It's Pat: The Movie

I actually liked the sketch "Pat" on SNL. It was a fresh idea - honestly, how many other "andrognenous character-sketch" routines can you name? It had its limitations, and it sure as hell could have been pushed past the "Pat almost reveals his/her gender but then doesn't" joke that seems to have been the limit of its humor.

So when there was a movie, I thought, "Hey, they're finally going to push the character beyond the one-joke limit. I like Pat, sure, I'll like the movie!" Well, I was stunned at how ineptly and poorly executed the whole thing was. The Pat character is immediately portrayed as boorish, intrusive, insensitive, and a host of other undesirable characteristics. Who decided this is what Pat was about? Who thought this would be funny? And how does this relate to the SNL character, anyway? I see no resemblance at all.

Even Dave Foley, whom I love and who is well-known for his excellence at portraying long-suffering comic characters, cannot soften the unrelenting ugliness that Pat exudes. In addition, I really think they took the low road with the "Chris" character. Of all the androgynous names they could have chosen (Terry, Bobby, Sam, the list is long), "Chris" is so boring! And the style of androgyny that was chosen, "70's-esque flower child", complete with page-boy haircut, while certainly complimenting Pat's dowdiness, was just one more joke with a very short lifespan.

By the time you finally realize the ugly boorishness that Pat is all about is not going to be a short-lived bit, but is instead the main (and only) joke, and that you will get no reprieve at all, ever, through the entire film, it will be too late. You will have suffered through the whole film, with very few laughs, and entirely missed out on a "naive-but-loveable-doofus" version of Pat, that you might have expected to get.

I must admit, I wasn't expecting much of this movie when I saw it on cable, but i didn't have anything else to do (and there was nothing else on tv) so I decided to watch this movie. To my amazement the movie was pretty good. Don't get me wrong or anything like that, it wasn't an oscar worthy production or some runaway hit, but the movie made me laugh hysterically in many of its insane scenes. I suggest you give this movie try....You will be laughing!

It's Pat is one of those movies that will have you thinking "This can't be as bad as everyone says", due to it's cult status. Rest assured, the film is bad, but it is a far cry from being one of the worst films ever. The main problem is that the film has no direction. It spends 75 minutes shifting between being a farce and character comedy,failing to be both. In order to function as a character comedy, the lead must be likable, which Pat is anything but. He/she is boorish, rude, insensitive and downright unpleasant. Even if the character is written this way on purpose (which I suspect), there is little else to find interesting, save for a few mediocre jokes, which are not funny enough for this film to function as a farce. That being said, the actors do well with what they are given, but overall the movie's lack in direction or character development and mediocre jokes are its downfall.

Alright, crappy movie, but Dave Foley's in it! Which automatically makes it at least MARGINALLY amusing. The only reason I rented this movie (and with a very red face as I went up to pay for it) was because Dave Foley (who plays Chris, Pat's equally androgynous lover in the movie) is a comic genius and my favorite actor in the world. Now if Dave HADN'T been in it would I have enjoyed it at all? Hmm, there's a question, I may have enjoyed the singing of "La Freak" but that's just because I'm a sucker for disco music too! But anyway, Dave Foley is great (not like this movie encourages greatness on ANY possible level, but anyway) and he is strangely attractive as a woman (as observed MORE than enough in his Kids in the Hall days). If you want a funnier (albiet, still a bit silly) movie with Dave Foley in it, opt for "The Wrong Guy", Dave co-wrote and stars in it, and the band Barenaked Ladies is in it as an added bonus. Dave Foley rocks!

The androgynous character from "Saturday Night Live" spins-off into a comedy movie. The annoying "Pat" (Julia Sweeney) has trouble finding a job. "Pat" is an abominable postal carrier and sneezes globs of snot on a customer's sushi. Like in the TV skits, we get close to determining if "Pat" is a man or woman, then something happens to put the character's gender back in question. Herein, "Pat" finds romance with likewise androgynous "Chris" (Dave Foley). Also, "Pat" has a neighbor (Charles Rocket) who becomes obsessed with catching "Pat" in a gender-proving moment.

More proof that SNL skits do not necessarily make good movies.

*** It's Pat (8/26/94) Adam Bernstein ~ Julia Sweeney, Dave Foley, Charles Rocket, Kathy Griffin