Tadpole

Tadpole is a terrific coming-of-age flick making its way through the arthouse circuit. It's well-worth checking out if it opens anywhere near you.

A no-budget independent shot on digital video that drew some known actors to it with a well-written script, Tadpole is the story of a bright 15-year-old prep school sophomore home for the Thanksgiving weekend, finally ready to express his burning secret love for the gal he's fallen hard for. Turns out this lucky lady is his 40-something stepmother. As if that wasn't complicated enough, he 'accidentally' sleeps with her best friend. This is the stuff of good farce, and that's how it's played, without any dark ramifications or a gritty tone, just a funny love story. Not that the farce is campy or over-the-top, but the drawing room variety - albeit updated to modern day Manhattan.

The cast is wonderful, staring with the lead, played by newcomer Aaron Stanford. His character, Oscar, a well-read introvert, is trying to live by the world of principle & love as described in Voltaire's Candide. Stanford adds some true believability to this starry-eyed dreamer. His best friend from school, played by "The Sopranos" A.J. Robert Iler, doesn't understand why he's so preoccupied with a concept like love without being bothered to even get laid - or at least helping to introduce him to some of the cuter girls from their class. When he gets home we meet his dad, played by John Ritter. He's a College English professor who is well-meaning but a bit oblivious to the specifics of his family dynamic, like how they really feel about anything other than surface 'everything is fine's. And then there's his stepmom, Eve, embodied by the ever-lovely Sigourney Weaver. She's a sensitive scientist specializing in the heart - and yes, such blatant symbolism works like a charm in this flick. She's a total M.I.L.F., how could you blame the kid - especially since she's the best kind, a Step-M.I.L.F. She's beautiful and funny and worldly and everything Oscar has idealized a lover to be.

Before Oscar can somehow seduce his Eve, in steps her best friend, Diane, a sexy chiropractor played by the still somehow underapprecited Bebe Neuwirth. Circumstance and a bit of alcohol throw these two in bed together, and before Oscar can ask where Joe DiMaggio has gone, he's gone and endangered his chances of explaining his burning desire for Eve.

This set up, while convoluted of course, is presented with so much wit and terrific dialogue, you'll be eating it up. The farcical scene in the restaurant with Oscar, Dad, Stepmom and new secret older lover is just hysterical. The entire movie is full of laughs, and the resolution to these various conflicts is amusing and emotiinally true.

I think I'm going to have to go back and see this one again later on during the week. I have to memorize more of that diolague ("Candide said, 'If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him.' He was a funny guy"/"What's the trouble, Tadpole? - sorry. What's the trouble, Stupid?"/"15-40, a ratio you seemt o be quite fond of"/"She's pretty good looking, for her age-group"/"You were mugged?" "Sort of." "What do you mean 'sort of?'" "She was very pleasant about it.") and soak in those perfomances again.

Grade: A-

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Thanks for the heads up in the Reading Tab, Holds.

I completely agree with you on the bit. I haven't seen Tadpole, but I have been a fan of Bebe's since, God, Cheers? I've always enjoyed everything she's done. She's had a lot of good reviews coming off this movie, so that's what sparked my intrest.
It should be coming to our little "cool" theater that shows the lower budget and inde films, I'll be sure to check it out and post some thoughts. Nice write up, Holden.

p.s. Good use of M.I.L.F.

This movie sounds good.

John Ritter alone is worth it. He is an excellent actor, both physical (humor), and cerebral. He is every bit as talented as Robin Williams, perhaps more; he just never got his due props, sadly.

Why the link to Robin Williams? Because they both have televison roots? I'm just curious, and yes...he is good. I adored him in Sling Blade. He's come a long way from Problem Child Yuck. *cringe*

Exactly. I have always compared these two. Think about it. They both come out of nowhere to star in late 70s/early80s sitcoms, featuring outlandish, physically-humored roles. One goes on to huge stardom, the other wallows in the "occasional" role.

Ritter was great in "Sling Blade." Thank goodness Thornton had the decency and intelligence to cast him in such a role. "Problem Child" was merely a job to put food on the table.

When I look at the origins of these two men, Mork and Mindy, and Three's Company-- almost exactly contemporary-- and demanding of the same talents, I wonder why one took right off, and the other squandered. Ritter is an unappreciated gem.

I don't know.
As much as I can't stand some Of Williams' work, he is next to brilliant on most of the roles he takes on.
His first movie, Popeye, was huge. He prooved he could make the transition. After that, it was a string of hits. The World According to Garp, Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets...and on and on, with an occasional flop, Shakes the Clown, Toys...

but...Ritter?

His first movie was like some horrid Made for T.V. song and dance, and he didn't get good recognition, and rightly so, until Noises Off, even then, it was four years until Sling Blade.


I don't think it's a good comparison in terms of talent.

No. You have to look at what Ritter has done, when given the chance. Right off the bat, I liked Jack Tripper over Mork from Ork, because the latter was just too annoying. Ritter had a more demanding role, physically, as well. Even Lucille Ball fawned over John Ritter, and his role in Three's Company. She never did that with Williams and Mork and Mindy.

Sling Blade was great, as was The Other (a pre-Three's Company role). He was great in Heart's Afire (although I never liked the show)....and critically acclaimed.

The negative roles you mentioned were just poor choices on his agent's part, or desperation roles. He is a fine talent.

I never said Williams wasn't talented. I merely am making a case for Ritter, and that he may be as talented as Williams, or even more.

I adore Noises Off. I loved it the first time I saw it and subsequent viewings haven't changed my opinion of it in the least. Ritter was, to put it bluntly, hysterical throughout...and seeing as how the film features a great deal of overlapping dialogue, his performance is that much more impressive.

I like Ritter.

Okay, I'll give you that. Jack Tripper was a great character and Ritter obviously owned the role. Mork from Ork was really annoying. I hardly ever watched that show. Although, I did own a pair of rainbow suspenders.
I don't agree with you there. An actor has a say in what they put their name on. You can't tell me that if you were handed the script for Problem Child, you wouldn't hand it back and say," No thank you." Let alone, he did a sequel. I find it wasn't an agent's fault ever, in the case of a bad movie; it was probably desperation; he wasn't getting offers on the good movies...because he never really "wowed" anyone, and I'm not buying the sad, sob story...if you're good, people will notice. You gotta admit it.

I know, that's why I said it wasn't a good comparison. Ritter isn't even in the same league as Williams, and it has nothing to do with bad luck.

I love John Ritter in Bogdanvich's They All Laughed (just happened to have watched it late last night). And although the movie itself is a disappontment, he's quite good in Blake Edwards' Skin Deep as well. Hero at Large is a decent little slepper with a rock-solid charming performance from him, and although it's very manipulative made-for-TV movie-of-the-week weeper stuff (it's basically Keanu's corny Hardball but much, much better...and made in 1980), Ritter was excellent in "The Comeback Kid".



To try and actually bring this back around to Tadpole, I'm gonna see it again tonight. So nanny-nanny boo-boo.

Brat.

(The John Ritter debate is totally fair game for this thread. I mean, it's all relative...he's in the movie. How long can you talk about a movie that no one else has seen but you?! So quit being such a lame-o. btw- How in the hell do you get so lucky to be able to see all these "hard-to-come-by" movies?! God, you suck.)

I'm not "lucky", nor do I suck (except for the right girl...mmmmmm, yummy), I just live very nearby two large metropolitan areas (Baltimore and D.C.) that actually have a couple good arthouses that show a variety of stuff, and quickly. D.C. usually gets the stuff that first opens in "New York & Los Angeles only" within a couple weeks. Washington is on that second tier of platform release. Baltimore often lags behind D.C. in this regard, getting those same flicks a week or two after D.C. - but in the case of Tadpole specifically, Bal'mer was actually first (unless it played briefly in D.C. and I missed it).

Move out of the sticks if it's that important to you. San Francisco has loads of teriffic venues, get in the car already.


But then again, I'm nutty. I drive up to Manhattan a couple times a year mainly to see a movie I simply can't wait for, or some special revival print I'm drooling to see. I have friends up there too, but I'll take a day trip (around seven hours round trip) just to see a movie or two.

Ladies, do I hear a nickel? C'mon! He'll call you "spank-worthy." Yes! Sold to the old woman in the back for two bits.



Anyhoo, I'm scouring local listings for this flick. If I get a chance, I'll bite...but given past experiences with local theaters, I won't be holding my breath.

A nickel?!? I'm not cheap. I'm easy, but I'm not cheap.

Damn, and I'm SO spank-worthy too.

Anyhoo.....
Maybe I'll drive my sorry ass to the city one time; see if it's worth it. Probably is, for the right movie. Thanks for the motivational speech, Holds.

Were I you, Sades, I wouldn't need to find excuses to get down to Frisco often, but great movies are certainly valid reasons. I think, anyway.

Hey, mark your calender, Sadie: surfing onto The Castro's webpage, I see they're getting Baraka for the first two weeks of September. If you haven't seen that or at least haven't seen it projected on a bug screen, it is SO worth it. You've got plenty of time to plan out the trip, you should make it. I'd go with, but, you know, I'm 3,000 miles away. But if I still lived there....

You have been to The Castro Theatre before, yes?


BTW, if you're really interested, Tadpole is currently playing at The Embarcadero Centre. I used to work less than two blocks from there. You could make Tadpole a double feature with 13 Conversations About One Thing, also playing at The Embarcadero - make a whole day of it. Have dinner at The Stinking Rose, go browsing through City Lights, maybe dancing at Bimbo's 365.

Gah-Damn, I do miss that beautiful berg.


Anybody else need me to plan out an excursion for 'em?


And yes, I did indeed make it down to see Tadpole again last night. Love that movie. Memeorized a bunch more great dialogue. And as always, I am in mad, crazy, outta-control love with Sigourney Weaver. But *SHHHHHHH*, don't tell my P.O., as just typing such things is in violation of the restraining order.

Oh. Pft. I'm there all the time. I have family in San Carlos, Pacifica, and Belmont. Oh yeah...and a gay uncle right-smack in the middle of Mission district.

Sounds lovely. Did you do a review on that one as well? I haven't heard of it, but I'll check it out in a sec.

Yep. I saw Kids there.


You know your way around. Well, big surprise, you did live there, yes? I guess I just imagined you holed-up in the dark and never vertured out past your nose...but that was way back when I thought you were a freak. Ha Ha! How silly of me.

The park, the museums, the "left turn only" streets, the warf, Haight & Ashbury.....*sigh* Only three hours from my front door. If you should ever come back-------*shrugging*

BARAKA is an older flick, Sades, released theatrically back in 1992. It's a documentary of sorts, though with no obvious narrative through-line. It's a mesmerizing visual tour of our planet, a travelogue without narration or historial facts, just the varied and beautiful images that can be found all over this globe. And if you haven't ever seen it before (the movie I mean, not our planet), The Castro would be the perfect setting.

Thanks, Holds. If I make it...I'll let you know.

btw- I watched Sugarland Express. I plan on posting about it later...but I wanted to thank you again, for it.

Great review (as usual) "Holden". Cant say much more.

Highly enertaining and thoughtful this little comedy deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as RUSHMORE.

Well written, insightful observations and stellar performances from all involved. Sigorney Weaver delivers arguably her best performance ever as the Step mum of the gifted Tadpole.

If your fan of eccentric films that amuse, entertain and stimulate with memorable dialogue this is the film for you...

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