Un bébé sur les bras

Caught this on cable last night and loved it - how can you not love a film that has (a nearly-unrecognizable) Gary Oldman playing Buford Dill, yer basic sadsack Southern petty criminal with a rectal problem which causes him to go through a lot of Chapstick? (This must be seen to be appreciated.) One of the funniest and endearing characterizations of his brilliant career. And Skeet Ulrich, who rescues and slowly becomes irreparably attached to the baby of the title, is thoroughly believable as well. If you watch it, make sure you stay through the end titles, which feature Oldman and Mary Steenburgen line-dancing. (PS: The baby is adorable too.)

At first I was thrown for a loop. Was this the Gary Oldman I had grown to love watching "A State of Grace" or "Leon the Professional" NOPE! It was that other side, the side we rarely see of this gifted actor. Add to that Skeet Ulrich and the two make a good..yes...comedic team. It wasn't a "Dumb" as Dumber and Dumber" but it had some of that "dumbness" to it! The premise here has been seen before, a little baby cared for by hapless guys who have their hands full! But the twists we get with Oldman and Ulrich not to mention great characters portrayed by class actors and actresses here makes the film a sure thing. Now it took me the first 30 minutes to get a feel for this movie but it gets going. I just wasn't sure how to take the Oldman and Ulrich characters...but it finally flowed for me and was well worth the watch.

After watching this film..and finding that it came out in 2001...I wondered why I had never heard of it before now. The casting seemed just right and the storyline was as well. Garu Oldman never disappoints in any film he is in..he is one of the best actors in Hollywood. Skee Ulrich is underrated and deserves far more exposure than he has gotten. Over all...the writing done on this is outstanding...it told a story without stupid garbage being included. These characters are flawed...and are not perfect...just as people in real life are. There was just enough craziness put in to make you pay attention and not get bored...which is something too many films seem to do. Do not pass this movie up at the video store or on the movie channels..in favor of some predictable junk...you will not be disappointed.

We happened to catch this recently while staying in a hotel, and as we'd never heard of it, we weren't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised, though, as this turned out to be a very enjoyable (and very funny) movie. Gary Oldman (as a goofy nerd that you want to dislike but simply can't) was amazing... we were halfway through the movie before we recognized him. Skeet Ulrich and Mary Steenburgen were also great... gosh, everyone was. We loved it. And we'll never think of Chapstick the same way again... We definitely recommend this for rental. And seems to be okay for older children, too, although I don't recall its rating. No sex, no major violence... only some pretty harmless (compared to a lot of PG13 movies) mischief.

It was a real surprise to discover this film, that obviously went to video before it could have a theatrical release, or so it seems. David Seltzer's film deserved much better fate because it is a comedy with its heart in the right place.

How did this director/screen writer assemble this cast? The first thing that amazes is a Gary Oldman as we haven't seen him before. In fact, it takes a while to realize he is Buford! This actor is a chameleon as he shows in picture after picture. Buford depends on ChapSticks to relieve jean burns and never hesitates to borrow a tube from anyone at all!

The film shows the bond between Buford, the older convict, and Billy Raedeen, who met as children in an orphanage. Their friendship is something real, no matter where they might go, they'll be there for one another.

Skeet Ulrich's Billy was a role he was meant to play. Mr. Ulrich knows this guy and he gets a reprieve to make something out of his life when, by chance, he finds a baby in an automobile wreckage. This little baby will change his destiny, as Billy finds an extended family in the Nevada desert among misfits that welcome him into their little community.

Gary Oldman has one of the best moments of his career as Buford, the man who seems to be in permanent fog. He runs away with his role in a splashy performance. We get at the end a display of Mr. Oldman and Mary Steenburgen line dancing where both shine as gracious partners.

Radha Mitchell, Mary Steenburgen, Gordon Tootoosis, Anna Gunn, and the rest, make a great contribution to the film, under the tight direction of David Seltzer.