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tells us we deserve better. |
Mark and I went out to see Hancock last night. We were really looking forward to this one: July 4th weekend opening, Will Smith, superhero antics and alcoholism. It was slated to have everything!
And the first half of the movie delivered on its blockbuster promises. Will Smith was delightfully hilarious in his drunken belligerence and blaming. Like a good active addict, he destroyed everything he touched. Jason Bateman as Ray Embrey, Hancock's PR man, was the movie's codependent, out to fix him right. It was actually a refreshing twist to see a codependent role played out by a male buddy character rather than a female love interest.
Hancock, at Ray's insistence, starts attending meetings for alcoholism. I appreciated the fact that these meetings involved less crosstalk and less of an active leader role than the typical Hollywood screen versions of 12 Step, most of which employ these inaccuracies as narrative devices. (I'll have to do a separate post sometime on Hollywood 12 Step.) And Hancock reminded me of myself in early S-Anon meetings: saying nothing and listening grudgingly, although I liked his first share better than mine.
Yep, the first half of the movie had it all. There was action. There were laughs. There were 12 Step meetings and redemption. Then, it seemed to Mark and me, the writer died right there in the middle of the script. It was like that scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where Brother Maynard reads the last words of Joseph of Arimathea carved on a cave wall: "He who is valiant, and pure of spirit, may find the Holy Grail, in the Castle of... Aaaaaagggh." He speculates that Joseph died while carving and Galahad chimes in (in one of the movies many great lines), "Perhaps he was dictating."
It truly seemed as if someone new took over in the middle and wrote a completely different story, one which made no sense. It wasn't funny or dramatic or gripping. It was just jaw droppingly nonsensical. You'll notice, as I did, after you see the movie that every single scene from the trailer is one that takes place in the first (good) half of the movie.
So, here's my recommendation to you on Hancock. Go and see it. And when you are about halfway in, there will be a scene where Hancock puts on his new superhero outfit and is called in to rescue a female police officer. (I'm not giving anything away here; this is all in the trailer.) At the end of that scene, get up and walk out. You will have seen a complete story, from down and out bitterness to redemption. You will have seen everything funny and worthwhile and exciting in the movie. You will leave happy and feel it was money well spent, even if the movie was on the short side. You won't sit there for the rest of the movie wishing he were doing anger management classes with the villains (oh, that would have been delightful and funny) instead of "fighting" them, such as they are. You won't leave thinking, "What the hell was that about? And I wonder how that first writer died."
And for those of you girls and boys who enjoy ogling Will Smith's firm and well-formed behind, allow me to alert you to the fact that, like I Robot before it, Hancock did contain one gratuitous Will Smith bare butt cheek shot. It even came conveniently packaged with the line "my ass was hot," which allowed you to giggle and say, "Yes. Yes it was." And as with all good things in this movie, the scene even came in the movie's glorious first half, so you won't miss it if take my advice and walk out halfway through the show.
The Discovering Alcoholic has his review of Hancock up too, if you want to check it out.
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