Exit to Eden

Exit to Eden was a fine erotic book by Ann Rice, full of texture, sensuality and drama, all of the things the movie is not. Why Gary Marshall chose to turn a great novel into a non-funny comedy with the miscasting of Rosie O'Donnell and Dan Aykroyd is beyond me. The subject of this movie has never been dealt with in a non-X movie and it should have been done with tact instead of a loose comedy hand. The cast is good except the above duo. Dana Delany is great as the Mistress of a pleasure island; she takes a chance and shows her sexy side of herself as well as full body nudity. You watch this movie and shake your head about how good it could have been. read the book, forget the movie. 4 out of 10

While not the greatest nor funniest movie I have ever seen, Exit to Eden is unique in that it treats s&m in a non-threatening manner. Unlike most movies which use s&m and b&d as tools to orchestrate a character's psychotic behavior, or to show a ridiculous or funny fetish trait of someones, Exit to Eden shows s&m in a very flattering light--portraying it as sensual and serious, but also playful and fun. Since the subject of this lifestyle has rarely been explored in mainstream movies, this is very important and I would even dare to say groundbreaking, in terms of working to eliminate taboos and misconceptions about a subject through the cinematic medium. Like movies which have dared to display gay and interracial relationships in a realistic light, rather than pandering to cliched stereotypes, Exit to Eden shows that s&m culture can be a very normal, non-violent part of the average person's life. Yes, some of the lines are corny and the acting is less than convincing, but Delany and Mercurio make a dynamite couple with some great chemistry. All in all, I would say this was a decent movie which provides a great service--educating the public about s&m culture--and one which breaks new ground in its presentation of its subject matter.

One thing can be said about veteran director Garry Marshall; he'll go nearly ANYWHERE for love and laughs.

EXIT TO EDEN may be about as unlikely a mainstream comedy/romance as you'll find, with most of the action occurring at a 'Club Med'-type resort catering to S&M devotees, but someone, somewhere, might have been able to pull it off...but not, unfortunately, the ever-conventional Marshall, who, try as he might, can't make either the comedy (as two cops attempt to infiltrate the club to capture a fugitive 'hiding out' among the 'mistresses' and 'slaves') or the love story (as a somewhat jaded 'mistress' discovers the joys of conventional romance with a mysterious newcomer) more than mildly entertaining.

The main problem is miscasting; while a Dan Aykroyd/Rosie O'Donnell team-up might have looked good on paper, on film the two actors have virtually no chemistry together. Aykroyd is better as a 'straight man' than comic, and, as age has given him a 'cuddly' quality (along with extra pounds), the edginess he displayed in THE BLUES BROTHERS or even DRAGNET is gone. O'Donnell, on the other hand, is TOO edgy, and can become annoying quite easily. Her one-liners seem contrived and often mean-spirited...and Rosie in leather is a sight I've been trying to forget for 10 years! Dana Delany fares somewhat better, as the Number 1 Dominatrix (her voluptuous curves, encased in leather, and brief nude scenes have made EXIT TO EDEN a video store favorite), but her personality, fundamentally sweet-natured (more 'Girl Next Door' than 'Supervixen') plays against her. She is simply too 'nice' for her role! Coming off best is Australian newcomer Paul Mercurio, in his first American film. With a twinkle in his eye, he 'plays' the S&M 'game' as a joke, championing traditional romance, and, ultimately, converts Delany to his point of view. Totally natural, Mercurio 'steals' the film from the veteran cast. He, and Marshall 'regular' Hector Elizondo are both so good, in fact, that they seem to have been 'lifted' from a different film!

EXIT TO EDEN stumbles frequently, in it's attempt to be both mainstream AND daring, and ends up being boring and a bit distasteful.

PRETTY WOMAN, it ain't!

As one reviewer pointed out, the film is neither good or bad. I think the problem lies mainly in the marketing. Like many people who viewed this film, I thought it would be a comedy. It is, to a degree. Judging by the subject matter, I knew "Exit" would be at least somewhat risque, but since I found out Garry Marshall directed it, I assumed it would be tastefully done with little or no nudity. After all, this is the guy who directed films like "Runaway Bride" and "The Princess Diaries," and I think he produced "Laverne and Shirley." Naturally, I wasn't expecting softcore porn! Maybe this isn't an EXACT clone of a late night movie on Cinemax, but it comes pretty close. I guess I would compare this with certain adult comedies like "The Bikini Carwash Company" and "Beauty School."

I was entertained and stimulated by some of the nude scenes, and I never knew Dana Delaney had such an AWESOME body! I will never look at her the same ever again! And you've got the handsome Aussie, Paul Mercurio, so there's something for the guys and gals to enjoy. Unfortunately, I kept waiting for something funny to happen and my patience was running low.

Many people think of Rosie O'Donnell as an annoying you-know-what, but that's because many of those people didn't know her until she started doing her talk show. I watched her show sometimes, but I admit there were times where I just wanted to slug her. But she was putting on a sing-songy, G-rated persona for the show. I've seen her one of her stand-up acts on television, and quite a few words had to be bleeped. So trust me, she doesn't have the same clean-cut persona you've seen in her talk show. And she does have a reasonable amount of talent as a comedienne, which is why I wanted to check out the film in the first place. At times she's funny, at times she's not, due to faulty writing and forced comic timing. Dan Aykroyd has a few funny moments as well, but also seems humiliated to be in this movie. Don't expect the same high-energy, manic Aykroyd performance he usually delivers.

"Exit to Eden" works out well as softcore porn, but doesn't totally deliver as a comedy. The film would've worked out better, if it didn't suffer from this identity crisis.

My score: 5 (out of 10)

Exit to Eden (1994)

1/2 (out of 4)

Based on the Ann Rice novel, this film tells the story of an island ran by the beautiful Lisa (Dana Delaney) where all of your sexual desires can come true. Due to some thieves, police officers played by Rosie O'Donnell and Dan Aykroyd show up and get caught up in the sexy games.

EXIT TO EDEN would turn out to be one of the most controvercial movies from the 1990s not because of its subject matter but because of some really awful casting and apparently it's awful handling of the novel. I haven't read the novel but those who have hold it up in high regard as some sort of classic and it seems whatever was in the book didn't make it to the screen.

Director Garry Marshall made some very good films in his career but he also made some pretty lousy ones and that's certainly where this film falls. It's really hard to believe that the movie could turn out this bad because you'd think, with its subject matter, that you could at least get a few mild laughs from the plot yet that never happens. As far as comedies go, this here is one of the worst to ever be made.

So, what's the biggest problem with the movie? I'd say the casting, which is also a big mystery. Who on Earth wants to see O'Donnell and Aykroyd in these S&M leather outfits? I don't think there's a single person who would enjoy that and yet here they are running around in these outfits. It's also very clear that neither of them wanted to be in them as they both look and feel very uneasy throughout the picture. It's strange that you can watch a movie and see actors look uncomfortable in what they're doing. Which makes one wonder why they signed onto the picture.

Delany easily steals the picture and at least manages to bring some of the sexy nature of the story out. Sadly, she's just a supporting role and she can't save the film because it is really bad. I don't think any words could really prepare someone for how bad this film actually is. Thankfully there's some nudity and mild sleaze because the comedy bits just don't work.