Posted by BChrist at c-24-126-232-217.we.client2.attbi.com on January 01, 2003 at 09:45:40:
IMHO, the movie was worth watching. Beware of major spoilage.
Sam Rockwell .... Chuck Barris
Linda Tomassone .... Monica
Drew Barrymore .... Penny
George Clooney .... CIA Agent Jim Byrd
Julia Roberts .... Patricia Watson
Rutger Hauer .... Keeler
Five things can sum up the movie...
1) "Strawberry-Dick" Barris
2) "I know which hand you jerk off with..."
3) "My mother was Welsh, my dad was Hungarian. Guess that makes me Well Hung."
4) "Keep the microfilm in."
5) The Old Game.
There are also great cameos by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon during the Dating Game years. One episode, played out in the movie, has them as bachelors. The lady asking the questions overlooks them and chooses the third bachelor. Still funnier is their outfits, has that 60's-70's look with big collars, wigs and stuff. Calling on old freidnships from Ocean's Eleven.
As for performances, Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts put on great faces. Rutger Hauer's sceen time is somewhat limited. George Clooney does fine as the CIA agent. Sam Rockwell, as Barris, does put on a credible performance. As a first time director, to his credit, Clooney has more camera moves than the enitre View Askew film library.
The movie begins with Barris writing his book. What follows are significant moments in his life being played out.
1940's flashback has Barris as a young kid, looking to get action from any woman who was willing. One memorable scene has him in a theater with a ladyfriend, meanwhile everyone else but them are engaged in long, slow kissing poses.
1950's and 1960's flashbacks focus mainly around the Dating Game, with a little Newlywed Game. The movie shows some great censored outtakes from the original pilots. The frank nature of the shows becomes an issue, but eventually goes away with good ratings. Chuck starts to experience success. He also is recruited into the CIA. As part of the job, Dating Game couples would be fixed up to go places where Chuck conducted "business." See couples in France, West Berlin, and the like. Drew, Julia, and Sam engage in a love triangle which comes back to haunt Sam later on. Drew and Sam are one couple while he's a TV producer, meanwhile, Julia and Sam are another as CIA agents.
1970's is all Gong Show. All the old Barris outfits come back. Towards the end of the movie, his CIA persona becomes intermixed with his private life. It tears him apart to a certain degree, but there was still work to do. There was a mole in his CIA outfit. Rutger, George both die because of the mole. Sam eventually finds the mole, Julia Roberts, whom he has been sleeping with. Great scene where Julia attempts to poison Sam. But Sam turns the tables on Julia.
The final beats of the movie has Sam marrying Drew then living out the remainder of his life.