Modern Problems

"Modern Problems" was one of those movies that got a lot of play on HBO when I was a kid in the early 80s, and since I was a big Chevy Chase fan at the time, I watched it over and over again. Nearly 30 years later, the film had all but faded from my memory except for a few random bits so when it turned up on Fox Movie Channel over the weekend I decided to give it a shot.

90 minutes later I'm sitting here thinking to myself "Wow, this was pretty bad wasn't it?", and I'm not sure if the film hadn't aged well, or if it simply wasn't a very good film to begin with. All I can say is that I remember enjoying it a heck of a lot more as an easier-to-impress 12 year old.

Chase plays Max, a stressed out Air Traffic Controller who's got serious relationship problems. He's recently broken up with his live-in girlfriend, and his ex-wife (Mary Kay Place), whom he apparently has kept a friendly relationship with, is now "schtupping" (that's an exact quote) an old friend of his from high school (Brian Doyle-Murray, aka Bill's brother). As if that weren't enough, a chance meeting with a leaky Nuclear Waste truck on the highway one night splatters him with radioactive goo, and he wakes up the next morning with telekinetic powers.

You'd think that this would be a license to do a totally go-for-broke slapstick comedy but oddly enough very little is made of Max's newfound abilities till the film is almost over. Chase isn't his usual wild-and-wacky self either, preferring to mope around mooning over his girlfriend (Patti D'Arbanville). Eventually the dysfunctional foursome (Chase, D'arbanville, Doyle-Murray, and Place) go off to Murray's beach house to spend the weekend, joined by one of Murray's clients, an insufferable self-help author played by Dabney Coleman. Coleman is the funniest thing in the film, as his constant jabs and insults finally poke Chase's character into a full on telekinetic meltdown that can only be stopped by a voodoo ritual (?) performed by Murray's Haitian housekeeper (Nell Carter).

"Modern Problems" tries to be quirky and wacky but spends most of the film falling flat on its face. It's got a decent cast and an interesting premise, but its greatest sin is that it casts a gifted comic like Chase and then tells him to be morose and unfunny for much of the run time (till he finally explodes towards the end).

There are a few good bits (Chase using his power to give a guy a massive nosebleed in the middle of a swanky restaurant is a highlight, as is the entire "voodoo" scene) but otherwise "Modern Problems" isn't very "modern" anymore. Easily skippable even for hardcore Chevy Chase fans.

I never really got into this movie, it's more strange than it is funny. And Chevy wasn't his usual self either, he was way to morose and distant to really side with his character or empathise with him in any way.

Chevy plays Max Fielder, an air-traffic controller who's life is constantly in the toilet and bad luck follows him everywhere. He's very paranoid and possessive over his girlfriend, so much so that she dumps him for some total dork.

On his way home from a disastrous night out his car is sprayed with radioactive gunk from a leaky government truck. He is soon blessed/cursed with telekinetic abilities, which he uses to get revenge on those who make his life miserable.

It could have been really fun but it's just...weird. Ken Shapiro (who?) does not have the same edge in his direction as Harold Ramis, Michael Ritchie or John Landis and he doesn't know how to fully use Chevy's brand of humor. There are some laughs to be had though, but their not so memorable.

The DVD is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen but it's mostly all shot in soft focus so there's nothing outstanding here. The sound is plain old Mono and it's alright if nothing else, though the dialogue has very heavy use of ADR. A trailer and TV spot are included. Oh...and that theme song playing over the menu, opening and closing credits? Yuck!

First of all, it is worth nothing that director Ken Shapiro seemingly hasn't been employed since this near-catastrophe was released in 1981. It's pretty safe to say that's a bad sign. Secondly, even a stellar cast cannot make a movie very good (what I like to call "Mars Attacks!" syndrome). Now that I have gotten that out of the way, a quick synopsis : Chevy Chase (that in itself is a bad sign) stars as an air traffic controller who, after an encounter with nuclear waste, acquires telekinetic powers, which he uses against his romantic rivals. The premise in itself is engaging and open to the possibility of great comedy. So what happened?

Well, Ken Shapiro could be blamed. The direction is sloppy; actually it is downright pathetic. The pacing is WAY too slow, the action is ineptly handled, and many of the actors seem bored. And worst of all, the special effects are woeful...I haven't seen so much camera equipment on-screen since the glory days of Ed Wood. Case in point...the scene with the Flying-Airplane-Ashtray (don't ask), where some strange, large object is obviously present in the close-ups, holding up the Ashtray next to the camera. I've made home movies with better effects.

What about the actors? Well, Nell Carter is an absolute hoot; she deserves better. And Dabney Coleman is entirely in his element here as a shady, egotistical author. Brian Doyle Murray and Mary Kay Place are also entertaining. Patti D'Arbanville is a bit lacking in comedic talent; she is given nothing more to do than pout and screech. But the real problem here is Chase. He is just going through the motions here, playing the hapless bumbler bit to death and looking very bored doing it. There is no life to his performance, and it grinds the movie to a halt.

True, there are some funny moments here...Nell Carter gets most of the laughs in a woefully small role, the scenes involving Chase's romantic rival Barry (Mitch Kreindel) are pretty amusing, and one reviewer here has already mentioned Chase's throwaway line "Smells like feet," which for some reason made me laugh hysterically...but the funny moments are few and far between. There is so much BAD to sort through to get to the GOOD stuff, and it just isn't worth the time and trouble. Perhaps in better hands, "Modern Problems" could have been a good movie. This certainly isn't it.

For whatever reason, many people abhor this movie. Hence, my need to provide you with an alternative opinion. First, don't watch it expecting belly laughs as you will be, at the least, very disappointed. The modern problems confronting Chevy Chase in 1981 are still for many the problems of today - the problems of love, hate, jealousy, and revenge. But don't start thinking this is a heavy or serious movie disguised as a comedy. It is in fact a comedic journey of self-discovery that one man endures - with a little help from some nuclear waste.

Guys: It is worth watching if for no other reason than to watch Barry (Mitch Kreindel) get his just desserts in the restaurant.

Girls: It is worth watching if for no other reason than to see how true love can obliterate a man's insecurities.

I have to mention Dabney Coleman because I think he gives one of his best ever comedic performances. He's not too far removed from the part he played as the Boss in 9 to 5. And it is fun to watch him get his come-uppance.

All in all, this is not a great movie, granted. But I could think of a lot worse ways to spend two hours on a Sunday afternoon.

MODERN PROBLEMS is one of those films that is ALWAYS on cable -- and yet no one would ever want to watch in its entirety. Blame Comedy Central. Probably Chevy Chase at his lowest. Although his career has had so many low points, it's hard to say. He must be a masochist who deliberately chooses godawful movies to destroy his career. Or he's a sadist who enjoys inflicting these turkeys on the rest of us. Don't listen to anyone who claims, "Actually, it's not that bad;" they didn't actually sit through it.