The Jimmy Show

This is a well-done man vs. himself movie, with a downward spiral that is more moderated and even than most of those sorts of stories. This isn't a party people, drug-addled downward spiral, or a thug life, violence-addled downward spiral -- it's just a normal life, unfortunate circumstances, rut-addled downward spiral.

I liked the comedy routine gimmick most of the time, and it provided an off-beat break from the otherwise bleak and mostly mundane storyline -- that being the life of Jimmy, who has become trapped in a sour, unfulfilled plane of his own existence, partly due to circumstance and partly due to a poisoned outlook on life.

Those who have said "don't watch this for a pick-me-up" are absolutely correct -- this is a painful movie that is likely to leave you with a grimace, or at least a furrowed brow. It's a sad but not unrealistic testament to the kind of unsatisfying, confounded lives that are lived by plenty of people every day. Lonely, uncomfortable with the results of one's life, yearning for something more but chained down by the shackles of life (imagined or real, or both).

Another reviewer here asked what value there is to be had from this movie. The answer is that it serves as a reminder of lives that have neither a happy ending, nor an over-done, trite, or bizarre bad ending. It's the photo negative of "Falling Down", in a way, where the Michael Douglas character doesn't clench his jaw and go on a beeline ass-kicking spree across town -- he just clenches his jaw and keeps trudging along as dark turns to black. (And does an equally-grim stand-up comedy act, which gets better as it goes along, without ever getting funny.)

It definitely deserves a better rating than the 4.4 it has now. I gave it a 7. There's nothing wrong with it aside from the fact that it portrays a pretty ordinary, unfortunate life story. It does that well, and the comedy routine thing is a nice quirk.

I saw"The Jimmy Show" at a screening at the American Film Market 2002 last week and, while it contains home truths about life in suburban America, I found it heavy going. The producers call it a bitter-sweet love story but to me it was more bitter than sweet. Its big problem lies in its lack of an underlying vein of hope and optimism so often necessary in a story of this genre.

Jimmy O'Brien describes himself as "young, fresh and angry" but is in reality a born loser with sticky fingers. Holding down a supermarket dead end job by the skin of his teeth, he has aspirations as a standup comedian. Every Tuesday on open-mike night at The Laughing Stock comedy club, he dies on stage at the hands of a tough, no-smiling audience but this is nothing compared with what is happening inside Jimmy. He is slowing strangling on his own lack of initiative, ambition and basic social graces. Thrown out of his market job for stealing cases of beer, he continues along a seemingly downward path without benefit of humorous relief.

Frank Whaley wrote the screenplay, directed, and plays the role of Jimmy, and when such vital chores are taken on by one man, I can't help thinking the movie has more than the usual biographical aspects and should more accurately have been called "The Frank Show". In supporting roles, Carla Cugino as his long-suffering wife and Ethan Hawke as his co-worker provide adequate performances.

Not recommended for those in search of a feel-good movie.

Starring, written and directed by Frank Whaley, "The Jimmy Show" (with two other significant actors - Carla Gugino and Ethan Hawke) is a story of a wannabee stand up comedian. He has his dreams, and like most dreams, real life gets in the way. Still, Jimmy doesn't give up his desire to be a funny man standing on a spotlit stage in front of appreciative people. What is he willing to trade away for his dream? Does he understand what making a dream materialize entails? Will others support him? Let me put it this way: I GUARANTEE that you will feel better about your life, by watching "The Jimmy Show". This is an extremely focused, linear, painful story about an awkward, rationalizing, self-defeating man who threatens to pull everyone nearby under with him. There's not a single laugh in this story of comedian dreamer. Frank Whaley carries the story on his shoulders, and does a fantastic job. Gugino is also strong. Hawke does what he does well.

Frank Whaley gave it his directorial all in this one as in "Joe the King". He has a unique voice among the other modern day quills of his medium.

This one though, will leave you with a personal malaise. Desolation and reality have now been given gravity with this picture. It's equally depressing that his instincts have drug him in this direction.

View at your own risk.

The"Jimmy Show" is actor Frank Whaley's second picture following Joe the king. In this film Jimmy O'Brien a unfunny and very unsuccessful comedian deals with his needy girlfriend, his hard job and trying to make people laugh. This movie really does show the realistic life of a struggling comedian and it captures the characters true passion for his profession. But than again the plot just becomes a whirlwind of bad luck for jimmy and doesn't really seem to give him a break. Carla Gugino as Jimmy's girlfriend Annie gives a great performance and Ethan Hawke also manages to steal a few scenes away from his co-star and director Frank Whaley. Overall Whaley has great potential as a up and coming dramatic director.