B Movies and Couch Classics: Swingers • Terms of Endearment

B-Movies and Couch Classics

by Dan Dumbauld, Movie Merchants

Swingers
One of the most financially successful films of last year was "Swingers." Despite playing in almost exclusively large metropolitan areas, this hip little comedy with a $250,000 budget grossed over five million at the box office. Now, through the wonders of home video, Central Pennsylvania can also enjoy this entertaining film.

Swingers was written by and stars Jon Favreau, who appeared on Friends as Courney Cox’s ultimate fighting championship boyfriend. In this role Favreau plays, Mike, a young struggling comedian/actor who has recently moved to Los Angeles from New York to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. Mike hosts an open mic night at a local comedy club, has an agent, and a small part in a movie, however, all he thinks about is his girlfriend of six years whom he left behind in New York. The plot begins to develop when his friends decide that it is time for Mike to get over his ex and get back on the dating scene. Re-entry begins with an impromptu trip to Las Vegas.

Mike and his best friend Trent, played by Vince Vaughn in a star making role, arrive in Las Vegas looking to score big with both the women and on the gaming tables. Trent is a smooth-talking, tall glass of water, which contrasts with Mike who is stocky and rather awkward and unconfident. The trip ends like most of their nights out, with Mike striking out when he starts thinking about his ex-girlfriend.

Back in Los Angeles, Mike continues his search for someone who can compare with his old girl. Three friends join Mike and Trent as they hit the chic Los Angeles Martini lounge scene. After a few more nights of rejection, Mike finally meets a woman he connects with. However, everything becomes complicated when his ex-girlfriend calls from New York for the first time in six months.

Favreau turns in a top-notch performance, but the star of Swingers is the scene-stealing Vince Vaughn. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit award for his role as Trent. Steven Spielberg was so impressed with Vaughn’s performance that he cast him as the photojournalist in this summer’s smash hit The Lost World. With his good looks and winning personality Vaughn has the potential to be a big Hollywood star.

Swingers is easily one of funniest movies of last year. Director Doug Liman was honored at last month’s MTV Movie Awards as best new filmmaker. Favreau has created natural and catchy dialogue. Expect many films in the future to try to emulate the hip sayings, like "you’re so money" (you’re good) and "beautiful babies" (women), that are sprinkled throughout the script of Swingers.

At first it appears that Mike and Trent, and the film in general, are just a ‘90s update of the Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd Saturday Night Live skit, "a couple of wild and crazy guys." However, Swingers is not essentially about young guys looking for a good time, it is about friendship. Everything they do, whether it be talking about their favorite scenes from movies or playing video games, is done together. The overall theme of Swingers is that no matter how low you feel your friends are always there to help pull you up.

Terms Of Endearment

One cinematic topic that everyone can relate to is family. One of the best films to ever deal with this subject is Terms of Endearment, which follows the 25-year relationship between a mother and daughter. Terms was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and took home the Oscar for best film of 1983. It stars Shirley MacLaine as Aurora a feisty widow and mother of one daughter. The daughter, Emma, is played by Debra Winger.

The film opens as Aurora and her adolescent daughter, begin to cope with the death of their husband/father. Although, it does not always show on the surface, these two truly love each other and their mutual loss strengthens the bond.

There is not a strong plot line to the film. It unfolds during several episodes showing how Aurora and Emma’s relationship with each other grows and changes over their lifetimes. Aurora disapproves of Emma’s choice of a Flap, a young college professor played by Jeff Daniels, as a husband. She is equally appalled by the thought of becoming a grandmother when Emma and Flap decide to start a family. When Aurora begins a relationship with her women-chasing neighbor Jack Nicholson and Emma has to deal with her mother as a woman — not just as her mother. In the film’s final episode Aurora and Emma realize that despite the hundreds of petty differences between the two they have an unbreakable bond of everlasting love.

What makes Terms such a great film is how easily it makes the transition from light comedy to heavy drama. In one scene you will be chuckling to yourself, as Aurora goes on one of her rants, while in the next scene you will be fighting back the tears. Much of the credit for this goes to James L. Brooks who won the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. He gets tremendous performances across the board from the entire cast. MacLaine and Nicholson won Oscars for Best Actress and Supporting Actor, respectively. Winger also was nominated for Best Actress and John Lithgow was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Throughout the film you do not get the impression that you are watching actors on the screen, but rather two people’s real lives. No finer compliment can be paid a film.

Anyone interested in seeing what has happened to Aurora and her family can rent Evening Star the sequel to Terms of Endearment.

If you have a suggestion for a true B-Movie or Couch Classic or comment about this column, you can e-mail Dan by addressing your electronic mail to TheStaff@MODEweekly.com, attention B-Movie Reviews.