The Trouble with Dee Dee

I caught this at the Idaho Panhandle International Film Festival Wednesday, and it was very enjoyable. What is said in another review to be cliché for the ending is absolutely wrong, in my opinion, the ending is very poignient, and overall the film is just good fun. Many of the ladies I was with found it fun, although because Walter's character Dee Dee is so well played, two of our group were really turned off by Dee Dee because they were personally somewhat like the character. Interesting. Sunday this film wasn't selected for Best of Fest, and I complained! Sounds like I wasn't the only one who did because they are going to play it in Spokane for Best of Fest! Anyway see this film if you can, its a good old fashioned fun comedy with some heart.

It isn't very often that I laugh this hard at a movie. Lisa Ann Walter had me in stitches. J P Manoux's performance was awesome as well. His lines were minimal but his facial expressions said volumes. Kurtwood Smith gave another great performance as expected. For those of you that are used to seeing his hardnose characters such as his role in Dead Poets Society, you know what I'm talking about. The films pacing was good with a fairly fast comedic clock which is not easy for a film to maintain. Even though this film reports a budget of 750 grand it comes off like a Hollywood production with a much higher budget. The few things that I would point out that only perhaps a filmmaker might notice as weekpoints would be one; the music. The score was great and quirky when it needed to be but lacked some emotional punch when it really needed it. There were two scenes in particular (which I won't mention) that should have had you crying your eyes out but with no fault of the acting failed to deliver. Second, the cinematography while pretty good at times found itself confused. I recall during the film being annoyed by the camera not being able to find the right position. It would jump the line and irratically go from a tight shot to a wide shot to a medium shot to an over the shoulder to a...if you uderstand this stuff you know what I'm talking about. Apparently, from watching the way the majority of the film was cut this was no fault of Mike Meiners who made a fantastic film in all other respects. If you have a chance to see this film by all means do it. You won't be disappointed. By the way, did I mention that The Chicago International Film Festival is a great place to see a premiere film?

Thank you all for your comments both positive and negative. This industry thrives on people talking about our movies. I'd just like to address a comment from an otherwise spot-on remark from "dedmouse." Thank you for defending me but the editing that so bothered you is ENTIRELY my "fault." I do not believe in "the line" that most filmmakers find it taboo to cross. I believe today's audiences have seen enough filmed entertainment and behind-the-scenes documentaries to understand they're not watching a play but looking through a camera that can be moved and are no longer prone to becoming disoriented when the camera captures something from the other side of a scene. I may be wrong. It does certainly seem to be disorienting to filmmakers. Also, in terms of the shots going from CU to master to over-the- shoulder in a slipshod way, you may be right. My priority was the actors' performances. Whatever brought out the best verbal timing, best reaction, facial expression, tone, etc. won out over issues of visual pacing and was placed in the movie. It was simply my priority. I was heavily involved with the editing and was the final word on editing decisions. It's entirely possible that these were lousy decisions - I just thought it would be in the spirit of these comment pages to let you know that they were on purpose and that they were my call. --Mike Meiners, Director

The Trouble With DeeDee in so many words is that she'd like to be Auntie Mame for the 21st century. But Rosalind Russell did not have a father looking over her shoulder. And in fact Mame Dennis did spend herself into bankruptcy, had her nephew taken from her custody, and was lucky enough to marry wealthy again and inherit it when she became a widow. All that does not happen in The Trouble With DeeDee.

What does happen is Kurtwood Smith as her father is about to lose what little remaining hair he has over the behavior of his irrepressible daughter Lisa Ann Walter. He's looking to retire and wants his daughter and one and only child to straighten out and start assuming the responsibility of the Rutherford Foundation where she will be the only blood Rutherford on the board if that ever happens.

So after a few warnings which Smith eventually throws out DeeDee and her entourage which include her son Mason Gamble who is gay and her factotum J.P. Manoux. Gamble would also like his mother to grow up, he's growing up faster than she, but he does support her eccentricities up to a point and she despite some misgivings supports him and his sexual orientation.

What happens in this film is that Smith and Walter meet each other halfway so to speak. Maybe even more for Smith who realizes his daughter though flaky is a person of a good heart.

Script and story are the bedrock of any film and I did like the characters that were created and brought to life by the players here. In fact Lisa Ann Walter ought to consider touring in Mame.

I had an unexpected opportunity to view this movie at the Savannah (GA) Film Festival in November 2006. I was in town for the weekend (the fest was a bonus) and had no advance information about the film, no preconceptions. It was great!! Rare are the films that produce genuine, spontaneous laughter and evoke delighted surprise. The film's characters were engaging; the story carried one through the ups and downs of predictable relationships and unexpected responses. I'm actually amazed, as I write this, that so many of the scenes come (happily) to mind--it made that kind of impression. The cinematic qualities were excellent (all the framing, angles, light, settings, etc., which are most obvious when done poorly and transparent when done well). I do so hope this film will be released.