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diversions
'Smoochy' lives
By Phil Witte
On-line Forty-Niner
Everyone has memories
of sitting in front of the television on Saturday morning,
a bowl of sugary cereal on our laps, the images flickering
before us as we sit in transfixed wonder.
At its best, it taught us to read; at its worst, it gave us
seizures and compelled us to beg our parents to buy us every
single toy from every single commercial we saw.
Danny DeVito's new film, "Death to Smoochy," gives
us a chance to go back to our childhood, and takes us behind
the scenes into the sordid, corrupt world of children's programming.
OK, so it's satire, but at least we get to see one of those
big, goofy, obnoxious hosts in an animal suit take two bullets
in the head. Anyone ever forced to listen to Barney's "I
Love You" song will take particular glee in this movie.
Robin Williams plays Rainbow Randolph, the leading children's
TV show host on Kidnet, to whom television is more about money
than the children. His greed leads him down a dark path that
ends with his arrest (don't think Pee-Wee, it's not that kind
of movie).
To replace Randolph, the executives at Kidnet decide that
he must be replaced by someone who is above reproach.
Enter Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), whose character, Smoochy
the Rhino, is found working in a Coney Island clinic, helping
heroin addicts kick the horse off their backs (don't ask,
just go see it).
Sheldon is idealist of the highest order, and sees a children's
show as a way to teach children about hygiene, self-esteem,
and the wonders of soy dogs wrapped in gluten-free buns.
Very quickly, he is forced to face the harsh reality that
in today's world, children's programming has become a thinly
veiled attempt to sell dolls, cereal and shampoo.
While fighting his own battle with the network, Sheldon must
also do battle with Randolph, who, as he slowly loses his
battle with sanity, tries various ways to knock off Sheldon
and win back his time slot. These include bribing a rhinette,
slipping some interestingly shaped cookies into Smoochy's
pinata, and framing Smoochy as a (wait, just go see it).
Like any true hero on a quest (this is college, we've all
read Joseph Campbell), Smoochy has some helpers and some hinderers
on his journey.
The helpers include Nora (Catherine Keener), the show's producer
in whom Smoochy rekindles the joy of children's TV; Spinner
(Michael Rispoli), a retired boxer whose record (81-49) gives
clues to his mental state; and Spinner's family, which includes
members of the Irish Mafia (like I said, just see it).
The hinderers include Frank Stokes (Jon Stewart), Kidnet's
self-serving programming director; Burke (Danny DeVito), Smoochy's
double-dealing agent; and Merv Green (Harvey Fierstein), the
head of a mysterious children's charity (just see it already).
It is in these supporting characters that "Smoochy"
has its only weaknesses; it's hard to shine when Williams
and Norton are present.
On one extreme, Williams is as over-the-top as they come,
and anyone striving for camp (Stewart and Fierstein) comes
off as a caricature. Stewart, normally excellent, seems to
be playing a haircut.
Anyone striving for normality (DeVito and Keener) simply pales
in comparison to the three-dimensional Sheldon that Norton
creates.
It is the fact that "Smoochy" focuses on the adventures
of Randolph and Sheldon that makes the film so enjoyable.
No matter what the film may say about children's TV, the two
are the embodiment of how good and how bad it can be.
DeVito's direction is superb and the film's polished look
enhances its demented tone. From Smoochy's Magic Garden to
the climax in Maple Leaf Garden (check out the ice), there
is always something eye-catching onscreen.
Williams and Norton both perform their own musical numbers
(watch for a Norton-Keener duet cut from the film on the DVD),
and the creative song lyrics only add to the insanity.
The script by Adam Resnick is the best kind of satire, entirely
believable and completely absurd. The humor is dark and the
tone is set from the opening moments when a silhouetted rhino
takes two gunshots to the head (wish fulfillment for parents
of any Barney fan).
"Smoochy" is perfect for fans of Norton and Williams,
as well as any parent forced to come with a new excuse why
their child can't have a new toy every time a new show debuts
on Saturday morning television.
"Death to Smoochy" is rated R for language and sexual
references.
A-
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Takashi
Seida
Robin Williams, left, and Edward Norton in Warner
Bros. Pictures' satirical comedy "Death to Smoochy."
Danny DeVito, left, and Harvey Fierstein in
a scene from "Death to Smoochy," also starring Catherine
Keener and Jon Stewart.
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