Pittsburgh

I had to look up this movie, just to make sure it wasn't a documentary. As one description said, it really tightropes the line between mockumentary and movie. At some points, you think the stars are being very self absorbed, as opposed to being self-effacing. And you start to wonder if it is funny or sad, in a Hollywood "out of touch with reality" sort of way. All you have to do is pay attention to the Ed Begley Jr. segments to see that this is at once, a vehicle for the actors to promote their true feelings, and a way to promote them in a mockumentary format.

It is very much is the improv style of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". As a viewer, if you put yourself in this mode, I think you will find this movie very funny,.

This movie reminds me of a Chris Guest production. Excellent cast moves the story of Jeff trying to play the lead in "The Music Man." Robert Preston he is not, but he gives it his all. I enjoyed it and if you like satire with nuance, you will too.

When watching this movie, I kept clicking on the DVD menu to see if I was stuck in a "Making of this movie" extra on the disc. It soon becomes quite tiresome watching the "how to" rather than the "real" movie. It is certainly a shame that this film takes the avenue it does because the premise contains the promise of what could be an entertainingly funny experience. I suppose the acting is good, yet one cannot sit through it constantly anticipating the movie to begin. Laborious is the one word that describes this movie. We see nothing of the city of Pittsburgh. The movie's location could have been Needles CA for all the reference it gives its title. I admit that I fully expected to watch a movie that was entertaining in the way it portrayed the relationships involved when a well known Hollywood personality joined a cast of characters in a community theater production of a well known musical. The promise that the synopsis of this movie makes leaves one frustrated when the reality of the actual plot is realized. Save yourself some disappointment and skip this one.

Contrary to most, I must say I did like this movie. At first I thought I wouldn't as it seemed just a documentary, but after a while it became engrossing. Maybe because I started out in show biz myself and in these regional type of productions too, so it all came back as realistic to me. I wouldn't have thought Jeff Goldblum could pull it off as a song and dance man, after seeing him in The Fly and Jurassic Park, but he did rather well, I thought. Maybe a bit too much mugging off stage as well as on, but on the whole, viewable and he worked very hard on this. I wondered what is it with the gum chewing all the way through? The movie gave a true sense of theater life on the amateur, regional level, and I suppose, other than Jeff and Ed Begley, none were Union and so were not paid, certainly not the children. I noticed the choreographer, who also acted a bit, is uncredited, yet every child no matter how insignificant is sure to be named. That's Civic Theater for you! Oh, he is listed on the movie credits at end of film but not on this site, but they often don't give the choreographer credit and if they do it's listed even below the location driver! Not fair at all! I well remember the film of Music Man with Robert Preston but could never figure out how 76 trombones would fit on any stage! But with a bit of stagecraft they did. I saw Music Man back during the 70s in the London West End with Van Johnson (sadly now (December 2008) gone at age 92) in the lead role.

The premise is that Jeff Goldblum is miscast as the lead a hometown production of The Music Man, but he takes it so seriously it doesn't feel like a joke. Not to mention that he's not even that bad. It sets itself up like it's going to be a great prank, but the whole thing might as well be real. Nobody ends up more than mildly flustered with Goldblum's performance, and the production itself ends up getting a standing ovation. Who is the joke supposed to be on? The whole affair ends up being too real. It's truly as boring as watching a bonus feature documentary on a Hollywood actor doing a small production musical.

The 2 is for a handful of lines that made me chuckle, but even Goldblum fans should skip this. I recommend it to no one.