The Hungry Bachelors Club

This film opened on one screen on a Central New Jersey multiplex, with only one teeny ad in a local paper. Was it any surprise I was the only person in the theater on a RAINY Sunday afternoon? It was a very lovingly made and the characters were unique, but there's not one scene in the film that works. The cast tries hard, with very mixed results. Jorjan Fox is the lead and she's very likable, and I'd like to see her in another movie. Bill Nunn (most recognizable from his supporting role in "Sister Act") sleepwalks through his role, David Shakleford alternately overacts and underacts as an ingratiating alcoholic (he relies on his goofy smile too much) and Peter Murnik isn't given much to do and has one scene in nothing but a towel, a shameless ploy to knock the audience out of its coma. It does, but it's transparent. If Candy Azzara had a line of dialogue, I don't remember it, yet she managed to make an impression as the dotty mother nonetheless. I really wanted to like this movie, but it's vague in its ambitions, the theme of bigotry seemed like an afterthought. Mainly, I just wanted it to end so I could go home. It's about half as successful as it could have been.

It's great to see Jorja Fox in a role where she gets to smile a lot. Also loved hearing her sing. Nice change to see her out of her CSI/West Wing/ER roles. The movie itself was entertaining, but it seemed skip some explanation in a lot of parts. Several of the characters seemed to be miserable one minute and happy the next and it was left up to your imagination to figure out why. Each character was quirky though and in some cases, I couldn't wait to see what they would do next or hear what they would say next. This movie wasn't full of squeaky clean people, but rather complicated realistic people who could make mistakes, feel bad about them and then find a way to fix them.

I had the opportunity to preview this film as a member of a test audience, and the only thing which kept me in my seat was the chance to fill out the post-screening survey. I felt the film's biggest problem was its lack of a main plot. Instead, it was composed of (too) many sub-plots competing for screen time. As a result, there is not a single character who is developed enough for the audience to form any sort of attachment. What the director and producer failed to do was show us why we should care what happens to the characters. In fact any one sub-plot and the characters associated with it could have been removed altogether without serious detriment to the film. (The time gained would have allowed for the much needed development of the remaining sub-plots and characters.) Simply put, The Hungry Bachelors Club's plate is overcrowded with side dishes and appetizers when an entre is desired.

I may be biased, I am the author of the novel The Hungry Bachelors Club, self-published in 1994. The screenplay was written by my good friend and hungry bachelor, Fred Dresch, who was the inspiration for the character Marlon in the film. I couldn't be more pleased with the trailer, I hope to see the film in its entirety and I will further comment. But Jorja Fox, who plays Delmar Youngblood, my character, is stellar. She carries the bulk of the emotional vehicles in fine form. I couldn't have done better myself! This looks like real people, hardly formula driven and thankfully drives my statement against racial prejudice home, gracefully and heartfelt.

While this movie won't go down in the annals of great cinema, it is a fun way to spend an hour and a half with the family. The film is finally being released in video where it should have debuted in the first place.

The film is about an eclectic group of friends who gather for dinners which they have named, "The Hungry Bachelors Club". Jorja Fox plays a woman who serves as a surrogate in order to get a down payment for the restaurant that she wants to open. Bill Nunn plays a Cadillac-loving mystery man who becomes her lover. Fox gives an understated and touching performance and Nunn is reliably talented as always. Micheal des Barres is a hoot as an over the top attorney. The ensemble casts - made up of familiar faces - works nicely together to bring this wacky group of characters to life. This is a good rental and one of the few you can watch with the whole family.