Keys to Tulsa

This is a really good movie. I mean that. Great acting, dialogue, and full bodied plot keep this film moving just fine. You'll need to dig this one up in VHS at your local video dealer, but it's well worth the search. This one's a gem. 7 of 10

About twenty minutes into this movie, I was already bored. Quite simply, these characters were fairly dull. Occasionally, something enjoyable would happen, but then things would slow down again. Fortunately, my patience was eventually rewarded, and the ending to this movie wasn't bad at all. However, it was by no means good enough to justify sitting through the first ninety minutes. So, I would say that the movie was mediocre overall, and considering all of the talent in the cast, I'd call this a disappointment.

Handsome red-haired Eric Stoltz (as Richter Boudreau) has trouble making ends meet on the salary he makes as a "Tulsa" Okalahoma newspaper movie critic. One end he likes to meet is his nose to a line of coke, though Mr. Stoltz never seems to get a buzz off the stuff. He also smokes cigarettes constantly, probably because nobody told him you have to inhale the dammed things for the desired effect; since the character Stoltz plays would work just as well if he did not smoke, why he pretends is a mystery.

Another end Stoltz likes to meet is the one that finds what he calls the "nether regions" of topless house-guests who spread their legs, like strung-out stripper Joanna Going (as Cherry). Her line, "Sometimes I feel like a little animal protein," is a tip off. Ms. Going is introduced by Stoltz' dark hair-dyed dealer James Spader (as Ronnie Stover). Mr. Spader, who fills his tight clothing well, is married to Stoltz' lusciously lusty ex, Deborah Kara Unger (as Vicky). Trigger-happy Michael Rooker (as Keith) connects everyone.

Supporting and cameo shots come from Mary Tyler Moore, James Coburn, Cameron Diaz, and Peter Strauss. The DVD sleeve touts Ms. Diaz as one of the top-billed stars, but her "comic" interlude lasts only a few minutes. The synopsis reads, "The black sheep son of a wealthy Tulsa family returns to the world he'd renounced and is forced into a blackmail scheme by his high school sweetheart's menacing husband. When he helps the only eyewitness to a murder, he gets caught in a web of revenge, deceit and redemption."

Sometimes "Tulsa" seems an awful lot like a "Hollywood" acting class. Stoltz seems to play it straight, while most of the others seem to be having some scenery-chewing fun with their characters. This film was promoted as a "crime thriller" but often looks like it was really intended to be a "comedy thriller" - at least, that is how it comes across. In any case, it's not entirely clear - or successful - but the society "party" scene is funny, with Ms. Moore, Going and Josh Ridgway (as Billy) seeming to capture the film's mood.

***** Keys to Tulsa (11/20/96) Leslie Grief ~ Eric Stoltz, James Spader, Joanna Going, Mary Tyler Moore

Keys To Tulsa spends most of its two-hour length teetering on the brink of being a convoluted mess, but the wit and charm of the script and the cast combine to make it a worthwhile watch. Eric Stoltz is hilarious as the hapless Richter, delivering some great one-liners and generally appearing to enjoy the hell out of most of the movie despite his character's fairly pathetic situation. There are a lot of characters with a lot of back story in Keys To Tulsa, and at times it's easy to forget who has done what to whom. (There are also three characters named Richter, Victor and Vicki in this movie, which may work on paper, but phonetically it's a little jarring, and there's no apparent reason for them to have such similar-sounding names.) Overall, though, it works as kind of a slapsticky film noir. Mary Tyler Moore is a scream as Richter's mother, and Michael Rooker is reliably freaky as Richter's childhood friend. Give this one a shot. It's not what you'd call high art, but it's a lot of fun.

My boyfriend and I made the horrible mistake of renting this one evening. We were intrigued as it had several actors in it that we liked. Also, I am from Tulsa, and not many movies are made that even mention Oklahoma (aside from stereotyping us as inbred crackers and redneck bigots). This film doesn't get away from the stereotyping at all. The accents were completely inaccurate, as well. This movie was so boring that after about an hour, we both agreed to shut it off. What was Cameron Diaz thinking when she agreed to do this one? If this is the only thing left on Saturday night at the video store, I recommend that you take the keys to the nearest theater. You'll pay more money, but at least you won't be wasting time. On a scale of one to ten, I give this one a 1/2.