In the Mood

Patrick Dempsey, in his very early film vehicle before LOVERBOY and HAPPY TOGETHER, played a lovestruck teenager known as the "Woo Woo Kid", circa 1944. He's the all-American boy who is always IN THE MOOD for women much older than him. To revive the 40s is an understatement; it could have been much more livelier and funnier the same way. When you first get a glance of this overlooked movie, it will almost be very puny and be best forgettable. This is probably Dempsey's best one, showing that he's been capable of being a kid out of the ordinary, and always ends up taking the wrong paths toward trouble. The "true" story of Sonny Wisecarver (which this is based on) seemed mightily uncommon and not often remembered to this day, but this piece of interest may catch your eye for a split second or two. Worth a valuable 49-cent rental.

In the Mood is like a 1940s version of Loverboy, which also starred Dempsey in the role of a young kid who manages to 'woo' older women while desperately trying to make things work with a girl his own age.

For those rent the video version, you'll get the mini-documentary of Sonny Elsworth Wisecarver, the man who's life 'In the Mood' is supposed to be based on. I'm not sure if this is shown during television broadcasts of the movie. But, even with the documentary of real-life Elsworth, it still seems hard to believe that the Woo Woo Kid shared the headlines with Hitler (the movie takes place during the second world war) unless of course, they were just small town headlines.

It is a nice romantic comedy. Wisecarver (Dempsey) narrates his days as a love struck 15 year-old who's wild romances become exaggeratingly probed by the press and law enforcement, making him the idol of young teenagers, the grievance of adults, and earns him the nickname, the 'Woo Woo Kid.' All he wanted was to meet a nice girl his own age. But that seems like one tough task for Wisecarver to accomplish. It all begins with a marriage to a 21 year-old married woman who Dempsey tries to help save from a rotten, abusive husband. After making the headlines, Wisecarver is the target of all the older ladies looking to get their hand on the romantic, but naive young man.

It is a funny little film and one you'll likely enjoy if you've like Dempsey's and Brian MacNamara's (he plays Wisecarver's friend) early 80s movies. Especially good in this movie are Michael Constantine (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as Wisecarver's clueless dad, and Beverly D'Angelo as one of Wisecarvers girlfriends (sort of). It is a funny idea that a young boy's love life is so ridiculously probed by everyone as he's just trying to get along.

Here's a different story: funny and appealing for awhile. I say "awhile" because on the third viewing of this, I must have gotten "righteous" because I did not appreciate adultery, pre-marital sex and sex with minors as something to be glamorized. It was in this film, sad to say.

Apparently based on a true-life story of a kid called Ellsworth ""Sonny" Wisecarver, Patrick Dempsey plays the 15-year-old kid who married two adult women in the 1940s, causing scandals. In this movie, Wisecarveer is made out to be a lovable, naive, romantic and sympathetic figure despite the fact he is an immoral idiot!

The first woman he's involved with, "Judy Cusimano," is played by a pretty actress with whom I am not familiar: Talia Balsam. She reminded me of Lea Thompson. According to her filmography, she's done mostly TV work since this movie. Anyway, "Judy" and "Sonny" certainly make a strange pair. There are some funny lines between them, but she's as morally bankrupt as him.

After those two are quickly discovered and the marriage dissolved, Sonny is now the attraction of older women everywhere. It doesn't take long for Beverly D'Angelo enters the picture as "Francine Glatt" being second important adult woman in Sonny''s odd life.

Although the movie glorifies all this sleazy nonsense, it is a fun movie to watch if you've never seen it before. The bright colors in here, the 1940s mood and atmosphere, a great '40s soundtrack and some genuinely funny moment and scenes all are pluses.

The real life adventures of "Sonny" Wisecarver do seem like the stuff for a laugh-out-loud comedy, but that's not how it ends up in this retelling. To be sure, there are some humorous moments that did make me laugh, but most of the movie is not made out to be "ha ha" funny. Instead, it is lightly amusing. I think this was the right course for the movie to take, because it gives the events of the movie a sweetness that's somewhat charming. And while the movie is not hilarious, it's made up for in a large part by the story of the movie being so interesting, you'll wonder where it will end up.

Dempsey was a good choice for the lead role. He is very likable, and acts in a way that you understand why older women would fall for him. His character does do some stupid things in the movie... but he's a teenager, and we all did dumb stuff as a teenager. Another positive thing about the movie is that the period detail is very good.

Still, I could not help but wonder what people would think if the sexes of the movie had been switched. Just goes to show that when it comes to love and romance, there is a double standard.

I rated this movie.."FG"..for "Feel Good". It moves along rapidly, the storyline and the soundtrack are the key. Great period music, including Jennifer Holiday's version of the title track, is terrific background for this 15 yr. old kid who somehow learns to treat women(older and married always) exactly the way they want to be treated. The fact that this is a true story takes the "yeh sure, this could never happen" out of the mouths of pragmatists.

Dempsey is terrific in these type roles(see: Can't Buy Me Love). Talia Balsam and Beverly D'Angelo are also excellent. But it's the subtle words and facial expressions of Michael Constantine,who plays the father, that give the film that added panache.

If you're looking for a fun and fairly brainless movie to rent for an evening I'd recommend this one.