales would start Friday afternoon and be open all weekend. Depends how badly you want to sell your gunk, I suppose.
I saw it yesterday. the audience, parents and kids alike, laughed pretty hard through the whole thing, and there were a few truly touching moments in it, mostly involving the noble German Shepherd Dog. It’s not exactly up there with Casablanca or Citizen Kane, but there are much worse ways to spend 95 minutes.
Thanks! Something to remember when it’s out on DVD, then.
Not so good. Maher’s film was only playing in half as many theaters.
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