Film review: 'Good Housekeeping'
He's an unemployed collector of Puppetmaster toy action figures; she's a forklift-operating, late-blooming lesbian. Together under the same roof, they are a "white trash" couple who have declared war on each other in the weeks leading up to a date in divorce court.
Screenwriter-director Frank Novak's "Good Housekeeping", winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Slamdance Film Festival, is an amalgamation of such recent movies as "She's So Lovely" and "Another Day in Paradise", with inspiration from reality TV shows like "Cops". A potential cult movie in theaters and on cable and video, "Housekeeping" screens tonight at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood as part of the American Cinematheque's Alternative Screen series.
A low-budget production of Los Angeles-based Modernica Pictures -- a division of Novak (the short "Domestic Disturbance") and his executive producer brother Jay's Modernica furniture company -- "Good" is an accomplished, original work with rowdy, on-the-money performances and a roaringly profane script. The escalating tit-for-tat conflict is on one level a spirited reworking of the classic Laurel & Hardy routines in such shorts as "Big Business", with Don (Bob Mills) refusing to leave the house when Donatella (Petra Westen) tries to kick him out.
The film opens with the first of many visits to the unhappy home of the leads by two ineffectual police officers (Christina Sidrow, David Jean-Thomas), responding to a domestic disturbance call. There appears to be no hope for this couple as both parties are naturally belligerent and take much joy in verbal combat. Caught in the middle, relaying rawly worded and hateful messages between the two, is their wild young son (Andrew Eichner), who seems to side mostly with his father.
When Donatella returns one night from a date with her middle-class lover Marion (Tacey Adams), Don and his buddies, including his homeless brother Chuck (Zia) and heavyweight fellow toy collector Barry (Scooter Stephan), are duly flabbergasted. Not very tall and balding, owner of a motorcycle and old Cordova and clutching and drinking from a beer bottle in every scene, Don shows his macho indignation by building a wall in the middle of the house.
With Chuck and his crack-smoking girlfriend Tiffany (Maeve Kerrigan) living in the precious Cordova, and Monica pushing her to leave the house, Donatella hangs on to spite Don and give back what he dishes out. Several cars and people are banged up, including a showstopping morning-after driving sequence by one of Don's hungover friends (Norma Barbour). The scenario definitely veers toward the satirical with the inclusion of a alarming misogynist (Al Schuermann), who equips Don and his buddies against Donatella's violent nature -- with a portable rocket launcher.
The often hilarious torrent of words coming from the characters has the nonsensical logic of desperate swearers. A fairly tame sample: "I don't care if he sells shit to the pope. He's still an asshole." Beyond the shouting matches and scenes of destruction and crazy tangents -- like what happens to Chuck's poor girlfriend -- the film pays special attention to the vulnerable underbellies of all involved. Kudos to Mills, Westen, Adams and the entire cast for keeping it all together, performance-wise.
The soundtrack includes many "stoner rock" standards ("Free Bird") to go with the nonstop partying. With gloriously trashy-looking sets designed by Elizabeth Burhop and outstanding cinematography by Alex Vendler ("The Bible and Gun Club"), "Good" even gets away with a mildly disappointing ending.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Modernica Pictures
Screenwriter-director:Frank Novak
Producer:Mark Mathis
Executive producer:Jay Novak
Director of photography:Alex Vendler
Production designer:Elizabeth Burhop
Editor:Fritz Feick
Costume designer:Katie Meehan
Color/stereo
Cast:
Don:Bob Mills
Donatella:Petra Westen
Marion:Tacey Adams
Don Jr.:Andrew Eichner
Chuck:Zia
Tiffany:Maeve Kerrigan
Barry:Scooter Stephan
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Screenwriter-director Frank Novak's "Good Housekeeping", winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Slamdance Film Festival, is an amalgamation of such recent movies as "She's So Lovely" and "Another Day in Paradise", with inspiration from reality TV shows like "Cops". A potential cult movie in theaters and on cable and video, "Housekeeping" screens tonight at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood as part of the American Cinematheque's Alternative Screen series.
A low-budget production of Los Angeles-based Modernica Pictures -- a division of Novak (the short "Domestic Disturbance") and his executive producer brother Jay's Modernica furniture company -- "Good" is an accomplished, original work with rowdy, on-the-money performances and a roaringly profane script. The escalating tit-for-tat conflict is on one level a spirited reworking of the classic Laurel & Hardy routines in such shorts as "Big Business", with Don (Bob Mills) refusing to leave the house when Donatella (Petra Westen) tries to kick him out.
The film opens with the first of many visits to the unhappy home of the leads by two ineffectual police officers (Christina Sidrow, David Jean-Thomas), responding to a domestic disturbance call. There appears to be no hope for this couple as both parties are naturally belligerent and take much joy in verbal combat. Caught in the middle, relaying rawly worded and hateful messages between the two, is their wild young son (Andrew Eichner), who seems to side mostly with his father.
When Donatella returns one night from a date with her middle-class lover Marion (Tacey Adams), Don and his buddies, including his homeless brother Chuck (Zia) and heavyweight fellow toy collector Barry (Scooter Stephan), are duly flabbergasted. Not very tall and balding, owner of a motorcycle and old Cordova and clutching and drinking from a beer bottle in every scene, Don shows his macho indignation by building a wall in the middle of the house.
With Chuck and his crack-smoking girlfriend Tiffany (Maeve Kerrigan) living in the precious Cordova, and Monica pushing her to leave the house, Donatella hangs on to spite Don and give back what he dishes out. Several cars and people are banged up, including a showstopping morning-after driving sequence by one of Don's hungover friends (Norma Barbour). The scenario definitely veers toward the satirical with the inclusion of a alarming misogynist (Al Schuermann), who equips Don and his buddies against Donatella's violent nature -- with a portable rocket launcher.
The often hilarious torrent of words coming from the characters has the nonsensical logic of desperate swearers. A fairly tame sample: "I don't care if he sells shit to the pope. He's still an asshole." Beyond the shouting matches and scenes of destruction and crazy tangents -- like what happens to Chuck's poor girlfriend -- the film pays special attention to the vulnerable underbellies of all involved. Kudos to Mills, Westen, Adams and the entire cast for keeping it all together, performance-wise.
The soundtrack includes many "stoner rock" standards ("Free Bird") to go with the nonstop partying. With gloriously trashy-looking sets designed by Elizabeth Burhop and outstanding cinematography by Alex Vendler ("The Bible and Gun Club"), "Good" even gets away with a mildly disappointing ending.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Modernica Pictures
Screenwriter-director:Frank Novak
Producer:Mark Mathis
Executive producer:Jay Novak
Director of photography:Alex Vendler
Production designer:Elizabeth Burhop
Editor:Fritz Feick
Costume designer:Katie Meehan
Color/stereo
Cast:
Don:Bob Mills
Donatella:Petra Westen
Marion:Tacey Adams
Don Jr.:Andrew Eichner
Chuck:Zia
Tiffany:Maeve Kerrigan
Barry:Scooter Stephan
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/17/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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