In the Spirit

You don't know me, but take my word for it, this movie is a true gem. These high-power, smart, funny, comic savant women got together and (I'm sure) had the best time of their lives making this film. And we are the beneficiaries.

There are only a few wonderful "screwball" comedies. The last one I remember seeing was "What's Up Doc?", until now "In the Spirit", directed by Sandra Seacat, is right up there with the best of them. In fact, I might suggest that the "spirit" is not only Reva's inner guides, but the ghosts of Hitchcock ("Mr.& Mrs. Smith"), Cukor ("The Awful Truth"), and Hawks ("Bringing Up Baby") are alive and well and kicking up their heels!

I hope you have as much fun watching as I did!

This is one of those movies I have to go back and watch every now and again. It's like very dark chocolate -- it doesn't cloy, and has enough of a bite to keep it interesting. It's funny, managing to skewer New Yorkers, Californians, New Agers, and middle-age crises, all on the same shishkabob; it has great cameos, snappy dialogue, and a pace that keeps it moving right along, with none of the non-nutritive filler that bloats so many films. As the crystal-waving, aura-reading proto-Feng-Shui "decorator," Marlo Thomas is such a NICE person that you just want to smack her. Fortunately, the movie is in on this angle, and Jeannie Berlin expresses the viewer's exasperation very well. Give it a shot as a rental, and you'll probably end up buying a copy.

Few films have touched my life like this one. How can a person not laugh when a prostitute is accidentally killed when she's standing on the frame of a waterbed and it gives way and the mattress rolls over on her? Marlo Thomas, as new age health food store owner, Reeva Prosky gives the performance of a lifetime. She and Elaine May (Maryann Flan) not only share the same darma - they are the most humerous on-screen comedy duo in the history of film. The supporting cast is flawless - Peter Falk ("Why don't you come over and have some kelp?"); Melanie Griffith ("You mean like 'Finger-Licking Good' or 'Twenty Laps'?"); and Olympia Dukakis ("I have a husband with a heart condition and two children on drugs!") all bring new meaning to the word brilliant. The true star of the movie is Jeannie Berlin, who plays double duty as both the co- screenplay writer and the prostitute Crytsal. Not since William Shakespeare has there been such a story written for stage or screen. This movie changed my life.

It taught me the important life lesson that sometimes "the wise may act foolishly, the fool may act wisely, and the hunter may become the pray."

It is important to pay close attention to the first part of the movie, or you miss a lot, as it lays a foundation for the rest of the movie. This movie had me in stitches, and I love to watch it whenever I can use a good belly laugh. Ditzy New Age follower, Marlo Thomas has advice for everyone she meets. She crosses paths with Elaine May and Peter Falk, and that sets off a series of events leading to Marlo Thomas and Elaine May being hunted by murderous criminals...they hide away in a New Age camp, and plant booby traps for their hunters. This was the funniest part of the movie, to me, and some of the dialogue is hilarious, if you listen closely. Strangely, no one seems to know of it, and I just happened upon it years ago. I have two VHS tapes, and wouldn't get rid of my VCR, because I need them to watch this movie and a couple others I have. This one is a real gem, and anyone who hasn't seen it is missing out on some great comedy.

"In The Spirit" (1990) is a refreshingly female-oriented buddy comedy-mystery (despite the title, the fantasy elements are mininal), with an eclectic and unapologetically middle-aged cast. Marlo Thomas and Elaine May look damn good in their fifties and are perfectly in tune with each other as a comedy team (with some serious moments, too). May also shares some scenes with her real-life daughter, Jeannie Berlin, who co-wrote the film and has a smaller but amusingly foul-mouthed role. With all that said, the film itself could have been funnier. It feels mild and low-budget, perhaps ideal viewing for a lazy evening. **1/2 out of 4.