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The Favor
Released during a very good year for movies, 1994's The Favor is a silly sex comedy featuring unappealing characters doing stupid things and thanks to lead-footed direction, the film seems twice as long as it really is.
Kathy is a happily married housewife and mother of two daughters residing in Portland who, for some reason, can't stop fantasizing about her high school boyfriend, Tom, who now resides in Denver. When Kathy's best friend, Emily, has to go to Denver on business, she begs Emily to look Tom up but realizes she can't put her fantasies to rest unless Emily actually sleeps with Tom. Emily returns from Denver and informs Kathy that her one night stand with Tom was the best sex she ever had and now wants to dump her current boyfriend, Elliott. Things get even messier when Kathy comes on to Elliott to get back at Emily and Emily turns up pregnant.
Even though this film was released in 1994, it was actually filmed in 1990 and shelved, like the Jessica Lange drama Blue Sky because of the financial troubles at Orion Studios. Unfortunately, this film isn't nearly as good as Blue Sky and the blame must go partially to a ridiculous story centered around a really unappealing central character whose behavior in this film redefines questionable. This woman Kathy has been married for years and still having fantasies about a high school boyfriend? She then pretty much demands that her best friend sleep with her old boyfriend and then resents her when she actually does it? And there's no justifying Kathy's behavior when she learns Emily is pregnant. This is where any appeal the character had goes out the window.
The rest of the blame has to go to Donald Petrie, a proven commodity behind the camera lens with films like Grumpy Old Men and Miss Congeniality to his credit. This film only runs 90 minutes, but Petrie's wooden direction keeps this story moving at a snail's pace and makes the film seem twice as long as it is. I swear I didn't think this movie was ever going to end.
There's some odd casting here as well...Harley Jane Kozak, a former soap actress who appeared in films like Parenthood and Arachnophobia, works very hard trying to make Kathy likable but the story is fighting her all the way. Not to mention she's trying to be convincing in a role that was clearly written for Meg Ryan. Elizabeth McGovern gives one of her most wooden performances as Emily, which doesn't exactly help keeping us invested in the story. Bill Pullman and Brad Pitt made the most of thankless roles and there was a funny cameo from Holland Tayor as a lamaze coach, but this movie is pretty forgettable.
Released during a very good year for movies, 1994's The Favor is a silly sex comedy featuring unappealing characters doing stupid things and thanks to lead-footed direction, the film seems twice as long as it really is.
Kathy is a happily married housewife and mother of two daughters residing in Portland who, for some reason, can't stop fantasizing about her high school boyfriend, Tom, who now resides in Denver. When Kathy's best friend, Emily, has to go to Denver on business, she begs Emily to look Tom up but realizes she can't put her fantasies to rest unless Emily actually sleeps with Tom. Emily returns from Denver and informs Kathy that her one night stand with Tom was the best sex she ever had and now wants to dump her current boyfriend, Elliott. Things get even messier when Kathy comes on to Elliott to get back at Emily and Emily turns up pregnant.
Even though this film was released in 1994, it was actually filmed in 1990 and shelved, like the Jessica Lange drama Blue Sky because of the financial troubles at Orion Studios. Unfortunately, this film isn't nearly as good as Blue Sky and the blame must go partially to a ridiculous story centered around a really unappealing central character whose behavior in this film redefines questionable. This woman Kathy has been married for years and still having fantasies about a high school boyfriend? She then pretty much demands that her best friend sleep with her old boyfriend and then resents her when she actually does it? And there's no justifying Kathy's behavior when she learns Emily is pregnant. This is where any appeal the character had goes out the window.
The rest of the blame has to go to Donald Petrie, a proven commodity behind the camera lens with films like Grumpy Old Men and Miss Congeniality to his credit. This film only runs 90 minutes, but Petrie's wooden direction keeps this story moving at a snail's pace and makes the film seem twice as long as it is. I swear I didn't think this movie was ever going to end.
There's some odd casting here as well...Harley Jane Kozak, a former soap actress who appeared in films like Parenthood and Arachnophobia, works very hard trying to make Kathy likable but the story is fighting her all the way. Not to mention she's trying to be convincing in a role that was clearly written for Meg Ryan. Elizabeth McGovern gives one of her most wooden performances as Emily, which doesn't exactly help keeping us invested in the story. Bill Pullman and Brad Pitt made the most of thankless roles and there was a funny cameo from Holland Tayor as a lamaze coach, but this movie is pretty forgettable.