For Better or for Worse

My review was written in May 1990 after a screening in Chelsea in Manhattan.

Dumped unceremoniously into the marketplace by Sony's Triumph label, "Honeymoon Academy" is an old-fashioned comedy that wastes the talents of Kim Cattrall in her first top billed role.

Depressing box office prospects are reflected in zero paying customers showing up for a 9:30 p.m. Opening night performance at the Manhattan thetare where it was reviewed, following no press screenings.

Pic's inappropriate title is an afterthought based on the success of executive producer Paul Maslansky's "Police Academy" films. Lensed in spring 1988 as "For Better or for Worse", pic ha no school for newlyweds.

Cattrall, styled as a thin blonde, is a State Department secret agent thrown together with Robert Hays in a library. It's love at first sight, and they marry and go off to Madrid for a honeymoon, a gift from her boss Leigh Taylor-Young.

Taylor-Young sends agent Charles Rocket to force Cattrall to work during the holiday as a courier of payoff money for counterfeiter Christopher Lee. Endless slapstick and an unsuccessful detour into "Romancing the Stone" territory pad out pointless footage.

Cattrall projects the appeal of Laraine Day but deserves better pics. Hays is a capable physical comedian, playing straight in the manner of his "Airplane" persona in a role originally cast for Paul Reiser. Supporting cast, notably Rocket, is hammy. Lee brightens up the film very briefly.

Technical credits are acceptable, except for poorly synched dialog set in a forest with waterfalls interfering with direct sound recording.

This is an enjoyable family film with the 'retired spy' plot line. Much like true lies in reverse the husband finds out he has married a 'retired' spy. Shockingly, to her and her husband, she is on another case when she intended to be honeymooning. Fun for the whole family, a timeless piece.

"Honeymoon Academy" was one of my first storyboarding jobs. I remember being in the office when the producer received a call from Spain announcing that Paul Reiser (the original lead) had wrecked his leg. I believe he fell on the steps of the church during the wedding sequence. Instant chaos...the movie had a slim budget and a very short shooting schedule. They couldn't wait for Reiser to heal...they had to dig up a new leading man, fly him to Spain, and shoot everything from the beginning. Somehow they made it.

I no longer remember the original title of the movie, but it wasn't "Honeymoon Academy." After its release we all wondered where the title came from. It had nothing to do with the story.

Chris Nelson (Kim Cattrall) meets Sean (Robert Hays) at the library and a relationship flourishes quickly. Telling Sean she is a travel agent, they marry and set off on their honeymoon. However, Chris has recently resigned her job as a jet-hopping government agent and she is cornered into one last assignment on her wedding trip. Naturally, Sean is in the dark and becomes bewildered by the strange happenings swirling around him. Will the truth come out?

Yes, this movie is somewhat silly in plot and dialogue. Even the foreign setting of the film yields only nondescript scenery. The costumes and supporting cast are similarly bland, except for the lovely Leigh Taylor-Young. Yet, the two attractive and expressive stars keep it all rolling. Fans of light, humorous romance will find this movie quite palatable. Others, however, may tire of the storyline before its conclusion.

Wholesome Disneyesque comedy about a female spy (who had thought she had retired) and her new husband (who had thought she was a travel agent). Sort of like TV's "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," and "Moonlighting." Kim Cattral (people either love her or can't stand her but) and Robert Hays ("Airplane") make a great couple and I had wished this had warranted sequels. If you are a fan of "Mannequin" try this film as well.