Utilities

Bob (Robert Hays) is a social worker for senior citizens. He hates the big utility companies because they are always turning off heat and light to those on a fixed income, if they get a bit behind on their bills. One day, an elderly woman freezes to death because her heat was shut off and Bob gets a eureka. He will sabotage Big Light and Big Heat until they agree to stop their inhumane practices. However, he runs in and out of the law regularly and is often arrested by beautiful cop Marion (Brooke Adams). Could it be that these two unlikely singles are a match in the making? And, will Bob's subterfuge work? This cute little unknown film has plenty of, as Joni Mitchell would say, court and spark. The ever-manic Hays and the calm Adams make a nice and unusual couple. Everyone cheers for the underdog, especially when he or she is up against Con Ed, and the plot will therefore win over most hearts. Then, too, the actors portraying the various senior citizens are a jolt of joy. If you are on the perpetual voyage to find every romantic comedy ever made, do not skip this one. It is a sweet gem among the sometimes littered pathway of love.

Utilities is a film, I feel that doesn't all come together, but means well. The film raises a couple of jitters here and there, but despite these faults, it still manages to be quite entertaining and worthwhile viewing. Likable lead, Hays, a social worker, who in one scene, shows boss (a real sour boss) who's boss, is fed up with how a corrupt electricity department, has been treating him and his older neighbors in his tenement. Things take a serious turn, when one old lady dies, from lack of heat. This is when the last straw has drawn. With the help of his halfwit genius friend, they decide to get to the bottom of it. He also falls for an arresting officer (Adams, an underused actress) really good here, although Hays carries his own too. This is actually a nice little vehicle to see him drive, doing justice to his lead character. The movie does telegraph a lot about the reality of rising electricity costs, and how those unfortunate few have to do without. There just seem to be some certain elements (yeah, funny?) missing, through a bit of a patchy script. Not just only featuring a mad nutter bomber, working for the bad guys, the film also re iterates itself many times with a movie signature gesture- the finger. Worth watching, definitely. Just not as good as what could have been.

I purchased this film off eBay solely due to Brooke Adams's presence, and I am disappointed to say this is a film so bad that even she does not look good in it. This film, with its plot revolving around a social worker waging a quasi-guerrilla war against a ruthless energy company, had the potential to be a great left wing black comedy. However, bad writing and needless racial stereotypes hamper it.

First of all, the romantic subplot between Hays's social worker and Adams's police officer is badly handled. Adams largely vanishes during the last third of the film as it focuses on Hays's struggle, only to resolve the romantic angle abruptly, with no development on the film's part.

More problematic, given the film's left wing slant, is the inclusion of racial stereotypes. The poor people that Hays defends are all 'good' white people. The only minority characters we see are a Hispanic hustler, an African American pimp, and an incompetent black security guard who dances compulsively. These stereotypes undermine the film's message, and date it needlessly.

Finally, although I'm a socialist, even I found the Hays character to be whiny and overly dramatic in his defense of the poor. Had the character been better written, he would have been far more sympathetic, and the film itself more watchable.

Starring Robert ("Airplane!") Hays, UTILITIES gives new meaning to the term "finger". It's satiric and off-beat in its own right, but I'd flick the switch off on its terribly screwed up plot which gave me some service disruptions. While checking this one out, it appeared as a very original type of romantic comedy thanks to the perfect pairing and charactership of Robert Hays and Brooke Adams. In the end, one could only hope this being much more funny. A fine comedy movie with great potential, marred by statically over-hyped scripting and lack of solid ideas.