User reviews

This film wasn't exactly life-altering for me, but it definitely got me thinking about ex- boyfriends, and how things may have been different - or how things turned out for them. It's upbeat in that"there are no losers - there's somebody for everybody," but it might take one hell of a journey to find your other half. This movie explores the kind of people that never get discussed in film or media - because they're not cool enough, or sexy, or too neurotic, etc.. But in this movie, you fall in love with the characters who seem a bit out of step, and it makes you want to bitch-slap the pretty people. I give Showalter major props for actually achieving a unique crowd-pleaser. Oh, and it's absolutely hilarious. He has a long career ahead of him.

The wonderful thing about browsing video stores is coming across films that never came to your local theater - because they were filled with garbage such as "Fever Pitch" and "Be Cool" - and finding out these small films are actually pretty good.

"The Baxter" is certainly one of those films. It's surprisingly sweet without getting maudlin. The characters' neuroses are all charming without ever seeming to be unnatural. And the film's also awfully funny.

It's helped immensely by a superbly deadpan performance by Michael Showalter. He plays his character completely straight and the laughs come naturally. And the always wonderful Michelle Williams again proves why she's quite possibly one of the most under-rated actresses today. She's so good at playing slightly quirky people without ever seeming odd. Just take a look at turn in "The Station Agent" (2003).

The film gets wonderful supporting work from Elizabeth Banks, Justin Theroux - his entrance is priceless - and a genuinely funny cameo from Peter Dinklage.

"The Baxter" isn't the greatest comedy, but it's certainly better than most of the fare that's in theaters right now. It has a certain honesty. You can't help but feel for the title character and his predicaments. Most of us have been there and it's hard not to like this chap. He also surrounds himself with oddballs who never take away anything from the film. Of course, they're movie people but they add something unique to this special little film.

Saw this at the Maine International Film Festival. It shares some characteristics with prime Woody Allen -- an affection for New York (warmly shot) and a sure sense of casting supporting actors.

Is it a ground-breaking comedy? No. But it is thoroughly charming and entertaining and had the audience laughing at all the moments it intended. The truth is, most people identify not with the pretty leads in glossy romantic comedies but with the zhlubs, and this is a film that gives us permission to identify with the zhlubs (without demonizing the pretty people). There aren't a lot of uncynical comedies out there, and this is a welcome one.

It's also valuable for people casting in the New York area -- there are enough engaging performers in here to cast three or four movies.

A quirky premise and some delightful performances made this film refreshingly true to its stated goal. Showalter is charmingly awkward and perplexed throughout, as a "baxter," one of the guys who are always left alone at the altar when their brides' true loves return to abduct them. Michelle Williams is exceptional in her role, and Jon DeVries and Peter Dinklage both contribute some great comedic moments.

A few sour notes rang out, including Elizabeth Banks' performance as Caroline Swann, which seemed confused and inconsistent. But The Baxter's power is in its non-standard take on old romance stereotypes. The impassioned speeches of each reformed lover to his girl are wonderfully recast from the perspective of the safe, nice guy who is our protagonist here. True love for him is not in being a daredevil or a risk-taker, but simply being himself and taking the opportunity that presents itself. As a new kind of romantic comedy that doesn't necessarily play by the rules, The Baxter succeeds in many ways.

Is it just me, or was this an homage to The Apartment (Best Picture – 1960)? Baxter, was played by Jack Lemon in the Billy Wilder classic. I got a feel for it here, but it was a tad shy of a full load for my tastes, but the subtly in places and the "everyone is a Baxter" message were warm and sincere.

Recently I have been spoiled by faster and smother paced silly, love stories by the likes of the Friends' cast, Sandler, and Stiller. Even the classics from the 50's through the 70's often found a more stable pace to encourage us to follow along.

The glacially slow development of the main characters' true desires takes something away from this movie for me. But perhaps that was just the point. Sometimes it takes us to be pushed to the edge to face what we want to do with our love. A little better pacing, a better mixing of the silly and the subtle would have made this an exceptional movie. I will wait hopefully for Michael Showalter's (director/writer ) next effort.

I caught the Baxter on Sunday night at its world premiere. On the whole I will say it was a "cute" little movie. I was disappointed however. I am a big fan of The State and an even BIGGER fan of Wet Hot American Summer. I also love the Stella shorts dearly. If you are looking for a movie with wickedly funny dialog in the vein of WHAM, then you too will be disappointed. The Baxter is a sweet film with a lot of hear. Michael Showalter obviously has talent. I didn't find myself laughing during the movie though. I smiled a lot. I also had a giggle or two...but it felt watered down compared to Stella or WHAM. Overall though, the movie is worth checking out. Maybe i went in expecting too much from it. In any case when the movie opens to a wide release in August you should check it out. And if you don't, I hope badgers maul your face.

I saw this movie during the "Free Drive-In Movies at Rockefeller Center" series in New York City, on 15 June 2005. It doesn't get a wider release until later this summer, but when it does, I would see this movie with my grandparents. Heck, I could see this movie with my great- grandparents. I could go see this with my snobby friends, and my culturally clueless friends, and I think they all would like it. I'm actually looking forward to bringing my parents to see it, because not only do I think they'll really enjoy it, but I feel like it's finally one of those "movies their weird artsy daughter likes" that I can show them and know that they won't be either appalled over or baffled by.

This is in NO way intended to imply that The Baxter is boring or sappy or in any way oversimplified – completely the opposite. The film and the characters are complex, even though they are intentionally written as types. Despite being told through a series of flashbacks, there is no plot that can be ruined by showing the ending at the beginning – the whole point of the story is that you already know how these things always end, and the story is in how the characters get there. Like any good character study, the film makes the most of its preordained plot by reaching those ends through uniquely-developed means.

One of the reasons that so many movies that could be labeled "family appropriate" are so bad is because the fact that they're so decent feels so contrived – like the raunchy and disturbing parts of life are taken out, and what's left becomes the plot of a PG movie. What makes The Baxter different in its broad appeal is not that it aims low, but that it lifts the audience up to its level. It encourages the viewer to explore other facets of the romantic comedy standard without ever leading them into territory so foreign or artificial that they are unable to relate to the characters or the circumstances. Quite simply, this is a decent and proper and earnest movie because it's told from the point of view of decent and proper and earnest people. It's good, and it's damn good, because, among other things, like excellent costume and set designs, great characters, ridiculous attention to detail, and beautiful directorial choices, it doesn't cater or pander to any one sort of person or audience – it's a clever take on a timeless theme, and it's executed in a way that that just about anyone can appreciate. It's sincere, it's honest, it's believable, it's incredibly moving, and it's memorably unique – it also just so happens to be extremely polite, because some movies, like some people, are just polite by nature, and that's what makes them who they are. Highly recommended.

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer, Director and Lead Actor Michael Showalter ("Wet, Hot Summer", "Stella shorts") attempts to deliver the whole package with this one - even billing it as a Howard Hawks type screwball romantic comedy. What we get is a very cute, enjoyable low budget romcom with a stellar supporting cast and pretty weak leading man.

Part of what made the Howard Hawks films work was he often had Cary Grant in the lead. Sorry, Mr. Showalter, but you are no Cary Grant. With such a strong supporting cast, I would be very interested to see what a real actor could have done with this role. Not sure if ego or budgetary issues drove the decision, but it definitely did not help the film.

Elizabeth Banks ("The 40 Year Old Virgin", "Seabiscuit") is terrific as Caroline. She brings so much energy to her roles that it forces her co-actors to step it up a notch. Peter Dinklage (so great in "The Station Agent") is hilarious as the most observant wedding planner. He has a slyness and screen presence that eludes most. The real gem of the film is Michelle Williams ("The Station Agent"). Her earnestness and realness are mesmerizing and heart-warming. Throw in Michael Ian Black (looking pretty rough in the colored briefs) and Paul Rudd (fresh off great reviews for "The 40 year old Virgin") and you see what I mean about the supporting cast.

The idea of a "baxter" being the guy (or girl ... see Michelle Williams character) or always manages to lose out at the last minute to the other "true love" is brilliant and easy for most of us to relate to. The film is well written and overall well-acted. The scene in Elliot's apartment when Carolyn (Banks) ALMOST discovers Michelle Williams while arguing with Elliot is pure screwball physical comedy at its very best.

This is definitely one to see and you will laugh a few times and smile many, but it will leave you wondering .... "if only they had cast ...?"

I really like "The Baxter." Now, I am a confessed Showalter, Wain, Black, The State, "Wet Hot", Stella fanatic, so I obviously have a history with these guys and their particular brand of humor. This is a great, sweet, hilarious little movie. These State alumnus guys have a very intelligent, interesting, off kilter type of humor that is definitely love it or not get it. Watch "Stella" sometime with a room full of your friends. Half of them will laugh extremely hard, and half of them won't get it. If you are familiar with Show and his humor, you will love this film. Its much more subtle than Stella or Wet Hot American Summer, but there are some huge laughs in it. It is probably the only romantic comedy I've ever seen that I really like. Highly recommended!

The main character was interesting and the movie is charming overall. I didn't like the way the story was told with flashbacks. It was predictable and I really wanted a major surprise or two. The acting was good and you learn what a baxter is. I had never heard of one, but all of the characters in the film spoke of baxters like everyone knows what they are. There is a minor twist at the end, but that is the only real surprise and it makes you smile a bit. All things considered, it was a great try for an independent film. I can only hope the actor/director learns from this so that he can improve and keep getting better and better. He shows a lot of potential to make many movies in the future.

I genuinely enjoyed this film. Even more after multiple viewings. You must take it for what it is (which is a light hearted romantic comedy) yet its humor is not of the typical Hollywood romantic comedy. The boys of stella give it some edge while managing to maintain a seamless blend with the romantic aspects of the movie. Its not a "mean" edge, or a "hip" edge or a "dirty" edge that the humor has, its more of an absurdist edge that the Stella troupe is known for. However, where Stella can often fail (and succeed for that matter) is when they go too far, and the entire storyline and every moment becomes absurd, and things risk getting to a point where they are no longer funny. I think the boys have found the perfect showcase of their brand of humor in this film because the absurdist aspects are thoughtfully sprinkled on top of a solid foundation of a cookie cutter romantic comedy story. Much of the film is smile and giggle funny, with a few moments of absolute humour nukes. Most importantly, you grow to genuinely like and care about the characters in the film. Justin Theroux is genius as Bradley.

The perspective is new. I mean, the main character is really a dope, a geek, the type of guy that even romantic comedies make fun of. And this one does too, a little, however, he meets the girl of his dream in the end just like in any other romcom.

This movie has a lot of potential. A dorky character surrounded by nasty, egocentric people like in the real world is a great setup for real comedy, with real humour, one that you can relate to. But no. The setup is totally misused. The only way this film could have been a success would have been to be made by Brits. Or Jackie Chan.

Bottom line: it was a nice try to escape the pathetic and ridiculous stereotype of romantic comedies, but it ultimately failed, being an unromantic, long, humourless, boring movie.

The Baxter is one of those off-beat romantic comedies about the people who get left behind. What I liked about this, is that it held the man responsible for his own failure to have a relationship. It turns the trope of the whiny "nice guy" on its head.

Our leading man, Elliot, is certainly a nice guy but he's only a victim of his own reluctance to take responsibility for his choices. He lost his date to the senior prom because he never asked her to dance. He had an entire relationship with the proverbial "hot chick" that went wrong because he instantly pushed the quieter but more compatible woman aside in favor of shallow looks.

Instead of some pity party for nerds, The Baxter actually gives examples of self-defeating behavior in Elliot's life. It's also genuinely funny, which I appreciate. So many romantic comedies aren't very comical.

A couple of weeks ago, the mid-90s sketch comedy show The State was released on DVD. Though many who weren't there at the time will always be in the dark about it, it was one of the most important releases of the year in my mind. It is a Gen X classic. And it holds up quite well, I'm happy to report. The State may not be as consistent as, say, The Kids in the Hall, which I've rewatched all the way through recently, but it's a lot of fun. Plus, the troupe went on to do many great things afterward. Perhaps the best known is Reno 911, starring State alums like Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant and Kerri Kenney (several other State members appear in cameo roles). The other major group of State alums created the bizarre and brilliant Comedy Central show Stella in 2005. The same year, State/Stella alum Michael Showalter (aka Doug, perhaps the best remembered recurring character of The State) wrote and directed The Baxter. It's a romantic comedy that claims up front to be subverting the genre. Unfortunately, that's largely untrue. While it begins with a common rom-com convention - a girl is getting married to a boring guy when her true love bursts into the church to declare his love - it focuses on the third wheel, played by Showalter himself. The thing is, though, that, when the film flashes back to the beginning of the story, the girl he's marrying (Elizabeth Banks) is the shrew. The real love interest is played by Michelle Williams, as a sort of manic pixie dreamgirl who pops into Showalter's life occasionally. The movie has a decent sense of quirkiness, so it's never boring. Stella/State co-stars Michael Ian Black and David Wain are great in small roles (State co-stars Joe Lo Truglio and Ken Marino also have nice cameos). But the central relationship is sweet but kind of boring. As far as rom-coms go, this isn't a half bad movie. My only real disappointment is that it comes from the mind of Michael Showalter. I felt it just shouldn't have been as conventional as it was.

The Baxter This is probably one of the most underrated films I've seen yet, considering that it's style is basically generic romantic comedy (meaning the makers underrated it themselves), it's gotten little to no viewership... I never even heard of it before I picked it up off the wall (it was next in line).

Anyway, you know all those movies about how the man and the woman love each other but can't figure it out, so the woman almost marries the wrong person before the man crashes the wedding and sweeps her away? Well this is the story of the guy left at the altar, and his search for the "right woman" as well when his character is defined as the safe, content "nice guy" that women are supposed to erroneously try to marry when their lively romantic relationships go awry. Basically that's the long way of saying that this guy is an accountant who spends his time reading the dictionary as a private pleasure, and now he realizes that he'd like to actually get the girl too.

What's absolutely wonderful about this film is that Elliot knows that his problem is that he's such a harmless nice guy, but he knows that being a harmless nice guy is a really great thing to be if you don't take into account that that means losing a lot of relationships because women are more interested in romance risk-takers. So he has to battle his own personality with his own personality while his friends give him TERRIBLE advice that sounds good (we've been there, now haven't we?), he surrounds himself with completely superficial people because superficiality is the only way he knows to fit in, and he totally doesn't notice the direct and not-so-subtle advances from the "right girl" who is, also, way too nice to take risks as well.

In short, it's an absolutely delightful sort of aside in the whole romantic comedy industry, but still uses a lot of the tropes and techniques usual to the form to keep it simple and enjoyable for everyone.

--PolarisDiB

I like the boys from Stella and had high hopes for this film, but I was disappointed. There were a few moments of humor, but for the most part the script was actually kind of boring. The acting was part of the problem also, with Showalter in particular being overly mannered and self-conscious. The two ladies were quite good, though, especially Michelle Williams, who was so effective every time she was on screen that she almost seemed like she was in a different movie that everyone else. I am not an expert but I think most of the blame here is to bad direction as the scenes just did not seem well-staged and the camera angles seemed to be misplaced a lot of the time. My friend does not really like Stella-type humor and she liked the movie better than I did, so maybe it was kind of an expectations problem as well.

Because of my devotion to the boys of Stella, I was a pre-ordained fan on this movie before it came out, and a poster hung on my door even before I saw it. However, I just saw it, and I'm taking it down, because the movie sucked.

Nobody could ever criticize me of 'not understanding the humor'. I am a Stella fanatic. I'm the one guy of my friends who finds it hysterical all the time. This just was not. I was really disappointed. It just wasn't funny at all. I kept waiting....'oh...it'll come....' but it didn't. There were no jokes. Some people may have said that it was subtle. It wasn't. I think that's just rationalization...sometimes you just have to accept when you have to call the bomb squad.

I give it a 3 out of 10 because I didn't hate it, but it was painful to get through. It was pathetically predictable, and I found that the best part was the drinking game that was played involving impersonations. Does anyone know what game that was? Yech.