"MY FELLOW AMERICANS" (1996) Review

"MY FELLOW AMERICANS" (1996) Review

When "MY FELLOW AMERICANS", was first released, I found myself wondering if Jack Lemmon and James Garner had ever co-starred in a movie or television production together. After checking several websites, including the IMDb, I discovered that this 1996 political comedy was the only production in which they worked together. How sad.

Directed by Peter Segal, "MY FELLOW AMERICANS" told the story of two former U.S. Presidents and long time political rivals - Republican Russell Kramer of Ohio and Democratic Matt Douglas of Indiana - who find themselves caught up in a political scandal called "Olympia" that originated with Kramer's former Vice-President, the current President William Haney of Texas and a defense contractor named Charlie Reynolds. The story began with Kramer spending his time writing cookbooks and speaking at various inconsequential functions and Douglas in the middle of writing his memoirs and dealing with a divorce. The Democratic National Committee chairman, Joe Hollis, asked Douglas to investigate "Olympia" in return for consideration as a future presidential candidate. Kramer discovers that Haney and the latter's Chief of Staff, Carl Witnaur, are trying to frame him for the scandal. Reynolds finally contacts Douglas during a book convention at Washington D.C.'s Union Station in order to confess. Unfortunately, he is assassinated by government thugs commanded by NSA agent Colonel Paul Tanner. Both Douglas and Kramer, who was also at the convention, stumble across Reynolds' dead body. Before the pair can confront Kramer about the scandal and Reynolds, they find themselves being targeted by Tanner and the NSA. Kramer and Douglas are forced to put aside their personal animosity and journey to the former's presidential museum in Ohio to find evidence that would exonerate him and place more suspicion on Haney - while keeping a few steps ahead of Tanner's thugs.

"MY FELLOW AMERICANS" is not exactly regarded as one of the best films in either Jack Lemmon and James Garner's filmography. Not by film critics and not by me. I am not claiming that it is a terrible film. But to be honest, "MY FELLOW AMERICANS" was not exactly an exceptional film. There are certain aspects of it that made it a rather silly at times. For me, the worst aspect of the movie was that director Peter Segal and the screenwriters sometimes presented the humor in a "vaudeville" style in which the jokes came out at a pace that struck me as too fast to be appreciated. And the jokes given to some of the supporting cast struck me as a bit lame. Although the movie did establish Douglas' penchant for finding ways to avoid his Secret Service detail (yes . . . former presidents are still guarded by the Secret Service), it never established how Kramer managed to avoid his detail at Union Station before he and Douglas found Charlie Reynolds' dead body.

And yet . . . years after I first saw "MY FELLOW AMERICANS", I still finding it very entertaining. Despite the occasional lame jokes, I still consider it to be a hilarious movie. Not all of the jokes are lame. In fact, a good number of them struck me as rather sharp and funny:

"Oh, yeah, I'm about to share my coffee with the Washington Love Machine. No dice. You could spit in a Petri dish and start a whole new civilization." - Russell Kramer to Matt Douglas

Matt Douglas: A cookbook. He [Kramer] wrote a cookbook. How dare he?
Joanna: Well, you know, when he was President, he did cook for his guests all the time.
Matt Douglas: That's not the point. Did George Washington write a book called "Your Wooden Teeth and You?" Did William Howard Taft write "Thirty Days To A Slimmer Ass?" It's shameful, just shameful.

"Don't do that with the liquor, Russ. It's so... George Bush." - Margaret Kramer to Russell Kramer

Matt Douglas (at the funeral of a former president): You're a whore. Admit it. Admit you're a big whore. Go ahead.
Russell Kramer: Name three women from the District of Columbia that you didn't bang when you were in office - what am I talking about? Name one.
Matt Douglas: Screw you.
Russell Kramer: Blow me.
[Rifles fire]

It was not just the one-liners that made "MY FELLOW AMERICANS" a lot of fun to watch. One, the movie featured a road trip that stretched from North Carolina to Cleveland, Ohio and back to Washington D.C. And I am just a sucker for road trips. And two, this road trip was made by two men who have loathed each other for years and were forced to work together to bring down a corrupt Presidential administration . . . while evading a group of lethal government thugs. Three, the road trip also forced the two men to escape the political bubble of Washington D.C. and become acquainted with the country and the people that populated it. Which means, this movie also featured some good old-fashioned character development. This was especially the case when Kramer and Douglas encountered an illegal immigrant and a marcher/trombonist in a West Virginia Gay Pride parade, who both helped the pair evade Tanner's murderous thugs; and a family that found itself homeless and jobless, thanks to their administration policies and forced to move to a new location for a much-needed job. In fact, the two ex-presidents' encounter with this family provided a better lesson on the futility of American politicians than any political commentator or historian has ever done.

Most of all, "MY FELLOW AMERICANS" benefited from the performances from a first-rate cast. The movie featured some amusing performances from Esther Rolle, who portrayed a White House cook; Wilford Brimley as the DNC's wily chairman; Conchata Farrell as a sardonic truck driver conveying immigrant illegals; a very young Michael Peña as a sweet and charming illegal immigrant who helped the two former Presidents evade the NSA; Tom Everett as the single-minded NSA agent leading the search for the presidential pair; Marg Helgenberger as Douglas' charming and intelligent book editor; Sela Ward as a sharp and witty journalist investigating the Olympia scandal; Bradley Whitford as President Haney's sleazy Chief of Staff; Jack Kehler and Connie Ray as the generous and homeless couple who gave Douglas and Kramer a ride.

There were performances that really caught my attention. One came from Everett McGill, who gave an intense performance as the ruthless NSA agent Colonel Paul Tanner. Lauren Bacall gave a very witty and charming performance as former First Lady Margaret Kramer. Jeff Yagher was both charming and delightful as the gay parade trombonist, whose real identity proved to be even more surprising. And Dan Ackroyd was deliciously sardonic and slick as the corrupt President Haney. But aside from the two leads, the funniest performance came from John Heard, who had me rolling on the floor with laughter as Haney's dimwitted Vice-President Ted Matthews, who had a talent for saying the wrong thing . . . at the wrong time.

But the stars of the movie were our two leads, Jack Lemmon and James Garner. Earlier, I had commented that it was sad that "MY FELLOW AMERICANS" was the only time they had worked together. It was no comment on the movie itself. I had recently learned that Walter Matthau was supposed to be Lemmon's co-star in this film (as he had been in the past). But Matthau was ill at the time and the filmmakers cast James Garner to take his place. And it is sad that the two actors had only worked with each other once for they were not only hilarious together, they managed to form a first-rate screen team. Both actors had been around since the 1950s and it took over forty years for them to do a movie together? What a shame! Lemmon was fabulous as the overly frugal former Republican president Russell Kramer, who fears being left behind and forgotten after his four years in office. Playing yang to Lemmon's yin was James Garner, who gave a delicious performance as the sardonic former Democratic president Matt Douglas, a sharp-tongued ladies' man who spends more time finding ways to evade his Secret Service detail than making a life after his four years in office.

"MY FELLOW AMERICANS" also featured a nice soundtrack that featured a breezy score created by William Ross. The latter also included some very entertaining songs from the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Stevie Wonder and John Mellencamp. However, what I really enjoyed was Julio Macat's colorful photography, which I thought did justice to the movie's North Carolina and Washington D.C. locations.

I would never regard "MY FELLOW AMERICANS" as a cinematic masterpiece, let alone, a comedic one. There were times when the jokes moved too fast, along with the movie's pacing. But I cannot deny that the movie featured some first-rate humor and nail-biting action sequences, thanks to Peter Segal's direction. More importantly, "MY FELLOW AMERICANS" featured some strong characterizations, thanks to the screenwriters and first-rate performances from a cast led by Jack Lemmon and James Garner.

"MY FELLOW AMERICANS" (1996) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from the 1996 political comedy, "MY FELLOW AMERICANS". Directed by Peter Segal, the movie starred Jack Lemmon and James Garner:

"MY FELLOW AMERICANS" (1996) Photo Gallery

"LICENSE TO KILL" (1989) Review

"LICENSE TO KILL" (1989) Review

Most James Bond fans tend to use ”LICENSE TO KILL” as an example of why Timothy Dalton’s tenure as the British agent had failed. Failed? Hmm.
Granted, the Welsh-born actor had only starred in two Bond films, but chances are he would have starred in a third if EON Productions had not found itself mired in some lengthy legal battle that lasted throughout the early 1990s. Although ”LICENSE TO KILL” never made as much money at the U.S. box office as its predecessor, ”THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS”, it proved to be an interesting addition to the Bond franchise.

Now, when I had said that ”LICENSE TO KILL” was interesting, I was not kidding. It turned out to be a rather unusual experience. The movie turned out to be a revenge story that started with the capture of a drug czar named Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi), at the hands of Bond and Felix Leiter (David Hedison), now a DEA agent, on the latter’s wedding day. Unfortunately for Leiter and his new bride (Priscilla Barnes), a fellow DEA agent named Killifer (Everett McGill) helps Sanchez escape . . . an act that leads to Della Leiter’s death and Leiter’s mutilation. Determined the avenge the fates of the Leiters, Bond decides to ignore his new assignment, disobey MI-6 and seek revenge against Sanchez. With the help of former Army pilot/freelance CIA agent Pam Bouvier and Sanchez’s mistress Lupe Lamora, Bond manages to bring down Sanchez’s organization and the drug czar, himself.

Watching this movie made me realize that Timothy Dalton has become the most reserved Bond in the franchise’s history. I could not say that he was the only reserved Bond on film. Hollywood icon David Niven turned out to be the first actor to portray Bond as an introvert in 1967’s ”CASINO ROYALE”. But Dalton became the only introverted Bond for EON Productions. Personally, I have nothing against this. One, I do not believe that the character of James Bond can only be portrayed in one style. Two, I have always believed that any actor who portrays Bond, should do so in the style that suits him. Which is what Dalton had done . . . thankfully.

In fact, Dalton took his angst-filled take on James Bond a step further in this tale about personal vengeance. The emotions that Bond seemed reluctant to openly express are very obvious in Dalton’s intense green eyes (okay, fangirl moment). What can one say about Dalton’s performance? He was excellent, as usual. The man managed to completely capture Ian Fleming’s literary counterpart. Who could forget those moments when Bond stumbled across Della’s dead body spread across the bed? Or his discovery of Leiter’s body . . . and the belief that the latter was dead? Or his anger at M for ordering him to drop any concern regarding the Leiters? By the way the latter scene – filmed at Ernest Hemingway’s Key West home – provided another delicious interaction between Dalton and Robert Brown, proving once again that the two actors had created one of the most interesting Bond/M relationships in the franchise. But most of all, Dalton showed just how dangerous Bond could be in three particular scenes:

-Sending the traitorous Killifer to his death inside Milton Krest’s warehouse
-Threatening Lupe Lamora aboard Krest’s yacht
-Confronting Pam Bouvier about her meeting with one of Sanchez’s minions

Once again, Dalton was lucky enough to find himself with a worthy leading lady. In "LICENSE TO KILL", she came in the form of former model-turned-actress, Carey Lowell (of "LAW AND ORDER" fame)who portrayed CIA contract pilot, Pam Bouvier. Carey portrayed Pam as a tough, no-nonsense and gutsy young woman that manages to save Bond's ass on numerous occasions. I could say that Lowell was great. And she was. I did not even mind an overwrought dramatic scene between her and Dalton, which seemed to be reminscent of an emotional scene from "THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS". But I must admit that one of the problems I had with Pam's character was her tendency to be defensive about her "professionalism". At one point, she seemed to have lost her sense of humor when Bond joked about her crashing Milton Krest's yacht into a pier. Another problem I had turned out to be Pam's schoolgirl infatuation of Bond. Quite frankly, it seemed out of sync with her personality. I had no problems with her falling for the British agent. But her passive attitude in dealing with it - aside from her jealous outburst over Bond's one-night stand with Lupe Lamora - seemed unreal and slightly theatrical.

The other Bond girl in the movie was portrayed by Talisa Soto, another former model-turned actress. She portrayed Lupe Lamora, Franz Sanchez's long-suffering mistress. Watching Lupe endure a beating by Sanchez in the beginning of the movie, one cannot help but wonder why she had even bothered to stay with a man she despised. And then I remembered . . . Lupe's decision to leave Sanchez for another man had set the story in motion in the first place. Judging from her role as the villain's mistress and second female lead, one would assume that Lupe eventually bites the dust. Miraculously, she managed to survive a brief affair with Bond and the vicious Sanchez with a new benefactor at her side by the final reel. Okay. Time to stop dwaddling. What did I really think about Talisa Soto's performance? Well, back in 1988, it seemed obvious that she was not an experienced actress. In fact, "LICENSE TO KILL" marked her second screen appearance. There were moments when Soto managed to deliver her lines in a competent manner. Unfortunately, these moments could not overcome her wooden acting. However, Soto had the good fortune to possess the looks and screen presence to occasionally compensate her lack of talent.

Robert Davi, who had portrayed Latin American drug czar Franz Sanchez, was 34 years old at the time of the movie's production - a good eight to ten years older than Dalton. Yet, the American-born actor managed to create such a charasmatic and menacing character that managed to hold very well against the older Dalton. In fact, Davi had infused his character with a charm and wit that made Sanchez one of the more subtle and effective villains in the Bond franchise. I still found it amazing to watch how Davi transformed Sanchez from an intimidating and menacing villain into a charming man . . . and back again. And he did this with no effort. I can think of two particular scenes that showcased Davi's efforts in portraying the two sides (or should I say the "yin and yang") of Sanchez' personality:

-the drug lord's charm and wit seemed to be in full force during his meeting with the Hong Kong triad leaders;
-on the other hand, Milton Krest's death proved how brutal and ruthless Sanchez could be.

The only problem I had with the character of Franz Sanchez is that he would seemed to be more at home in an episode of MIAMI VICE or the movie version, than he would be in a Bond film. But despite this setback, I must admit that he has become one of my favorite villains, along with the likes of Georgi Koskov, Ari Kristatos, Le Chiffre, Alex Trevaleyn, Emilio Largo and Kamal Khan.

"LICENSE TO KILL" is one movie that seemed to be endlessly filled with supporting character - in fact, more so than any other Bond movie I have ever come across. The following happens to be a list of Franz Sanchez's minions, which is the biggest list of minor villains I have ever come across:

-Heller (Don Stroud)
-Dario (Bencio Del Toro)
-Milton Krest (Anthony Zerbe)
-Professor Joe Butcher (Wayne Newton)
-Ed Killifer (Everett McGill)
-Truman Lodge (Anthony Starke)
-Perez (Alejandro Bracho)
-Braun (Guy De Saint Cyr)

Damn, that is a lot! Both Wayne Newton and Anthony Zerbe seemed wasted in this film. Anthony Starke simply got on my nerves with his yuppie persona. And I barely noticed Alejandro Bracho and Guy De Saint Cyr as Sanchez's nearly silent henchmen. However, I was impressed by Don Stroud's cool performance as the very competent Heller. Although Everett McGill has never been a personal favorite of mine, I must admit that I rather enjoyed his performance as the traitorous Ed Killifer. And future Oscar winner, Bencio Del Toro proved that even at the tender age of 21, he could knew how to make his presence known on the silver screen. Which he did with such panache in both the Barrelhead Club fight sequence and in Dario's final confrontation with Bond and Pam.

Speaking of minor characters, there are . . . the good guys. I have already commented on how impressed I was by Robert Brown's interaction with Dalton featuring Bond and M's confrontation at Hemingway's Key West home. I barely noticed Caroline Bliss as Moneypenny. It was nice to see Desmond Llewellyn as Q in a larger role. But to be honest, his character was as irrevelant to the story as Moneypenny's. David Hedison returned to reprise the role of Felix Leiter. Unlike his smooth and easy-going performance in "LIVE AND LET DIE", Hedison seemed over-the-top in this movie. Unusually loud. Perhaps he needed Roger Moore by his side, instead of the Shakespearian Dalton to keep his performance under control. Priscilla Barnes ("THREE'S COMPANY")? Barely noticed her. I could say the same about Frank McRae (as the doomed Sharkey) and Grand L. Bush as DEA Agent Hawkins. I would like to add that Bush had originally co-starred with Robert Davi a year earlier in the action hit, "DIE HARD". They portrayed Special Agents Johnson and Johnson. Pedro Armendariz Jr. (son of FRWL's Pedro Armendariz) portrayed Isthmus' President Lopez. Hmmmm. I barely noticed him. However, one could not help but notice Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ("NASH BRIDGES" and "PEARL HARBOR") as Hong Kong narcotics Agent Kwang. The man had an intensity that matched both Dalton and Davi. He made full use of his brief presence on the screen.

Despite the prevailing view, I do believe that "LICENSE TO KILL" is a first-class Bond movie that provided plenty of action, locations, humor, drama and excellent acting by Dalton and most of the leading cast members. I feel that it is also one of the grittiest Bond movies in the franchise. Was it the first Bond movie to feature gritty violence? Personally, I do not think so. I can think of at least three or four previous Bond movies that were just as violent, including 1981's "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY". In my opinion, director John Glen and screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson created a pretty damn good story with LTK. But it did have its faults.

However, the movie's main fault - at least for me - seemed to be the story itself. I had no problem with the idea of Bond seeking revenge against the person responsible for the maiming of old buddy Felix Leiter and the murder of the latter's bride. I had a problem with the fact that the person responsible happened to be a drug czar with no real connections to the intelligence community. I had a problem that Maibaum and Wilson decided to change Leiter from a CIA agent to a DEA agent in order to fit their story. "LICENSE TO KILL"'s setting does not really seem to belong in the world of James Bond or any other spy thriller. This story would have been a lot more revelant if Franz Sanchez had been a terrorist or an enemy agent, or if "LICENSE TO KILL" had starred characters similar to Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs of "MIAMI VICE". James Bond battling a drug lord? Were they kidding? It seemed quite obvious that Cubby Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson wanted to exploit the popularity of the NBC television series. Unfortunately, the LTK had been released in the U.S., two months after the "MIAMI VICE" TV series went off the air. Talk about bad timing.

Another problem I had with "LICENSE TO KILL" was the size of the cast. Yes, Bond movies are known to have a "cast of thousands" so to speak. Having a large cast of extras is one thing. Having a large cast of characters allegedly revelant to the story is another. Once again, the problem centered around the Sanchez character. Quite frankly, he had too many minions. I mean . . . eight? Geez! Personally, I could have rid the movie of at least half of them. and finally, I wanted to point out the major action sequence featured in the movie's finale. It seemed quite apparent that the producers wanted to repeat the success of the lengthy action sequence featured in "THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS". I do not think that it quite worked in LTK. Quite frankly, I found the action sequence leading up to Sanchez's death to be over-the-top. It was simply too much. Even worse, it lacked the stylish direction of TLD's action sequence. As for the movie's theme song, performed by Gladys Knight . . . all I can say is "meh". I have heard better. Thankfully, I can say that I would never consider the song to be amongst the worst in the franchise.

But you know what? Despite the ridiculously large cast and a story that could have easily been a three-part episode of "MIAMI VICE", I still like "LICENSE TO KILL" very much. I feel that it was an entertaining, yet interesting story with a first-rate acting from Dalton and most of the cast. And I feel that John Glen did a pretty good job, despite the overbearing action sequence in the finale.

Memorable Lines

Bond: This is no place for you, Q. Go home.
Q: Oh, don't be an idiot, 007. I know exactly what you're up to, and quite frankly, you're going to need my help. Remember, if it hadn't been for Q Branch, you'd have been dead long ago. [Opens case] Everything for a man on holiday. Explosive alarm clock - guaranteed never to wake up anyone who uses it. Dentonite toothpaste - to be used sparingly, the latest in plastic explosive...

President Lopez: There has been a mistake with my cheque. Look at it! It's *half* the usual amount.
Sanchez: You were very quiet when I was arrested. Remember, you're only president... for life.
[El Presidente take the cheque and leaves]

[Killifer is dangling on a rope over shark-infested water]
Killifer: There's $2 million in that suitcase. I'll split it with you.
Bond: [menacingly] You earned it. You keep it . . . Old Buddy!
[Throws the case at Killifer, knocking him into the water]
Sharkey: God, what a terrible waste. [Bond gives him a look] Of money.

Della: Oh, James, would you mind? Felix is still in the study and we've got to cut this cake.
Bond: I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.

M: This private vendetta of yours could easily compromise Her Majesty's
government. You have an assignment, and I expect you to carry it out
objectively and professionally.
Bond: Then you have my resignation, sir.
M: We're not a country club, 007! [pause] Effective immediately,
your licence to kill is revoked, and I require you to hand over your
weapon. Now. I need hardly remind you that you're still bound by
the Official Secrets Act.
Bond: I guess it's, uh... a farewell to arms.

Bond: In my business you prepare for the unexpected.
Sanchez: And what business is that?
Bond: I help people with problems.
Sanchez: Problem solver.
Bond: More of a problem eliminator.

Sanchez: In this business, there's a lot of cash. And a lot of people with their hands out.
Kwang: In a word... bribery.
Sanchez: Exactly. He took the words right out of my pocket.

[Sanchez has just blown up Milton Krest in a decompression chamber full of money, splattering blood all over it]
Perez: What about the money, patron?
Sanchez: Launder it.

Truman-Lodge: Brilliant! Well done, Franz! Another eighty-million dollar write-off!
Sanchez: Then I guess it's time to start cutting overhead.
[Shoots him]

Leiter: See you in hell!
Sanchez: No, no. Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Leiter: [to Bond] Hey, observer! You trying to get yourself killed?
Bond: If I don't get you back in time for the wedding, I'm a dead man for sure!

“When it gets up to your ankles, you're going to beg to tell me everything. When it gets up to your knees, you'll kiss my ass to kill you.” – Sanchez

Bond: [Pam kisses Bond] Why don't you wait until you're asked?
Pam: Why don't you ask me?
[kisses Bond again]

Leiter: Where's my wife?
Dario: Don't worry. We gave her a nice Honeymooooon.

Della Leiter: Did I say something wrong?
Felix Leiter: He was married once. But it was a long time ago.

“Out of Gas. I haven't heard that one in a long time.” – Pam Bouvier

“Drug dealers of the world, unite!” – Sanchez

Q: Look, don't judge him too harshly, my dear. Field operatives often
use...every means at their disposal to achieve their objectives.
Pam: Bullshit!

Pam: Well, what are you waiting for? Get in!
Bond: Yes, sir.


7/10

"LICENSE TO KILL" (1989) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the 1989 James Bond movie, "LICENSE TO KILL". Directed by John Glen, the movie starred Timothy Dalton as James Bond 007:




"LICENSE TO KILL" (1989) Photo Gallery