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Dummy
2003
Steven Schoichet is browbeaten at every turn, by his family, his dead-end job, the faceless suburb where he still lives at home. That is until he decides to make a change: Ventriloquism--hey, a dream's a dream. His family barely pays him enough attention to even dismiss the idea--his mother is only concerned that he eat .. Read more
| Starring | Adrien Brody, Illeana Douglas, Milla Jovovich, Vera Farmiga |
|---|---|
| Director | Greg Pritikin |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Dummy
Steven Schoichet is browbeaten at every turn, by his family, his dead-end job, the faceless suburb where he still lives at home. That is until he decides to make a change: Ventriloquism--hey, a dream's a dream. His family barely pays him enough attention to even dismiss the idea--his mother is only concerned that he eat something, and his father only thinks of his model ships. Steven's sister recently broke off her engagement to an unstable accountant, which makes her career as a wedding planner an emotional minefield. His only supporter is neighbor Fangora--aka Fanny--a suburban punker who has her own aspirations to stardom. After Steven loses his job, things actually start to turn around. He falls for his counselor at the unemployment office, and through the best efforts of Steven and the little friend on his knee, good things start to happen for everyone around him. A restraining order leads to new love, a rock band learns Yiddish, and everything clicks into place at somebody else's wedding.
| Starring | Adrien Brody, Illeana Douglas, Milla Jovovich, Vera Farmiga, Jessica Walter |
|---|---|
| Director | Greg Pritikin |
| Studio | ILC PRIME |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 41 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 23 Feb 2004 Production year: 2003 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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This potentially poor taste comedy confirmed Adrien Brody as an edgy actor who is willing to tackle unconventional projects. But good though he is as a slow-witted New Jerseyite who takes up ventriloquism to try to conquer his painful reticence, his efforts are restricted by director Greg Pritikin's screenplay, which lurches between quirky Jewish humour and cloying sentimentality. A subplot involving Brody's sister (Ileana Douglas) and her stalking ex (Jared Harris) is the worst miscalculation, though Milla Jovovich goes some way to redeeming the situation with her energetic turn as a punk who's longing to be accepted and charmingly behind the times. Brody's next project, Roman Polanski's The Pianist, earned him the best actor Oscar.
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Most helpful member's review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Surprise
I was surprised with this film, selecting it only on minimal info. The characters were all identifiable and warm, only in one or two instances close to caricature, but all 'real'. It is a movie that has many intelligent laugh out loud moments and shows what can be achieved by a confident director, an all round first rate cast and a razor sharp script. Wonderful, slightly off-centre entertainment.
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Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Surprise
I was surprised with this film, selecting it only on minimal info. The characters were all identifiable and warm, only in one or two instances close to caricature, but all 'real'. It is a movie that has many intelligent laugh out loud moments and shows what can be achieved by a confident director, an all round first rate cast and a razor sharp script. Wonderful, slightly off-centre entertainment.
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Dummy
Steven Schoichet is browbeaten at every turn, by his family, his dead-end job, the faceless suburb where he still lives at home. That is until he decides to make a change: Ventriloquism--hey, a dream's a dream. His family barely pays him enough attention to even dismiss the idea--his mother is only ...
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