Not Quite A Fish Called Wanda

FUNNY BONES, starring Jerry Lewis, Oliver Platt, Lee Evans, Leslie Caron; directed by Peter Chelson

by Jennie Ferguson

I went to see this movie with a bit of trepidation; I have never been a big fan of Jerry Lewis. However, I was pleasantly surprised with his performance and others'. They were touching and believable, and the plot twists and surprises kept my interest. Unfortunately, the plot bogs down about two-thirds through the movie, and instead of the expected payoff, the writers left me thinking, "Is that it?"

Set in Las Vegas and Blackpool, England, some of the best parts of this movie are the physical comedy routines. Platt portrays Tommy Fawkes, a struggling comic son of a comedy legend, with honesty and appropriate angst. As the legend, Lewis portrays himself, but is surprisingly subtle and inoffensive. Evans is delightfully macabre as a comic prodigy with a dark side, and Caron is witty and exudes a strange maternal sexuality as his mother.

The character actors and bit players really make this movie. A strange and lovable bunch, they include an attorney hired by Platt to set up auditions and a set of brothers whose job is to mourn around a casket in a haunted house ride on the boardwalk. A truly wonderful scene is the cavalcade of entertainers Platt auditions as he looks for something new and fresh for his comedy act. The Biscuit Box tap dancer was my favorite, and I was not the only one who laughed out loud during the procession of strange and unusual vaudeville-style acts.

Among disappoitments, I felt many elements that should have been explained in the second half were simply never mentioned again. Platt keeps saying, "I'm gonna die" and "I don't have long to live," but we never know why. Props like some mysterious eggs are never fully explained. And just who was that man with Oriental features and a silk kimono cruising around the English seaside tourist town?

I caught myself thinking about A Fish Called Wanda as I watched Funny Bones, which probably set me up for the disappointment I felt at the end. This movie had potential, but a cliché ending and too many loose ends made it only better than average, but not great. I recommend checking it out at a low-priced matinee.