jcravens42
This movie isn't at all what I expected. I thought it would be much more predictable, more cartoonish, or childish, like "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World." Certainly there's a lot of slapstick, and a lot of the references and jokes are dated - but, for the most part, this movie stands up to the test of time, and is skewering so much more than the tobacco industry: the self-righteous Joel-Osteen-like preacher, the Tea-Party-like Christopher Mott Society, the product tie-ins to the city's stunt, the resulting media circus, the attempts by the town to make money off their stunt, the anti-capitalist protesters (Occupy Eagle Rock?), the armed militia, the corporate villains afraid of the movement, the new age guru
it's all here, just like now. This a darkly hilarious, searing, indictment of misplaced American values, most of which we're still embracing today. If you are going to watch, keep in mind that this is a very visual movie - most of the laughs, and the satire, come from what you are seeing, not what's being said, so you have to watch (no multi-tasking!). It's also a movie worth watching only on a channel that won't cut any of the very adult language. The almost-silent Pippa Scott almost steals the film, IMO - she's brilliant, as is her character. Second comes Judith Lowry as the gun-toting Odie. There's only one thing I don't like about the movie: Bob Newhart. He's more creepy than funny, which I didn't think was possible (I'm a big fan).
TedMichaelMor
I watched this film several times on television before I finally came to love it. I have come to measure films on their own terms, not necessarily my idealized ones. The movie is extravagantly playful with polemical outbursts and subtle undertone as well. The image of the town doctor with a pacifier is, perhaps, my favourite icon, a simple, silly, but funny one. How being on the cover of a national news magazine trumps realization by the pastor of how shallow the town is a lovely motif. I liked the pastor's desire to serve in Dearborn, Michigan as a desirable goal. I think that Pippa Scott's character defines the reality behind the story. Her pastor's wife is a fine work. Again, this is a movie I did not see when it was first released and would not have seen. That was my loss; for what it is, this is fine entertainment. Tgibbs279 gets this one right on target.
Tom-346
I can't believe that people rated this as the "funniest movie they had ever seen". It was not funny and moved so slowly that we just couldn't make it to the end. That is the biggest benefit of watching movies at home, you have complete control of the off switch.Dick van Dyke was definitely a misfit as a priest. His "goose step" jogging was about his funniest part and I'm not sure that wasn't his natural gait. Bob Newhart also was miscast. I kept waiting for him to be funny, but it didn't happen.If you record this from the "old movie" TV channels, keep your finger on the STOP button. You won't be able to hold out long.
bukster007-1
I can't understand why a film with such big names, both in front of and behind the camera, is not available on DVD. Is there a conspiracy? Does "Big Tobacco" not want anyone to see this? I understand this is a "niche" film, but c'mon, surely there is a small distributor willing to pick up the rights and get this into the hands of the people? Dick Van Dykes name alone should be enough to warrant a release, along with Bob Newhart and Norman Lear. I guess that unless there are some big, firey explosions or gratuitous nudity (not that there's anything wrong with that)then something isn't worthy of a DVD release. This is a well-acted and scripted satire of the culture of smoking and gives great insight into how smoking was treated 35 years ago.
AD
